The broncos 7.3 went boom i think.

[89dieselbko]

Sunday i drove down to altoona, caught a movie with the wife. Everything going smooth.
We drove to ******* barrel (yummy chicken and dumplins) Engine felt weird. Kind of down on power, no puffs of smoke when i down shifted which is odd when i raise the RPMs on the downshift. Motor also *seemed* to be vibrating more then usual, i take this as running rough. So i park and pop the hood. it all *sounds* fine but for sure its running rough and vibrating the BKO more then usual. I checked the motor mounts, they were new when i did the swap less than 4000 miles ago.
It never did smoke much, except on hills loaded. or when i down shift and the RMPs bump up i get some smoke. Of course if i get on it i get some too.
My return lines need changed, but i dont think it would cause this issue at all.

So here is where i am now. Planning on top end rebuild with a turbo as per my thread last week. Working out prices/specs still, *** should be returned/sent soon. But i dont know what my problem now is. Here is what i have done, it now has a no-start condition, not even a small shot of ether works. Tried gas on rag first. also didnt work. Full symptoms and what i have checked out so far....

1. Really bad vibration from the motor on the way home. Temp sat right at 205 as it always has. Oil pressure was good.
2. Got home and shut it down. Waited for it to cool down, and could NOT get it to fire no matter what i tried (even tried to drag it in gear with my trail blazer. just wouldnt fire)
3. I checked my fuel flow at shreader valve on fuel filter. While cranking it was shooting out pretty good. At this point i was thinking my IP crapped out. So i tested it the only way i know... Checked voltage at my FSS. it was 11.6. I thought this was low. But when hitting my FSS toggle switch you can hear it click. It does feel/sound like its rough running while cranking it. And im getting next to no white smoke puffs on start up (figured i should be as my GPs are disabled as i was using gas/ether to try to start it) Fuel filter i drained, filled with ATF, went a few cranking sessions and went to be. This morning still no start. Didnt try gas/ether again but glowed it like normal and just cant get anything out of it.

Does this sound like the pump? maybe cavi issue? My coolant is oil free, and my oil is coolant free *i believe* not milky/bubbly. The motor most likely needs head gaskets. among other things that im currently planning for.... but my issue is, could these issues be something in the bottom end of the motor? I have tried searching around, found bad vibrations from bad injectors, IPs going bad, bottem end going. cavi causing comp loss and a vib/knock. I dont think i would call my noise a *knock* but it was really rough, and now its dead.

Anyone have any thoughts? not sure where to go from here in regaurds to the rebuild budget, and what i may have to go without (turbo) if this turns out to be a pump, thats a pretty large portion of my wife limited budget on this. Thanks for any insite!

 

[CaptTom]

Did you pull some injector lines to see if fuel was coming out? When mine went dead, it didn't run rugh like yours, it just quit quit, but before going too far, try the easy step, pull about three or four lines and see if anything comes out.

There's also an internal filter that could be plugged, but have to take IP apart. I think that's what's up with mine. I was chem cleaning my tanks and I think I stuffed the internal filter. I think it looks like an air filter type device- smashed together wire, hard to clean those. Better talk to Agnem first.

There's my diagnosis attempt. Good luck.

 

[89dieselbko]

i have leaky return caps, and they were wet. so i assumed i had fuel getting through. Ill see if i can bribe my wife into loosening a couple and letting me know the results

 

[icanfixall]

How many miles are on the pump and injectors. It sure sounds like the pump let go on you. The ruff running tells me that may be the issue. The vibration tells me injectors were not getting the same amount of fuel if any fuel at all. Just because the returns are wet only means the fuel is getting thru the pump and returning from the check valve out the top of the pump. Good oil pressure was determined how. The dash gauge really only tells you that the engine has 7 lbs but not much more than an idiot gauge is all it is. Also the vibration could be a bad clutch if yours is a dual mass flywheel setup.

 

[89dieselbko]

I have a proper oil pressure gauge driving home it chilled over 20 the entire way. I dont know about the pump/injectors. I bought this motor with like 140k on the clock. owner was unsure if they were changed before he bought it at 97k.

