SANDDEMON08:
I don't have anything to go by as to it having made a difference because I had to do the cam right when I bought it and the engine had already been partly dismantled. Also I haven't been able to drive my truck a lot yet so I'm not sure what to make of it. (Only put about 1000 km [600 mi] on it so far). Look up the "what did you do to your 6.4L today" thread if you wanna laugh at me!

I went with stage 2. Stage one I would have needed to send my old one in and get it reground, making it a 3-4 week turnaround to save about 100 bucks whereas getting stage 2 billet he could ship next day.

But the truck sounds great and runs great so I'm happy!

NEXUS 4. IB AutoGroup

 

When i waited for this truck cause i refused to trade my 7.3 for a 6.0 i really though it would go further then it has. You go ask people why diesels are better....the average guys says cause they last longer. The 7.3 power stroke or know as DT444E did it,it would be nice if these engines actually came close to what there designed. One can say its the emission equipment's fault, emissions have to be a consideration when they come up with the B50 life expectancy i can't see how its not. That leads me to this next little bit of info

The following was released in a press release from international a while back for the 2010 maxxforce 7 noted as big improvements. I didn't quote the whole thing just grab this little bit that caught my eye.

Quote " CGI block adds 75% more tensile strength, 40% better stiffness and 200% improved fatigue compared to conventional gray iron. The use of CGI, combined with the use of a ductile iron bedplate for improved perimeter reinforcement, have enabled Navistar to increase the B50 life of its MaxxForce 7 from 350,000 miles to 500,000, meaning 50% of all MaxxForce 7s will still be running strong at the 500,000-mile mark end Quote"

I really don't see these engine coming close to the 350,000 mile mark let alone the 500,000 mile mark they now claim unless replacing internal engine parts is not considered to have an effect on what they consider the B50 life to be...... I have followed this engine both in the ford application, the medium duty application and the rv application. The results are just not reasonably close to the propaganda . I bet its rare to see 50 % of these engines around the 180,000 plus mile maxxforce 7 or powerstroke that hasn't had an issue considering the amount of engines produced and in circulation........

This doesn't change the opinion i have of my truck i still enjoy it but if i didn't have the ability and resources to do my own repairs i don't see how an average guy does it that has to rely on dealers or shops for non warranty repairs......they are not cheap by far......and honestly in vegas/henderson there is probable one guy that id trust to work on my truck and he's a former ford master tech that started his own shop outside that the dealers and shops are severely lacking in this town. One of the busiest power-stroke shops has an F rating with the BBB....... go figure, makes me wonder if people actually check shops out anymore or just go with the flow.......

 

Theres a lot of videos on youtube that show how machine shops rebuild the heads to last longer.

From what I gathered, they tightened up the tolerances, and also adjusted a few things. The 6.0 and 6.4 were bad for having wider than ideal tolerances in the heads like valve guides and stuff.

If I run into this issue, I would send my heads off to get totally redone. Replacing just the rocker arms I don't think will do anything except buy some time till the next go around.

IMHO.

 

There are three things that can be done, install bronze guides something that is actually done on ford oem reman heads if the guides fall out of spec,o-ring the head a concept only created to avoid removing the block and installing the o-ring where it should be installed and last but not least resurfacing the head to machine a flat mating surface, all of which are nothing new to quality engine building and will not stop a rocker from taking out a guide if the rocker prematurely wears. The rocker wear appears to be caused by poor oiling, 6.0's do not see this issue as much because there is more oil being moved around and splashed from the injectors.

When the rocker wears into the bridge plate the rocker no longer slides like it should and actually applies a side load on the valve stems enhancing the wear on the guides. If anything quality bronze guides would probably wear faster then the machined steel head casting in the event this happens.

Its my opinion that the aggressive ramp rate on the cam also attributes to the premature wear on the lifters and the rockers, by causing Valvetrain Harmonics.

Replacing the rockers is not a band aide repair providing you catch the issue soon enough, as i have already done this with success on one F-450 6.4 service truck which we changed at around 110,000 miles and now has 198,000 with no issues to the repair. We have also have done two other F-450's but they do not have significant miles to note with only about 20,000-30,000 miles since the repair.

On the other hand i have seen first hand the damage worn rockers can cause when let go. The result was more than 5,000 in repairs and having to weight out repairing it or just installing a short block not a fun decision. Quiet more then what it cost me to just change the rockers. Its probably hard to grasp tell it happens and lucky i have seen it go both ways.

If your going as far to removed the heads to reman them i would strongly consider pulling the engine and changing the lifters and cam, this would be more geared toward a longer lasting repair IMHO, but i haven't seen any trucks with that setup with notable miles to factually back this opinion up.

 

I personally would only do the rockers at this point.


If you took the valve covers off and found more issues then I might consider going the extra mile and doing the cam.

 

Pulling the cam is a DRASTIC measure in my opinion, only to be done if it absolutely requires it. I've never done valvetrain work, but from what I understand it's relatively simple to replace the lifters when you do the rocker arms, right?

 

If you're taking heads off it would be simple to replace the lifters, but without taking the heads off the only alternative is to stand the engine up on the front, pull the can out the back, remove the oil pan and fish the lifters out through there.

NEXUS 4. IB AutoGroup

 

I agree. At that point anyway you would remove all the lifters and very carefully inspect them. If there was any ANY sign of a pitted roller, all the lifters and the cam would get changed.
Here's a picture of a good used lifter and a lifter that has already ruined the cam. It doesn't look too terrible yet, but turning the roller with your finger you can tell it sticks slightly at times.


Here's a picture of the lobe that lifter was running on.


These parts are from a 2008 6.4L. Bone stock with 334,303 km. ( 207267 mi)

NEXUS 4. IB AutoGroup

 

This video demonstrates just how bad the oiling of the valve train is at idle, i really don't see any...

 

Not 100% sure, but I know oil can take a bit to get up there on larger engines.

 

I saw no oil in that video. There should at have been some residue.

 

<<<@!1!@>>>

Wow.

<<<@!2!@>>>

I'm sure everything was coated with a light film of oil, if not they wouldn't last even a few miles.

Here's how well the oiling system on an SBC works:

 

Here is a good example of the sound they make when there failing, the sound starts less then this video and can get far worse. I would say is about the middle of what i have heard in ours.

 

I agree Tom, even if you leave the valve cover off a 6.0 and you'll have a mess from the injectors. There has to be a way to improve the oiling, the first one i get out to reman I'm gonna look into it.

 

So heres my parts list i just got ordered i have attached part numbers for someone that may have this issue and is looking for more information. I"ll take photos and probably follow up with a little write up.

2 rocker assemblies contains all the rockers for one side @ 165.00 each ford part 8C3Z6564-D sold per each
8 Injector seal kits @ 14.56 each to replace the injector lines ford part 8C3Z9229-A sold per each
1 complete set of chromoly upgraded push rods @ 249.00 from river city diesel http://www.rivercitydiesel.com/index...mart&Itemid=54
16 new valve bridge plates 4.80 each to cheap to not replace ford part 8C3Z-6564-A

total cost of parts above 771.80 you could save the 249.00 on the push rods if there not damaged and the basic cost only be 522.80 but i want a little extra insurance while i am in there

Plus i am going to replace the upper fan shroud the butcher dealer destroyed the last time they had the truck for repairs.

1 fan upper radiator shroud ford part 7C3Z-8146-F for 113.18

so there went 884.96 just in parts should be here by wensday or thursday if everything goes well i should have it done the following weekend unless work stops me. Might go cab up and do the upgraded up-pipes,HP turbo and 60 HP over 8 hole injector nozzles while I'm at it since i have already have those parts as well.