piston cooling jets
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Ok gave up tonight on the pics - our connection just isn't fast enough. Tried several times but no go. So, here it goes: piston tops are all a dark grey except the 2 that have no jets. They are more of a bluish to greenish grey which leads me to think they got pretty hot but not enough to crack them. The tops don't look like the others either a faint "star" like pattern can be seen. Again from talking to a few navistar folks this seems to fit with the cylinder running hot.
Anybody got a good place to get pistons?
These trucks are 10yrs old now so I don't want to spend a fortune. Another puzzling thing is all 3 of these engines have virtually no blow-by and the UOAs are inline if not better than the rest of the bunch.
Anybody got a good place to get pistons?
These trucks are 10yrs old now so I don't want to spend a fortune. Another puzzling thing is all 3 of these engines have virtually no blow-by and the UOAs are inline if not better than the rest of the bunch.
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From: Gilbert Az.
I woud suggest Clay @ RiffRaff he had the complete Ford rebuild set for around 1k it is complete with pistons and pins rings bearings gaskets ect... And Clay is a top notch honest man to deal with! A truly rare breed these days!
Jim & fat Monty
Jim & fat Monty
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Think he'd sell just 2? + rings. Not wanting to invest in a total overhaul we'll probably just replace all the rings and 2 of the 8 pistons. We may buy a whole set and split them up btw the 3 trucks - gotta get this one running again soon. We're done with all the other stuff just need to get the pistons replaced.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
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From: Stevens Point, WI
Only 7.3's I have ever heard of dropping the oil squirters toasted the motor.
Magnetic oil pan drain plug/bolt will catch the squirters if they come out so you can know when you change the oil.
If I found one I would be fixing it right away.
Magnetic oil pan drain plug/bolt will catch the squirters if they come out so you can know when you change the oil.
If I found one I would be fixing it right away.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Rio Rico, AZ.
Think he'd sell just 2? + rings. Not wanting to invest in a total overhaul we'll probably just replace all the rings and 2 of the 8 pistons. We may buy a whole set and split them up btw the 3 trucks - gotta get this one running again soon. We're done with all the other stuff just need to get the pistons replaced.
But then you answered your own question there.
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Thought of that while typing guess we'll have a couple left over when we're all done. (Hopefully) Got 2 more trucks to do. What we've learned is losing a jet isn't always fatal IF you don't push the eng hard all the time which don't. Ours spend quite a bit of time driving around @ <25mph and idling. If you're towing @ hwy speeds reg you'd probably lose the eng a lot quicker. EGT's don't hardly come into play in our case except when we tow a trailer into town but even then that's only 17-18 miles and we rarely get much above 60 and even then only for a few miles.
guess we'll have a couple left over when we're all done. (Hopefully) Got 2 more trucks to do. What we've learned is losing a jet isn't always fatal IF you don't push the eng hard all the time which don't. Ours spend quite a bit of time driving around @ <25mph and idling. If you're towing @ hwy speeds reg you'd probably lose the eng a lot quicker. EGT's don't hardly come into play in our case except when we tow a trailer into town but even then that's only 17-18 miles and we rarely get much above 60 and even then only for a few miles.
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From: Gilbert Az.
Dagren have you pulled out the pistons yet? I'm curious asto what the skirts and ring lands look like? I've never caught one this early! And I'm wondering at what point does the piston become unusable? I'm sure the discoloration in the crown will relate to more issues on the piston but I'm just curious if any scorching down the side or galling has occured?
Jim & fat Monty
Jim & fat Monty
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
They're out - skirts are a very dark bluish-greenish like color. The rest of the pistons look normal. Some light vertical score marks but nothing excessive. Otherwise the rest of them seem ok. One thing we did notice was the cyl walls look a bit lighter on those 2 cyl but wear pattern didn't appear much different. UOA never really showed anything out of the ordinary so it must not have been wearing much differently. I think the key here is that this truck never got pushed really hard between the last oil change and the latest one where we found the jet. Figure if we'd taken it to NC (as fate would have it I decided to change the oil 1st beforehand - we found the jet and I switched to another 350) and came back fully loaded it could have been a different story.
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From: Gilbert Az.
Did the Navistar folks you talked to have any opinion as to using the piston once it showed discoloration? I don't think I would but I'm just trying to get an idea for future motors! As I have a couple I could piece together into One im sure!
Jim & fat Monty
Jim & fat Monty
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Both guys I know said they wouldn't reuse them. They both work @ Western Branch Dsl and see stuff like this waaaay more than I ever would. One is going to help put it back together with us. Most of my guys (incl myself) are decent mechanics but we know when to ask for help. I used to work PT @ WBD as a tech but the drive (45min) got to me and I switched to working closer to home. Money I made mostly went to pay for fuel, maint & meals anyway. I went back to engineering, desk job (hate it) but farming alone just wasn't enough to pay the bills 
if I had my way I'd farm and that'd be it!
if I had my way I'd farm and that'd be it!
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Ok got it all back together - a few little things but mostly no issues. Seems quieter now no idea why though. One thing we did while we had it out - had the pan line-x'd along with inside of the front bumper. Also r&r'd the oil cooler. Replaced all the o-rings + hpop's lines and all the hoses. Thought we'd never get it finished. One down, 2 to go!
- a few little things but mostly no issues. Seems quieter now no idea why though. One thing we did while we had it out - had the pan line-x'd along with inside of the front bumper. Also r&r'd the oil cooler. Replaced all the o-rings + hpop's lines and all the hoses. Thought we'd never get it finished. One down, 2 to go!
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
I'll let you all know what we find on the next one - starting on pulling the eng today. It should go quicker since we just did one!
Should have it apart enough to take a look by friday.
Should have it apart enough to take a look by friday.
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From: Virginia - SW (Riner)
Forgot - the oil pressure warning light goes out a little faster now. But I don't think this is a good indicator because of the 8 we have they all seem to go out @ different times varying from 1-2 second to 7-8 seconds. The ones with the missing jets are all on the longer side though @ > 5sec
Hotshot
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From: La La Land
Forgot - the oil pressure warning light goes out a little faster now. But I don't think this is a good indicator because of the 8 we have they all seem to go out @ different times varying from 1-2 second to 7-8 seconds. The ones with the missing jets are all on the longer side though @ > 5sec
Even eight seconds of running time at idle isn't terrible with no oil pressure, but certainly not an ideal, either.
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