Project Le Blanc

[Thewespaul]

Not mention the pan gasket.

You may be right on this one, but didn't the regular cabs have a one piece driveshaft as stock? I've seen driveshafts shaped like this one before. I don't know what they came out of. Instead of being custom, could it have been swapped out from another vehicle?

What's the difference between the 6.9 and 7.3 style hold downs?

Both my bull nose single cab trucks have a two piece, and I’ve never seen a 3.5” driveshaft on an oem truck this old, pretty big for an oem. The 6.9s has Phillips head screws for the hold downs, but a lot of dealerships and mechanics would replace them with the 7.3 hex head bolts to get a more accurate torque on the valve cover gaskets.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Both my bull nose single cab trucks have a two piece, and I’ve never seen a 3.5” driveshaft on an oem truck this old, pretty big for an oem. The 6.9s has Phillips head screws for the hold downs, but a lot of dealerships and mechanics would replace them with the 7.3 hex head bolts to get a more accurate torque on the valve cover gaskets.

I've never measured one before and I could be wrong about the one piece shafts. I knew some of the 6.9s used the Phillips head ones, but I was thinking it was only on the earlier ones (A block?). I didn't really pay attention to what year they were. It just didn't seem like many of the 6.9s had those. I just knew that I liked the hex head ones a lot more.

 

[DaveBen]

Not mention the pan gasket.

You may be right on this one, but didn't the regular cabs have a one piece driveshaft as stock? I've seen driveshafts shaped like this one before. I don't know what they came out of. Instead of being custom, could it have been swapped out from another vehicle?

I had a 1982 F-250, single cab, and the driveshaft was a single piece that looked just like this one.

 

[Thewespaul]

That would be the first I’ve heard of! Wish my race truck had the single piece, would save me converting it

 

[frankenwrench]

and to think I pulled mine off of a 2wd 3/4 ton suburban....

 

[Thewespaul]

Anyone see what doesn’t belong here?

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[DaveBen]

I see a missing head bolt.

 

[Thewespaul]

That’s one of the broken bolts I got out with a vice grip, the real surprise was the 7.3 rockers, hardware and new valve seals, but the surprises didn’t end there. #2 intake pushrod got pretzeled and you can see some pretty good valve contact on that piston. No other valve contact or pushrod issues anywhere else and I can see by the wear on the lifter cup that it was fully installed so I’m going to have to check some valve recession and see what’s up. You can also see the 20 over pistons, this engines been gone through at least once before.

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More surprises, brand new torque converter and pump.

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[D_Fresh361]

Anyone see what doesn’t belong here?

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Are those the newer style rockers?

 

[Thewespaul]

Yep, 7.3 rockers

 

[D_Fresh361]

That’s one of the broken bolts I got out with a vice grip, the real surprise was the 7.3 rockers, hardware and new valve seals, but the surprises didn’t end there. #2 intake pushrod got pretzeled and you can see some pretty good valve contact on that piston. No other valve contact or pushrod issues anywhere else and I can see by the wear on the lifter cup that it was fully installed so I’m going to have to check some valve recession and see what’s up. You can also see the 20 over pistons, this engines been gone through at least once before.

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More surprises, brand new torque converter and pump.

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Can ya let me know what I should expect with that kind of pitting on the piston top?

 

[pastorjeep]

I had a 7.3 do that. The valve was sticking in the guide. It looks like significant wear on the tip of one of those valve stems as well. Oh and it was a rebuilt engine also. I took the head to another machine shop and he said all my valve guides were spec'd too tight.

 

[Thewespaul]

Well the plot thickens...

#2 Piston, valve imprint, heavy pitting with hole burrowed into the corner of the relief

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#4 Piston, another pinhole in the piston

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#6 Piston deep dents from foreign objects and indent in the top of the piston from the prechamber not being installed all the way.

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This is precisely why you should have someone experienced with these engines rebuild your idi for you, it’s clear there was too much material taken off the driver side head, and to put the nail in the coffin for that head, it’s cracked between all the valves. I’d be curious to hear what @IDIBRONCO thinks of the holes in the pistons.

 

[Thewespaul]

I had a 7.3 do that. The valve was sticking in the guide. It looks like significant wear on the tip of one of those valve stems as well. Oh and it was a rebuilt engine also. I took the head to another machine shop and he said all my valve guides were spec'd too tight.

The guides seem fine, but the installed height is different on every valve, and each one is protruding out of the hat of the springs at different heights too. There’s some weird things going on with these heads for sure.

 

[pastorjeep]

Yep, took too much off when they cleaned it up.