I really hope the vibration wasnt my flywheel. i put a new one on with the swap, all 1400 bucks worth of flywheel and clutch =/. Wife is going to pull the injectors caps and let me know if they are pushin fuel tomorrow.

I hope its just the pump. Then i can get a baby moose pump, top end rebuilt, and maybe still be able to afford type4 cam and some new injectors to top it off. But im worried its something more serious... buy a bunch of parts and stuff and be out of money and still have a problem, if ya know what i mean.

 

[riotwarrior]

Buddy I know had my engine which ran fine...he gets it...starts shuts down...FSS opens closes...sounds like FSS is gone, he opened top of pump, holds FSS manually...runs..let go..shut off as soon as a load was on FSS it closed so maybe it's just that...it's clicking but not holding?????

 

[CaptTom]

Just disconnect injection lines and put paper towels under them, unless wifey likes diesel!!! Team play can be fun too. Paper towels saved my marriage. Lol

 

[opusd2]

I was wondering, do you have pictures of this setup? I'm trying to move my 79 Bronco from the 351/C6 to a diesel and just love seeing other setups.

But yeah, sounds like an IP. They will still pump out fluid, just not at the correct popping pressure.

 

[gsxjay]

if you tried ether an that was a no go i wouldnt think its the pump cause by using juice you bypassed the ip and force fed it fuel i would look at possibly jumped timing these old hogs will run with a hole in the piston just my 2 cents

 

[CaptTom]

Hole in piston may pressurize pan, forcing oil out where it shouldn't, dip stick tube, intake, exhaust pipe, etc. Can here the "whoosh" sometimes too. Huge knocking on damaged cylinder.

If I had to put money on it, IP.

 

[gsxjay]

oh i wasnt saying you had a hole i was stating they will run that way but they wont when you jump timing an since ether didnt pop her over i was assuming timing issue

 

[89dieselbko]

timing could be the issue, i didnt know they could just jump timing? wouldnt the teeth on the IP or w/e have to be ***** for that to happen? (havent even thought about learning how to play with timing, as i dont have a meter, and dont know the engine well enough to do it by ear)

as far as the ether goes... it would make like it was GOING to start. get the... idk... *pop* of it trying. did the same with the gas soaked rag, but wouldnt actually catch.

My wife isnt that mechanically inclined but i talked her through loosening the D side injector caps. she didnt want to get dirty trying to get the ones on the Pside with the air box, wiring, fuel filter and all that in the way. Had her take them all the way off, but still sitting in place... she got a little fuel. i dont know exactly how much *a little bit* is, but im assuming with it cracking it should be more then that. I think there was an article on here about replacing the FSS. and how to remove the IP cover correctly, ill dig it up and try to find a FSS. If that fixes my problem (or cleaning the above mentioned in pump filter screen)... well then i guess i should PM agnem and see about his lower performance pump.

can a FSS go bad and be like, i dont know, 1/4 open? allowing some fuel but not enough to fire it up? Would explain the rough running if it wasnt getting enough fuel to do its job. perhaps after the rough run home its opening even less?

@ opusd2

I have a build thread that i kinda always forget about over on fullsizebronco. it shows some of my body work i have been doing, and some of the work before/during the swap and some engine/trans clearance pics. Link is http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208019

***i dont know if i can link to another site for the above build thread. Some forums dont allow that, if its a no-no let me know ill take it off***

 

[89dieselbko]

I was wondering, do you have pictures of this setup? I'm trying to move my 79 Bronco from the 351/C6 to a diesel and just love seeing other setups.

But yeah, sounds like an IP. They will still pump out fluid, just not at the correct popping pressure.

this answered my question about at the end about FSS issue. appears ill just have to find a pump and give her a try. If that fixes it, time for a moose *and ill have an extra to get rebuilt at a later time*

 

[gsxjay]

Keep us poasted and yes if she jumped gears would

 

[Agnem]

Take the IP fuel screw adjustment door off and observe with a mirror, that things are still rotating in there! I've heard of IP input shafts fracturing in such a way that the tang partially twists, resulting in bad timing. The tang then snaps on shut down or restart. It would be nice to look in there and not see anything turning, as that would tell you for sure that it is your IP. However, if things still spin, I would still start by swapping out the IP. I have a used one I could loan you for the price of shipping and a core deposit.