Need lessons on how to talk 'machine shop'.

[ocnorb]

I blew a head gasket today cresting Parley's Summit. I was pushing it waaay to hard for stock head bolts and my luck finally gave out. Glad it happened today and not on a trip with the whole family.

I already have a set of 6.9l ARP head studs and a VR headset. The motor will need to come out to torque the studs right anyways, so I am wanting to look at my options for going through the bottom end while its out.

Called a good friend that was a Diesel tech before he bought a small trucking company to ask where to find a good machine shop around here. Then I realized that I don't know what to ask the machine shop when I call.

I know I want new rings, bearings and the rotating assembly balanced... beyond that

Any advice or recommendations on how to speak machineshopanese? Don't wanna sound like a total rube. TIA

 

[itsacrazyasian]

I blew a head gasket today cresting Parley's Summit. I was pushing it waaay to hard for stock head bolts and my luck finally gave out. Glad it happened today and not on a trip with the whole family.

I already have a set of 6.9l ARP head studs and a VR headset. The motor will need to come out to torque the studs right anyways, so I am wanting to look at my options for going through the bottom end while its out.

Called a good friend that was a Diesel tech before he bought a small trucking company to ask where to find a good machine shop around here. Then I realized that I don't know what to ask the machine shop when I call.

I know I want new rings, bearings and the rotating assembly balanced... beyond that

Any advice or recommendations on how to speak machineshopanese? Don't wanna sound like a total rube. TIA

Honestly, I would ask the local hot rod shops who they use for machine work. I talked to one shop a long time ago when we did the motor in my 91 dually. They knew about sleeving the 7.3, but they didn't sleeve it properly and i lost a sleeve 700 miles into a trip. My next motor was done by a shop that does hot rod motors. They balanced that motor and punched the block for sleeves and used the style that has the lip on top. the previous machine shop also decked the heads. I wasn't happy about that either.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

btw, before you send it to the machine shop, tear it down and have a look. I think you might be pleasantly surpised at how the motor looks inside.

My first 6.9 that i shoved in my truck i stuck all new gaskets on, new rings and new bearings. New valve guides and seals in the head. The motor looked great inside so i just reringed it and tossed new bearings in. It was doing very well, no oil consumption and great power till the block cracked near the block heater. Still runs great, just leaks coolant when you really get the motor hot.

You could take the crank, rods and pistons to get balanced. The block you'd want to have new cam bearings installed and line bore checked.

 

[Dave Barbieri]

I already have a set of 6.9l ARP head studs and a VR headset. The motor will need to come out to torque the studs right anyways, so I am wanting to look at my options for going through the bottom end while its out.

I know I want new rings, bearings and the rotating assembly balanced... beyond that

Any advice or recommendations on how to speak machineshopanese? Don't wanna sound like a total rube. TIA

You're doing a good job of communicating already.

Any machine shop you talk to will understand clearly what you want by what you've just told us. When you tell them you want to replace the rings, they'll check the cylinder walls for wear (oval & taper) and let you know whether or not it needs to be bored for larger pistons. Checking out the bottom end - self explanatory. Balancing - ditto.

 

[Exekiel69]

You are not the only one if it makes You feel better. One day I will pull head on one of My engines and will need them rebuilt, there are things I know I want them do to them but things I don't know they some times do to them and that is where I feel lost. I guess this is the best place to get educated on this very important matters.

 

[riotwarrior]

Ya'll doing a fine job of communication of your problems and concerns.

 

[typ4]

Oc norb you really should torque cam it while in there. And your machine shop speak is fine. New valve springs a must.


And what state are you in?

 

[ocnorb]

Oc norb you really should torque cam it while in there. And your machine shop speak is fine. New valve springs a must.


And what state are you in?

I have one you sent me just a few months back ready to go in!!

(You also have a second core cam of mine, remember??)

I am in Utah. Salt Lake area.

On this 6.9 should I upgrade the exhaust valves why I'm in there?

I have a 7.3L motor in the shed that I plan on stealing the rockers off of. Anything else I should take from the 7.3?

