Sell or partial restoration?
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: N. IL
Sell or partial restoration?
I'd like to get a few opinions on my current situation.
I have a 2001 F-250 ext. cab short box. There is 181,xxx miles on the truck. 132,xxx on a forged rod engine I put in last year and about 65,xxx on the built trans. Last week I found fuel in the coolant which from what I've read is most likely the injector cups.
For the last 2 years it seems the truck has started to become unreliable. I threw two rods through the original block with 170k on it. Now this motor has been running great but came up with the fuel issue. I know it's an 11 year old vehicle but I don't know where to draw the line on putting money into it.
The truck has major rust issues with the bed, enough that replacement is in needed. The cab has minimal rust and the interior is very good.
I have 2 ideas running through my head.
1. Do the minimal repairs to make the truck useable and sell it within a year. Cost of about $1500
2.Do the repairs, find a new bed or flatbed, and several other improvements I've been wanting to do. At a cost of about $3,000-$3500 and keep the truck another 2-4 years.
Basically I like the truck except for the rust and the expensive repairs that seem to keep popping up.
I have a 2001 F-250 ext. cab short box. There is 181,xxx miles on the truck. 132,xxx on a forged rod engine I put in last year and about 65,xxx on the built trans. Last week I found fuel in the coolant which from what I've read is most likely the injector cups.
For the last 2 years it seems the truck has started to become unreliable. I threw two rods through the original block with 170k on it. Now this motor has been running great but came up with the fuel issue. I know it's an 11 year old vehicle but I don't know where to draw the line on putting money into it.
The truck has major rust issues with the bed, enough that replacement is in needed. The cab has minimal rust and the interior is very good.
I have 2 ideas running through my head.
1. Do the minimal repairs to make the truck useable and sell it within a year. Cost of about $1500
2.Do the repairs, find a new bed or flatbed, and several other improvements I've been wanting to do. At a cost of about $3,000-$3500 and keep the truck another 2-4 years.
Basically I like the truck except for the rust and the expensive repairs that seem to keep popping up.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,047
Likes: 10
From: Snohomish, WA
Are you doing the work yourself? Cups can be had for under $100 from Riffraff Diesel. He will send the tool for a deposit that you get back of $200. Injector o-rings are another $60. Beyond that it is just a day to do the work.
Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft 7.3L Injector Cup Kit
Here are the instructions:
http://www.riffraffdiesel.com/mm5/RE...eplacement.pdf
Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft 7.3L Injector Cup Kit
Here are the instructions:
http://www.riffraffdiesel.com/mm5/RE...eplacement.pdf
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Elder User
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From: N. IL
I'm a little nervous about doing the work myself. Knowing how I work I would screw up on not cleaning the head well enough and having a leak after I re-install the cups.
I'm leaning towards having someone else do it but the more I read on it I'm feeling like I could do it. I didn't think twice about doing the engine swap on my own but this I'm not sure about.
Also it would make sense to do the glow plugs while I was doing the injector sleeves if I'm going to keep the truck.
I'm leaning towards having someone else do it but the more I read on it I'm feeling like I could do it. I didn't think twice about doing the engine swap on my own but this I'm not sure about.
Also it would make sense to do the glow plugs while I was doing the injector sleeves if I'm going to keep the truck.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,047
Likes: 10
From: Snohomish, WA
I think I would, especially if you don't know how long they have been in there. Just use Motorcraft ZD-11's and not Autolites. They are only $11 each
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I'm a little nervous about doing the work myself. Knowing how I work I would screw up on not cleaning the head well enough and having a leak after I re-install the cups.
I'm leaning towards having someone else do it but the more I read on it I'm feeling like I could do it. I didn't think twice about doing the engine swap on my own but this I'm not sure about.
Also it would make sense to do the glow plugs while I was doing the injector sleeves if I'm going to keep the truck.
I'm leaning towards having someone else do it but the more I read on it I'm feeling like I could do it. I didn't think twice about doing the engine swap on my own but this I'm not sure about.
Also it would make sense to do the glow plugs while I was doing the injector sleeves if I'm going to keep the truck.
Here are some glow plugs as well.
Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft Glowplugs
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: N. IL
Remember that doing cups isn't something mechanics do everyday, so you taking your time could very well yield a better final product. If you have questions during the install you can also call us as we have done many sets.
Here are some glow plugs as well.
Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft Glowplugs
Here are some glow plugs as well.
Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft Glowplugs
Haha! It's funny you mention the mechanics not doing them often. I called two places to get a quote on the job. One was a small diesel only shop and the guy was sitting there with the invoice from the last injector cup repair he a had done so he could give me a really good idea. Then the service manager from the Ford dealer was having a hard time finding what I was talking about. He finally guessed and said well it'll probably be an 1.5 more than an injector replacement!
I went on your site last night Clay and started putting parts into the cart just to see what I was looking at for a parts price. I was wondering do you rent out the brush set also?
Either way the injector cups will be replaced since I will be keeping the truck through the end of the year. You guys just about have me believing I can do it and save some money.
I'm just a disappointed as everyone says these trucks will go 300k miles no problem but I havent had any luck getting there. The frugal sometimes cheap*** side of me is leaning towards fixing this truck up a little and keeping it for a while longer. Especially considering my wife and I are expecting our first child in 5 weeks.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,047
Likes: 10
From: Snohomish, WA
Here is a LINK to a brush set. You can probably get away with something similar if you can find it locally.
They can easily go 300k and beyond. It really matters how it has been treated though. Routine maintenance is the key. Your case with a cracked cup is common, but not routine. For major parts like rods to break there is something else usually going on. Now with anything there are anomalies that happen and parts fail.
Being cheap can cost you more money in the end! If your rebuilt motor did not get new cups because it was "cheaper" to you or whoever rebuilt it, than I would say it really isn't cheaper now. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Tough game to play, and paying others to work on the trucks is far from cheap.
They can easily go 300k and beyond. It really matters how it has been treated though. Routine maintenance is the key. Your case with a cracked cup is common, but not routine. For major parts like rods to break there is something else usually going on. Now with anything there are anomalies that happen and parts fail.
Being cheap can cost you more money in the end! If your rebuilt motor did not get new cups because it was "cheaper" to you or whoever rebuilt it, than I would say it really isn't cheaper now. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Tough game to play, and paying others to work on the trucks is far from cheap.
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: N. IL
Here is a LINK to a brush set. You can probably get away with something similar if you can find it locally.
They can easily go 300k and beyond. It really matters how it has been treated though. Routine maintenance is the key. Your case with a cracked cup is common, but not routine. For major parts like rods to break there is something else usually going on. Now with anything there are anomalies that happen and parts fail.
Being cheap can cost you more money in the end! If your rebuilt motor did not get new cups because it was "cheaper" to you or whoever rebuilt it, than I would say it really isn't cheaper now. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Tough game to play, and paying others to work on the trucks is far from cheap.
They can easily go 300k and beyond. It really matters how it has been treated though. Routine maintenance is the key. Your case with a cracked cup is common, but not routine. For major parts like rods to break there is something else usually going on. Now with anything there are anomalies that happen and parts fail.
Being cheap can cost you more money in the end! If your rebuilt motor did not get new cups because it was "cheaper" to you or whoever rebuilt it, than I would say it really isn't cheaper now. Sometimes a gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Tough game to play, and paying others to work on the trucks is far from cheap.
I know what you mean by being cheap can cost me I'm not afraid to spend money on quality parts. I really didn't think I went cheap when I put the motor in. When my motor blew I found a used engine with 122k on it for $1000 I could have gotten one with 50,000 for $3,500. So I guess I went cheap there and now I'm paying for it.
I know I haven't been easy on this truck, it is a farm truck that sees it's fair share of work. But I do keep up on the routine maintenance oil and fuel filters, I always let it warm up before taking off and cool down after running hard.
The cracked cup is a perfect example of how this truck has been for me. All the issues that happen to a truck here and there have happened to my truck. Like the diode in the 2001 transmissions, broken rods with a tuned truck, and the injector cups. When I read up on these trucks those issues can happen but they have all happened to me on one truck!
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Cargo Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,047
Likes: 10
From: Snohomish, WA
You can always look back on what you have done to the truck and what you could have done. Injector cups are something that could have easily been done when it was out. Now it isn't that much harder, just a little more uncomfortable.
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