So I'm purdy sure my simple exhaust leak turned out to be a Headgasket. Most likely from sitting awhile. I'M planning to finish my fuel bowl revamp and drive it more to make sure. First...does anyone think I will damage the turbo or other components by doing this. I have purchased a lower mileage engine out of a 95 to build to superfreak status hopefully,so I'm not too concerned about damaging anything but what i worked on so far.

Which brings up #2...what can I expect to be different from 95to96?

And lastly...for now...what should i concentrate on this rebuild. I'm not looking to blow smoke or pop wheelies but wanna get close to newer diesel truck power numbers.

I have some other questions i wanna get to later ifn yall dont mind

 

Also if ya have any idea what a rebuild or overhaul like this will cost I will recommend you highly to Santa. And possibly dance at ur wedding...or at least dance with the strippers at the batchelor party

 

I would really be surprised if you have a blown head gasket on a stock PSD. They're not known for having head issues.

At any rate, to answer your question about the differences between the 95 and 96, here is what I found in doing my swap. The 95 and 96 fuel bowls are designed differently, although they are interchangeable the water in fuel and fuel heater connections are in different locations. The only other noticeable difference I saw was one that I expected and that is that the water pump and thermostats are different between the two years. Other than that they seem pretty much identical to me.

 

Also to get a decent truck that is pretty reliable, I would talk to guys like Travis (strokin'_tatsch), glenn (oldbird 1965) and Jim (DZL JIM). They have tried quite a few different things and can certainly steer you in the right direction.

 

You think I should private message them?

 

Just edit the thread title to add, "Paging Glenn, Travis, and Jim." You could use their usernames instead of their first names if you prefer that method. That way, we can all benefit from the information that they have to offer.

I would make sure to read and respond to a thread that contained my name in the thread title, wouldn't you?

 

Nate, what in heaven's name are you talking about? I'm honored and pleased that you put me up there in that group but I don't feel I belong there. Also, while we are patting each other on the back, I think you do an excellent job of explaining things to lots of questions on here. Better then I can!

Disco, I feel I have a good pulling truck but I did all of it by reading on here. Basically, if six or seven out of ten agreed that a mod was good I would do it. I did them one at a time over the years. I am not bragging, it all came from here on FTE! I too, would love to have a spare engine and trans to take my time and to build them 'superfreak status'! You learn from the best here, I have been on other forums but always kept coming back here. Good Luck.

Oh, I agree, its probably not a head gasket. Also, the front covers are different, read the thread going on now: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ont-cover.html

 

OK thx for input so far...helps to know im not alone. I do alot of searching and get side tracked alot so i hope i dont seem lazy. This is a more linear learnin curve best i could explain.

I dont wanna strip stuff if it does turn out H.G. and not redo neccesities while I'm there. Maybe it's my own stupid logic to just grab this complete motor for 500 but, even without the need for it now...I fully intend to start rebuilding right away. My current is 279k, tired of worryin bout vehicles.

So my question starts at the lower end naturally as this is wherd I plan to begin. On the donor motor...should I just hone it and cross hatch then change the rings. Naturally i intend to inspect all areas but what is common? And also is this stock set up refresh gonna hold up to 450hp maybe 550?

I would like both low end boost and high end...or more specifically smoother, seamless powerband. I really think a twin turbo set up is what I want. Can I use both the stock turbos together...one low one high...rewheeled of course. DiY already suggested to me the inline setup seems better. Wouldnt one of them lose alot of exhaust flow...which one should be first in line.

Thx for any amount of input

 

Correct me if im wrong here someone, but isnt there something different about the OBDII between 95-96?

 

Anyway Disco, as for what to do to make those numbers like new diesels, a full rebuild is not necessary. With these OBS strokes, the bottom end is capable of over 500 HP. If your looking to go beyond that, thats where youll need a full build....and spare parts on hand.

 

So normally you wont have to change bearings and such in the lower end when rebuilding. Lol if i have to carry spare parts to do over 500hp i need right at 450. I hope to god all yall are right and the H.G. is still good. I'll let yall know.

The diesel world is alot different than i originally planned

 

Glenn, any truck that will reliably pull that setup in your sig picture deserves to be in that class. You have tried alot of different things with your truck, and that is why I suggested that he talk to you. There is a big difference between building a truck that will go down the track quickly and building a reliable daily driver and tow rig. You seem to have a good combination of reliability and a very durable tow rig. (you and 427 fordman both) And thanks for the compliment. I still have A LOT to learn about these trucks but I try to remember that not everyone has spent all their spare time reading about how to work on their diesel pickup (like many of us have).

And yes, the front cover is different between the 95 and 96, that's why I said the thermostats are different.

It's not mistake ot buy that motor for $500. That's a good deal. The turbo and injector cores by themselves are worth more than that.

If you think you will be happy with 500HP I wouldn't touch the bottom end. There are quite a good many guys running bigger numbers than that with the stock bottom end. I can tell you from experience that the bottom end of these things is truly impressive. There is a LOT of beef down there.

The OBD II issue between these two years is just a matter of PCM programming. All the sensors on the engine are the same, so as long as you use the same PCM your OBD II function doesn't change.

Again, I agree completely. If you will be happy with 500HP (and it is really hard to explain what a 500HP truck actually feels like) I think you're fine with the stock bottom end. 500HP in a street truck is a LOT of power. That's more than twice the power of your truck now. Start saving for rear tires if you're going to be driving that thing very much. 400-450 is probably more realistic IMO, but that's up to you. Keep in mind that on these trucks, the torque numbers are generally close to double (2:1) what your HP ratings are and that with a gas motor they are closer to 1:1. A 400 HP diesel truck isn't going to go down the track as quick as a souped up 460 will because it can't turn 6,000 RPMs, but it will have a lot more useable power low in the power band. These engines are torque monsters that are designed for towing a heavy load and having the power all through the power band to make that towing job easier.

Consider it like this. Our trucks are rated at factory levels at 215 HP and about 425 lb/ft of torque with the peak power being made between about 2200 and 3000 RPM's. You can drive a Dodge Neon with 215 HP and it feels totally different because all that power is made upwards of 4 or 5,000 RPMs. You have to wind the motor up to see that power and they only make about 200 lb/ft of torque. That is an engine well suited to a car that only weighs 3,000 lbs, but put that into my 7,000lb CCLB and it would be a worthless turn that couldn't get out of its own way. Torque is the ability to move a load. Horsepower is the ability to apply torque at speed (actually HP is a direct calculation of torque and speed). So just bear in mind that 400HP sounds great when you compare it to a Toyota Tacoma, but your 7.3 is going drive a whole lot different and tow a TON better.

These diesels are indeed a different ballgame than building a build gas motor. The beauty of this is that the torque makes that power so very much more driveable.

 

Sorry, that was kind of a novel...

 

I'm sure a stupid question but curiosity is a virtue of learning. In these trucks if you double horse power you are effectively doubling torque I understand this. In doing this what happens to mpg's?

 

The MPG's don't change in huge regard because it still takes the same amount of fuel to get the truck down the road. Some of the mods you will do will increase efficiency while others will decrease it, but in general they don't change a lot and may actually improve your MPG a bit depending on what mods you are doing and how you drive it. Keeping your foot out of the skinny pedal makes all the difference in the world though and I would imagine having 400HP on tap makes that a bit difficult...