For those of you who haven't stumbled across my thread, https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...lue-smoke.html, I believe it's time to consider my options for the powerplant. As for almost everyone money is always a concern. I would like honest opinions and information on a few things. The way I see it, is I paid $4000 four years ago for this truck, it was a rollover and I rebuilt it for about $2500. So I had a $6500 truck, cheap I know but I'm being honest. For me to sell this truck as is, many of my peers believe I would get an easy $4000, but I love my truck and I want to keep this truck for basically the rest of my life. Whether its still my DD that long, probably not. But it will not leave me. Anyway, I do not believe I could purchase another decently low mileage for the most expensive option in my thoughts, new long block, and a BTS tranny...Just because, at the expense of nearly $10k I would have an essentially new superduty. Meaning a total investment of $16500. Which I believe is still around the ballpark of decent milage rigs for sale, atleast around me. So...

Option #1: New long block with warranty from Clay. BTS tranny either now or down the road when mine needs it. My labor, probably an extra $1000 in "accessories" or "goodies" along the way.

This is probably my favorite option but its not like I just have the money to throw at it. I consider it essentially, the same as buying another truck.

Option #2: Ford Overhaul kit. Around $1000 in parts does have a warranty, but... What will I spend in having it machined? And rebuilt? I do not have the resources or the tools necessary to do this myself. If the cost gets close to the cost of a new long block, I would just go that route, as I know I can do that.

Option #3: Salvage yard motor, not sure on cost yet, but i assume a motor with less than 100,000 miles in great shape, not likely to be less than $2500, with probably not a great warranty, but plenty of spare parts, to have down the road, ie turbos, HPOP, IPR, ICP, ECM, you know all the stuff thats great when someone needs it or needs to test things. Plus I might be able to get one from a Van which gives me the turbo I would like anyway.

Last and most likely option, unless others have experience with this. Simply repair/replace after teardown and inspection what will be needed bring it back up to a 270,000 mile motor that it was before the smoke. I have no idea of a cost or whether it makes any sense to just replace one piston, or if it was just the rings, the cost of reringing, and sleeving the motor.

I guess there is one more option...Cummins swap. I always assumed it would be very pricey, plus I love the 7.3 and I Know alot about the 7.3, Thanks to many of you! But after some reading it seems almost cheap to do, so I have to consider that an option.

Most of the reason for keeping this truck vs getting another is this truck has very little rust, personally I just call it dirt on the frame, body is in great shape, stereo, tint, fuel mods, all of that is there, its the truck I would look for again, color and build options, so I see no need in looking for another.

As always I appreciate any and all responses, as those of you that have been put in this situation or have researched it before cna shed light on weighing the options for me, thanks again.

 

270k? Most people around here would say that's barely broken in. Smoking, that can be caused by a number of things. I'd check the ccv then the turbo.

 

Smoking followed with a compression test...75PSI on cylinder #3 all 7 others were right at 350PSI? But I am open to other thoughts on things to check. CCV is not clogged, I do have some blow by just not a ton of pressure, but it is there. Turbo has not in/out play and minimal, no striking the walls side to side movement. Boost is still around 21Lbs.

 

I'd cross my fingers on a rocker or valve stuck open.

 

I pulled the pushrods on all cylinders prior to this and during actually to check again, all are straight, valve springs do not appear broken or out of place, and all the rockers i did not see any cracks? I guess the only way to know where I lose compression is with a leak down? But I have not performed that test before, so I would need assistance in how to go about that one. Unless there is another way to check the valves or rockers that I cant think of. 350 on the other cylinders is kinda marginally low IIRC too.

 

craiglist can be your friend..I found a 97 motor with 80k on it for 1,000 bucks..going to look at it this weekend..you can rebuild a motor back to stock for around 2500.. but when rebuilding you should balance the crank and run better valve springs like the comp 910's...you wont find that on a factory rebuilt motor....if you have PMR's swap them for forged ..I'm building a motor right now to handle 600HP..ill have the rod's cryod shot peaned and weight matched and the crank balanced..the bearings will be coated as well as the pistons to handle heat and cold starts a lot better..ill be running a performance cam with smith brother push rod's and 910 valve springs... the heads will have a stage 3 porting done to it as well as being machined for fire rings..she will have 250/200 hybrids with a 42R..the cost will be around 6,000 without the sticks and turbo but that's with someone else doing the work for me...reason being I don't have access to a good diesel machine shop and the builder will warranty the motor..you really need to think about where you want to be in the future as far as HP and what your doing with the truck...now a days you can make HP on a stock motor....

 

Thanks for the information on pricing and thoughts, Ron. As far as power is concerned, I believe my truck being a 2000 had forged rods, as far as HP's i was always very happy with my truck just like it was...stock older motor with good tunes, left in 80 tune most of the time. If I went with much more it would be stock single shots, maybe a van turbo, and the tunes. I still wish to DD my truck, as well as pull the boat 3 days a week or better fishing, so the setup I have/had? worked really well for me.

Changing the motor I am not worried about in any way, its more the costs associated with one option versus the other. To me the remanned motors from Clay, seem like I will have very little to invest in on top of the motor's price, and maybe thats what I'm not seeing. When I think of the $1000 for an overhaul kit that I will have to spend another $2 or 3 thousand in machining work, I don't see the reward. I am looking very hard for a relatively cheap salvage motor, and have yet to find one below $1500 which doesn't seem cost effective to me, unless the price of "extras" needed that would be included in the salvaged running motor will outweigh the costs that I have not taken into account.

 

I was faced with your delima a year ago. My choice was rebuild what I had until I found a longblock with same specs and 2000 miles on it. If i were you id do clays longblock, AC codes and rebuild stock turbo with a 1.0 exhaust housing.

Paint/detail everything and be happy for another 300k plus.

Keep us posted!

 

That is really the way I am leaning, I appreciate the info. Love my truck and will have less invested in it than I can still buy a used one for, how can I go wrong, lol. Even with the odds stacked against me on my stock trans, new engine, trans, and I only paid $4k for the truck, I would have an entire new drivetrain for less than many used trucks still for sale with the 7.3.

 

96-03 FORD 7.3 POWERSTROKE REMAN DIESEL ENGINE - eBay (item 250468652847 end time Mar-12-11 03:43:10 PST)
when mine pops, this is the way I'll go. good reviews on PSN and one of our brothers lives close by so he could "supervise" the rebuild.

Barney

 

Wow, thanks Barney, now I have another option to take into account, seems viable though.

 

Alan have you pressure checked that cyclinder with pressureized air and listened to where the air is going. If its out the intake it could be bad valve seat or exhaust same thing. If its the crankcase only then it is rings or piston problems. Do this first cause it mit be as easy as taking the head off and rebuilding it. Much cheaper, a thought

Chet

 

No I have not, Chet, Thanks I will do that this weekend. Same idea as a leakdown I suppose, which I was not sure how to do, as far as timing the cylinder in the right position.

 

If you have the push rods out the valves should be closed. You can buy the fitting to fill the cyclinder with air you just need compressed air. It you had spark plugs it would be easier but you can do it. I think this is a must before you pull an engine. Please let us know what you find.

 

Thanks, I'm still driving the truck, but will pull the covers tomorrow and use the fitting I made for the compression test to do this, with the pushrods out. Why the Ban?