7.3 Rebuild...the beginning!
 

Rebuilding my 2001 7.3 out of my Excursion. May not be my smartest decision since nothing major was wrong with the motor, but with 400k miles and wanting to do some performance upgrades anyway the timing was right. What convinced me was confirming I had the infamous powdered metal connecting rods, the chewed up turbo, and a host of little things that unto themselves were no big deal, but wanting to add more HP to this motor I knew that the only safe bet was to get rid of the PMR's and do the project right. After all, deciding not to buy new again allows me to put less money (than a new truck) into this rig and have what I want. This all started when I found the air filter from the intake off the inlet tube in my airbox resulting in the compressor wheel getting hammered. A very expensive lesson, and one I am very unhappy with the manufacture over, but thats another story.

So here I am at step one, breaking it down to pull the motor tomorrow.
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07369.jpg
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07376.jpg
I was very pleased to see that the coolant filter system and the HD ELC was doing it's job. Clean, and no cavitation! :-drink
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07374.jpg
Stock injectors, soon to be replaced, along with a list of other upgrades. The block and heads go to the machine shop on Monday, and that will be about 30 days as it's a busy shop. I'll report back on the quality off work and hold of naming until I see there work first hand.

If there is interest I'll keep this thread updated as time permitts.

Definite interest Gary. Thx for sharing with us.

Definitely keep it updated. Very interested to see how the heads come out.

I love watching other people spend money! :D

It's out!
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07403.jpg

Note the leakage out the #5 exhaust port.......hmmmm!:-hair
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07410.jpg

The cylinders all look great for 400k miles.
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07424.jpg

Tomorrow it's off to the machine shop.

How nice to be able to do that in a shop :-X22


Not to stray too far off topic, but that looks like a '59 T-Bird in the background....yours?

What do you believe is causing that?

Pop

Impressive Steve! It's a 58. Belongs to a customer at the shop my buddy owns.

Looking at the stem it looks to me like a worn valve guide. What is it Pop's?

DELETED MY POST

I don't know, but that would normally be a good guess.

The reason for my question:
After considering the turbo-caused back-pressure, I wonder if oil getting past the guide seals wouldn't have a tough time getting through the guide.
Of course, if that were to be the case, how would the guides get lubed at all?

As I said, I dunno'.

I hope you'll let us all know as this thread progresses and you have been able to measure clearances.

Pop

Watching your build for sure.

Will do guys. The hard part now is waiting for the machine shop.:-X15 Patience is not one of my virtues, although I am getting better as I get older.

Well, not proud to admit it but apparently you have to continiously check to make sure your intake filter stays attached to the intake tube. With the unit I have when I though it was good to go, I was apparently wrong, and on more than one occasion. An expensive and embarrasing lesson, but maybe someone can benefit from my mistake(s):-X19. Here is the photo showing debris that came in the intake when the filter fell off, and the damaged compresor wheel on my GTP38R. Followed by the next photo of it cleaned up and ready to go with the new WW2 compressor wheel. Now all I need is a motor.:-X16
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07463.jpg

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC07460.jpg

Yikes...dusted 'er pretty good.

Yep, and the embarrasing part was I knew I was having a problem with the filter seperating and during a 3-month period when I was working 14-16 hours a day 7 days a week on a major design project for 25 sites I totally spaced out checking, and when I did think of it I was too tired. Now I get to pay the price. Tough reminder lesson Steve.