I'm seriously considering that Fonfiddy, While I haven't had a chance to throughly inspect the block yet, it seems to have only a very small ridge at the top. The heads most likely will get a complete overhaul, again, I'm not yet sure what they will need, but I hope to know more later today.

I talked to a machinist yesterday, and he figured a minimum of $450 to hot tank the block and inspect for cracks, and a minimum of $190 per head for a diesel. Not that he has much competition in town, but I figure the cost is reasonable. My impression right now is that the block will not have to be rebored, just a mild honing.


As for glow plugs, there are still other less know online sources, I started this thread to examine that very issue:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...w-plugs-2.html

This is the source that I used: http://www.dieselfiltersonline.com
Price was $9.99/plug, and service was good.

Other sources mentioned were fordpartsonline, rockauto, and amazon.com believe it or not, dieselman's webstore also has them, but the source I used seemed to have the best price (that gives you 4 different sources to choose from ). Of course there is always the dealer if all else fails.

I also investigated mwfi.com too, but they to this day still sell wellman glow plugs even though they are listed as ZD1A and ZD9, so don't be tempted by the low price....

 

Hey david, Don't sweat the glowplug issue to much. Back in the late 80's and early 90's I helped take care of a fleet of 6.2's and I have seen a couple hundred gp tips left in engines and I haven't seen an engine yet fail because if it. I am not saying just break them off , which has been done several times, but I wouldn't pull a head off my own motor because if it. Usually the tip is burnt to a crisp and pretty much turns to dust when the piston hits it but I have seen pistons that had dings in them because if it but not that were unservicable.

Check your cam bearings. I have seen them fail in 6.9's a few times. When I took mine down I found one of them in the pan and a couple more pretty much gone the cam was fine and I motor still had pretty good oil pressure.
Have the block line honed. Especially if you much uneven bearing wear. It is a good idea anyway is overlooked alot. All blocks will give in places when they are ran and get "seasoned". Obviously you have pretty good casting to get the miles you have. Hopefully he find no cracks.

You can may be able to hone your cylinders and be just fine. If you do them yourself use a ball hone. Those old hones with the long stones don't do a good job at all. I use a medium or fine grit. I don't like a coarse hone. When I was a kid the old timers I was around would hone them coarse. You had to pull start the motors sometimes because the hone was so coarse the starter wouldn't crank the motors. They always said that it would the rings seat better which I have learned isn't the case. I have used fine grit hones and motors do fine .

 

your suppost to start with a coarse grit then work into a finer grit to finish off. works alot better that way

 

Had some real fun yesterday....

one of the exhaust manifold bolts snapped off 1/16 BELOW the head surface, so two minuites later, I was now faced with extracting a busted off extractor .

After a lot of fiddling around and with my dad's help, the extractor was removed and the bolt stud partially drilled out, then I used a tap to cut out the last of the old bolt material out (lined up with original threads). The threads are not perfect, but I will use an all thread to replace the broken bolt, so I should be able to get satisfactory torque (considering all-thread studs for all manifold bolts).

Both heads are now stripped down and ready to go to the machinist, I'm no expert, but the valves seem to have a lot of lateral play in the guides, and not consistent either, some have more play than others (plenty of sludgy carbon buildup at the bottom of the valve too).

For the block, I am 99% sure now that I will not have it rebored. The ridge at the top is barely noticable, an the crosshatch pattern is still clear. I did use a long stone hone on annother diesel (2.3 TD) with good results (took my time), as in, it still runs . I'll see if I can find a ball hone for this build.

...later

 

Well heads are at the machine shop, he took a quick look at the heads when I dropped them off and he figures they are in decent shape overall. Will know more after hot tanking and magnaflux, but since they will be closed starting on the 22nd, I probably won't hear back from them till the new year.

Suites me just fine, now I have some more time to tear into the block, and get more organized......

 

Block has been stripped down.

All the main bearings are in great shape, but several conrod bearings have some scratches, and even pitting, nothing to cause loose operation, but could have definately caused trouble later on.

The crank and camshaft seem to be good enough to go back in without anything other than a good cleaning, but one lifter had a wear ridge on it.

I'm wondering If I should even bother taking the block in. I can't see any damage in there, and my feeling is that if there was going to be any cracks, it would have happened by now. What you you guys figure, should I have it tanked and magnafluxed anyway?

 

I had mine done, but I was also going for a minimum bore to straighten out the cylinders and had plans for a little more than normal boost levels.

I am still very happy with the results.

 

I can't think of a reason to have it rebored, the crosshatch is still clear in all cylinders and there is barely even a ridge at the top. I might like to run higher boost later on though.....

I'm actually very suprised how little wear there is in the cylinders consifering this truck has 395 000 K's on it. What did yours look like before it was rebored, Dave?

 

can u please take pictures and post them i want to see what they look like the bare block to head surface.. im getting ready to do some work to my diesel. head gasket replacment

Ray

 

Sure can, have to figure out have to post them first.....

Does anyone here have the dimensions for the piston cooling jet alignment tool? I notice today that one of the coolng jets is bent, not sure if its my handy work or some one elses, but since the jets have to come out anyway, I'll need a tool to make sure they are aimed right.

The other option is to make one up based on the average positions of all the other cooling jets.

 

where the hack are they on the rods?

 

The cooling jets? they are not on the conrods, but instead bolted to the block to aim up the cylinder bore at the bottom of the pistons. Older 6.9s have them pressed in, mine are bolted in.

 

can you switch to the bolted in ones by drilling and tapping? can somone post a picture of these please

Ray

 

I found a picture, but the jets were already removed.
By the time I reduced the picture size so I could post it I don't think you will be able to see where they go.
The oil comes from the cam gallery to give you an idea where they are located.

Here is a picture, the piston cooling jets mount in the shiney area in the bottom left three cylinders.
In the two left bottom cylinders you can see the lifter holes, the cooling jet is below and to the right of the lifter holes.

You can also see the tiny 4 bolt main bearing caps.



Well they were very easy to see in 1800 x 1600 picture size anyway.

 

Here is the other side of the block.