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If you have a piece of glow plug in the cylinder and its been there a while, you for sure need to pull the motor out and either fix it, or find another motor (which can be a crapshoot buying a used motor).
If I were doing mine and it had nothing had ever been done to it, I'd do new pistons and rings with bearings (an overhaul kit basically), pushrods, valve springs, lpop, oil pan if at all rusty, I'd have my motor balanced, (you probably have some head/valve work to have done with a glow plug ramming into a couple for who knows how long), all the orings on the motor, etc.
Good luck. Doing that without a shop isn't sketchy at best. Keeping the motor CLEAN is one of the most important parts of a build.
As far as a shop goes, when I pull the engine I will put it in my "shop". My living room is actually my shop.. Its where I store my tools, and tinker.
I have never rebuilt a motor before so this is all very new to me.. The truck is just a side project for me right now, but I would like to get it to move down the road soon. I also would like to do it right, and I would like to do most of the work. Its fun for me to learn about this stuff. That being said, I would like to give it an Overhaul.
Any kit recommendations?
I would also like to get it Balanced as you said Fordman, though I dont know at what point I would take it to someone to balance it? Also, for new pistons, Wouldn't I want to get it bored to the correct size of the new pistons?
I will probably need head work as well. I Live in the Central Valley in CA. Surely I could find people that could do this stuff for me, Headword, boring and balancing?
Unless anyone can recommend me taking the motor to someone on the forums? In CA or Nevada
I don't think there is any real substitute for a factory shop manual. I got a digital one on ebay. They are not real user friendly and it takes me awhile to find what I'm looking for, but the information is always there somewhere.
There is also this book below, which is evidently just a picture book with no torque or other necessary technical specs.
Also, your place in the country looks great, but I'm having a hard time imagining rebuilding an engine without some semblance of a shop. Can you at least pour a concrete slab as the first step toward a shop? You'd then at least have a solid clean surface to build a workbench on, find dropped things on and be able to roll hoists and tool boxes around.
Bob could you direct me to what digital download you bought? I cant seem to find any on ebay?
Riffraff sells a complete overhaul kit. Yes, you have the block bored to fit the pistons. Balancing isn't completely necessary, but I'd do it. If you are selling it I probably wouldn't do it. You need to shop around and find a machine shop that does engine work. I'd go to a few of them and pick one you feel comfortable with. Also, if you are really going to build this in your living room, make sure you can actually get it in and out of your house complete, and make sure your living room floor is ready for 1000lbs on an engine stands wheels..
An update on my day, I let the Blaster soak in the glow plug hole. I sucked out as much of the fluid still left in the cylinders. Installed the injectors, and I cranked it. It cranked real slow for about 2 seconds then stopped.( CLICK CLICK CLICK) like a dead battery. I stopped right there. I then investigated the glow plug hole, the broken piece of the glow plug is GONE! YES!
But there is a problem.
I cannot find the piece of glow plug. I did NOT hear it shoot, or ding, or hit the floor. I looked for it for about two hours. Because I did not find it, I am assuming it fell back into the cylinder.
Problem TWO. I believe I hydrolocked the motor because I did still find oil, and PB blaster liquid in the cylinder. I also found some more oil in the other bank.
So here is another question, What did I break? I just installed a new starter, Could that have gone out? I tried turning the engine over without any compression resistance(took out all the injectors again) and it just CLICKS like its a dead battery. The batteries are fine. I can still move the crank around with a wrench, so this makes me want to believe I didnt do any damage to the "valve rod"? Would I be able to turn the crank if I had a bent rod??
If anything I am learning a lot here.
Originally Posted by OBS Mule
Hey guys just an update on my new truck.
I havent pulled my heads yet, but I am working on that. I was able to purchase a bore scope and slide it down into the cylinder. The broken glow plug seems to have been in there for a while, and has smashed some of the piston. I think there may be a crack in the piston. In any event. I think I might pull the engine, bore it and rebuild it. I have never done this before but I am intrigued. while I have it out I think I may replace the cam bearing, cam shaft, rods and rings. Any advice would be appreciated, or other parts I should replace since I'm going to dig into it. Also, I would love a good 7.3 engine rebuilding book.. Can anyone recommend a good 7.3 engine rebuild tutorial book?
Im confused here : first you said that the broken piece was there and then you said ITS GONE! YES! and then you said that seems to have been in there (into de cylinder) for a while
Im confused here : first you said that the broken piece was there and then you said ITS GONE! YES! and then you said that seems to have been in there (into de cylinder) for a while
What I am missing ?
If your not confused your not paying attention lol..
My theory is when i pulled the glow plug half of it was missing. Through compression i blew it out of the glow plug hole. Though i did not hear it, or find it from getting bloen out. I stuck a bore scope down the injector hole and i found More evidence of glow plug shrapnal that has impacted my piston. So in reality i dont k ow where part of the glow plug went when i tried to shoot it out. But some of it went into the cylinder.
Well, a year later I am getting back into this project. Turns out a cheap glow plug was used that defected and smashed my cylinder heads to a pulp. After many other projects I am now able to start back on this one. Thank you all for your wisdom and gratuity . Here is a update. Rebuilt motor, I just installed the heads with ARP studs and Mahler head gasket. Stage 1s from rosewood diesel, and many parts from Riffraff. Thanks to all the help from these distributors I am back up and building again.... unfortunatly I don't remember where everything goes.. thankfully for this site to help me through it all....
Im jealous, everething needed to finish my rebuild is done except.... the dam rod bushings, im low on funds so it sucks not being able to finish my build, and now more than ever since my truck is hurt. Good job man and lots of pics of your progress.
Im jealous, everething needed to finish my rebuild is done except.... the dam rod bushings, im low on funds so it sucks not being able to finish my build, and now more than ever since my truck is hurt. Good job man and lots of pics of your progress.
what exactly do you need? I'm sure I will need some too.. my suspension is shot.,...
Put the long block back together lol.... and having the rod bushings pressed and machined for the new piston pin to slide in, Oh no my truck is not being parted out, the engine thats in it is shot and its going to be replaced with the one. i mentioned.
01-19-2016, 04:38 PM
: first you said that the broken piece was there and then you said ITS GONE! YES! and then you said that seems to have been in there (into de cylinder) for a while 