 

[icanfixall]

As already said.... You have the talk already.. Deck the block.. Thats when they check the block for twist. Usually all V8 blocks have some twist in them. This decking keeps all the pistons at the same height in the cylinders. Line boreing or honing. This is when they machine off about 1 to 2 thousands off the main caps. Now the bearing circle is out of round. A boreing bar with stones on it is run thru the main webs till they rwach the prper diameter. Its done from both ends of the block too after its allowed to cool between boreings. Balancing everything that spins is important. The crank, rods with bearings, pistons completely assembled. Once the weights are all the same that much bob weight is attached to each rod bearing on the crank with the dampner and flexplate or flywheel. Take pics of the dampner, crank and flexplate so you can see what was drilled or welded up. Any internal part of any 6.9 fits a non turbo 7.3 engine. So if you need a rod any 6.9 or 7.3 rod works but know this. The turbo 7.3 rod is differant and nothing from a powerstroke internal will fit our engines. Good idea installing the typ4 cam.. I want one in my engine too. You may as well replace all the pushrods for the valves. If you don't then when you remove them from the heads they need to be kept with the hardened end up in the rockers. Now thats tuff to see because all the copper color is usually worn off the ends. They are cheap insurance so just be safe and replace them. Check the lifters for damage to the rollers and make sure yours are needle bearing rollers. The bushing bearing rollers have a tendany to stick and that flattens the cam fast. A new set is easy to find for around $160.00 on ebay all the time. We use the same lifter the the gm diesels and the powerstroke diesel use. Many engines use what we use. Just ask around. Use the main seals with the speedi sleeves in them. Usually the seals wear a groove in the crank and dampner... Hope this helps...

 

[icanfixall]

One more thing... Make damn sure they use only factory stainless steel freeze plugs and have the correct special tool to install them. They need all this and some sealant on them.

 

[RLDSL]

Not to start an arguement , but you'd be better off avoiding engine shops that do car or hot rod engines and stick with exactly what you did and ask where the truck engines get rebuilt, because there are things on diesels that simply are different than on gassers and most regular machine shops simply are not familiar with their quirks, where a heavy duty machine shop will be well versed in these things. THe place I go to does all teh work for the local IH dealership, along with the other heavy truck dealers, and rebuilding cams and cranks for the railroad repair shop, so they are well setup for anything these engines can throw at them ( but even they don't carry the factory stainless freeze plugs required for all parts of these engines. Any that need to be replaced, I have to order myself, but most of teh time, they leave teh stainless plugs in place unless I request that they be replaced, those things will generally last forever, it's teh ones that have been replaced at shops since teh factory that give all the problems )

 

[typ4]

I have one you sent me just a few months back ready to go in!!

(You also have a second core cam of mine, remember??)

I am in Utah. Salt Lake area.

On this 6.9 should I upgrade the exhaust valves why I'm in there?

I have a 7.3L motor in the shed that I plan on stealing the rockers off of. Anything else I should take from the 7.3?

Sorry, everytime I see your avatar my brain reboots. I buy direct from the guys that supply stainless valves to the powerstroke hotrodders if you do want to upgrade, otherwise they wear forever, even with turbo use.

 

[RLDSL]

Another thing to check for is on valve guides, if you have some that are worn, but not too far gone, they can insert false guides, which cost a fraction of teh price of pressing out and installing complete new guides ( it's essentially an insert that they drill out the remaining guide to press in the false guide insert, but there has to be enough of the old guide left ) most likely only a heavy diesel shop is going to be equipped for this and it can save you a fortune when getting the heads done.

 

[typ4]

If It needs guides it needs PRP bronze guides ONLY. The shop that does all the farm work around has them exclusivly and they outlast cast iron. I had them put in mine when I did it.

That was before I bought my seat and guide machine to do it myself.

 

[Knuckledragger]

If you are going to spend the money to get it balanced, have the shop check the rods. they may need to be rebuilt, making the holes round again. And consider having the bushings replaced. They do wear, and a new set properly installed and honed to size will give you years of happy driving.