how does this even happen?

[riotwarrior]

Hydraulicing due to oil on bolts ....but if threaded dow by hand not likely.

More likely damage from before you some how.

Be intersting find out more..

 

[icanfixall]

Without actually seeing this best explanitation I have is the stud girdle but... ONLY because thats the one different thing done to the bottom end. Why did you want to use this??? We DO NOT make enough hp or torque to mandate using a stud girdle. Might want to check the new bolt lengths to see if one bottomed out and caused this crack. At least remove the bolts are see if any have some indication they bottomed out. If some bottomed out you may have curled the last thread and it will be hard removing those bolts.

 

[IDIoit]

I wanted the girdle because like anything tying the caps together always helps.
it also came with a stud kit. so no bolts.
studs ran down to the bottom by hand.
hope to tear the rest of the block down tomorrow.

 

[riotwarrior]

Only reason you didnt hqve catastrophic failure was that girdle.....without the main cap likely would have blown out for sure....I cant see how it wouldnt have.

Now for sure I want a girdle


JM7.3CW Eh!

 

[Clb]

THE ONLY thing that saved the recip. assy. was that girdle.....wait till ya see the telltail rust lines in the webbing....

 

[manimal]

WOW...I thought only the GM 6.2/6.5's did that!
Each time I have used ARP's i install them hand tight, then back off 1/8th turn. Never had anything like that ever happen. But I have only used them in GAS race engines though.

 

[rhkcommander]

Wow that is nuts, sorry for your luck. learned a lot reading this though

 

[icanfixall]

Can you tell us where this engine came from? can you see any areas of the crack that tell you it was bumped by a fork lift. In my many years of reading and seeing these engines apart I have NEVER... Seen a web crack like this. Now that is the ONLY reason I point a questioning finger are the girdle.

 

[IDIoit]

I want to get the bed done for my truck before I tear it the rest of the way apart, I will update soon as it happens.
I bought this engine about 4 years ago as a "runner"
did just fine, no water leaks until I cracked the heads.
did not put cold water in a hot block either.
stay tuned!

 

[bbjordan]

Wow! Here in the Great White North, blocks crack because of water freezing in them. Does it even freeze where you are?

I doubt it is the stud girdle. If it was, I would think Justin at R&D would have heard about it sooner. If you put the stud girdle on another 7.3 and it does the same thing then that would be pretty damning.

My guess would be that it was a weak casting, or it was damaged before you got it.

 

[IDIoit]

Wow! Here in the Great White North, blocks crack because of water freezing in them. Does it even freeze where you are?

I doubt it is the stud girdle. If it was, I would think Justin at R&D would have heard about it sooner. If you put the stud girdle on another 7.3 and it does the same thing then that would be pretty damning.

My guess would be that it was a weak casting, or it was damaged before you got it.

in Cali we freeze at 52*
this engine never has seen temps below 40. on this build.
I doubt it was the girdle, but I don't dismiss it.
ill dig into this a little more once I have some time.

 

[Slydinclyde2]

Just a shot in the dark here but when torquing down the nuts for the studs did the studs try and tighten inside the block as well? Were the studs hex keyed so you could use a crows foot with a torque wrench while holding the stud steady?
Not familiar with using studs on internal engine use but thought might be worth considering.

 

[IDIoit]

I used a regular socket, so I cannot answer you if the stud tightened while in torque sequence.
that's one hell of an idea tho.
in the future I will mark the studs and keep an eye on it.
don't know if id want to use a 12 pt "crows foot" tho it will effect the torque.

 

[Slydinclyde2]

Marking the stud is a good idea and I agree the crows foot would effect torques 18 years ago I could tell you how much. I used to work in a calibration lab in the US Navy but slot of that info has since been flushed from memory.

 

[79jasper]

Well... There's also stuff like this. http://www.newmantools.com/lowell/suretork.htm

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk