Hello everyone, New to posting on these forums, been looking over them for awhile now though! Im a member of several other forums but with my new project 7.3 this sights search button has helped me more than most haha! Im a relatively good mechanic however this is my first 7.3 so im as good as a newb.

Recently I had the "loud pop followed by a clanging and loss of power/ miss issue" and just tore into it today, figured it would be the uvch, and had a cylinder 4 code so I pulled off the driver side and WHAMMY 2 broken pushrods.





got two rods ready to be picked up in the morning, anyone know how to replace them, i sure as heck dont!
Also, another question, on the right rod side it seems as if it has "chewed" or bored out that hole that they sit in (im talking about the slot, not the actual grove on the bottom) the sleeve part going ino the head to help line it up, think its just gonna keep breaking them and i need a new head? anyone have experience with this im in need of MUCH ADVICE thanks in advance!

Once again happy to be hear!

 

Addition: Im really just looking for a really good description on replacement for the rods (a pdf or write up would be awesome!), I have no idea how to do anything under these covers really, someone said to pull a glow plug and use a long screw driver to get it to tdc or a copper clothes hanger? ANY and all advice is greatly appreciated, gonna try new rods, if it fires and runs ok i plan to leave it like that, if not, i guess its time for a built motor??

 

What were you doing when they broke? High rpm's and getting on it? What modifications have been done to the truck?

The simple way to change them is to roll the engine until the timing mark on the crankshaft is at 11 o clock. You don't have to worry about TDC at that position. Remove the rocker arm pedestal bolts and the spring clip without losing the metal ball under there. Install the new push rods with the copper end pointing up, then re-install the ball, arm, clip and torque the bolts to 20 ft lbs. Go ahead and check the rest of the rocker arm pedestal bolts and make sure they are all at 20 ft lbs.

Then while you're in there, go ahead and torque the lower injector hold down bolts to 120 IN lbs. After you get it all buttoned up, have someone roll the crank with a breaker bar while you watch the rods to make sure nothing is binding up. Then put the valve covers back on and see what you've got.

Welcome to FTE and Semper Fi

 

Hey appreciate the reply, SEMPER! Sorry cant figure where in the user cp to update my sig, as far as mods, im building this one right (break everything first and upgrade as she goes!), so far ive gotten 6637 intake, EBPV delete pedestal and housing, 4" straight exhaust (4" down pipe and IH up-pipes are in the mail!), boost/egt/trans gauges, rebuilt turbo with the early 99 wheel installed, ive cleaned out the ebp tube, and have a complete fuel and oil re-seal kit to put in after this install. Its a 2000 with 180k on it that i STOLE on a trade in deal bahahaha!

Now for the important stuff, i was pulling out of a CVS pharmacy when it happened, in traffic so i got into her and at 16lb of boost, WHEN BLAMMY loud pop followed by come clanging noises (now i know it was the broken rod clanging around in there) and a huge cloud of soot. Pulled over inspected everything clanging stopped and the helicopter whooshing noise started in the intake. (Also at this time a frickin exhaust mount closest to the end of the truck broke, so i assumed that was the clanging, and just assumed the pop was a hiccup or something) limped it back to base pulled codes first time, and only had the ebpv code, drove it for a few miles, then was shaking real hard at 1500-2000 rpms accelerating up to 45mph in overdrive, immediately parked it and just got into the shop to get the covers off, pulled codes real quick got #4 cylinder code so i started there checked uvch all good to go, started feeling rockers, and bam both of them completely off. Now im worried ive hydrolocked the piston because i drove it a "little bit" like an idiot (im really just looking for an excuse to build a 7.3 motor ) and just made it worse.

 

I honestly think your wasting your time replacing the pushrods...

 

I would pull the glow plug and like mentioned stick a wire down the hole and hand turn the motor over a little and see if the piston moves.

Then try rods and hope for the best.

 

Well there pretty cheap and so far from the 100 or so pushrod threads ive read about 50/50 on it being the fix, $18 bucks and a few minutes seems almost worth doing it, because if its beyond the push rods, its going to a shop and we allllll know what that means, im gonna be paying for this for a long long time.

And yea ill pull the glow plug and set a clothes hanger down in there and pray.

 

I've heard about having the mark on the crank at 11 o clock, I've swapped out push rods a few times on different trucks and never touched the crank. I just swapped them out where ever the motor was at, never had a problem. I'm not saying to do it that way.

 

I never looked for exact TDC either, I put the push rods in the holes, if they aren't level with each other I turn the motor till they are then bolt the rockers down.

 

appreciate all the input, think i have this thing nailed down sounds pretty easy, now theres only hopes and prayers (hoping and praying that i drive this thing outta the frickin garage tomorrow!!!)

 

well gents...........the verdict is in....theres definitely some damage somewhere just dont know.

Replaced the two push rods and one of them wasnt very snug, still had some play in the rocker arm which i really didnt like but i didnt have a choice. Got it all put back together and she fired right up, instantly i noticed the helicopter swooshing noise in the intake was gone, thats the good news....the only good news.

Took her for a test drive, now it has a very loud ticking noise (sounds like a rattle snake) only when the rpms are up, and is POURING blue smoke on accelleration, none at idle, and my boost gauge still flutters. (i think the boost issue is the uppipes, you can smell exhaust in the frickin cab). And still shakes pretty hard on accelleration 40-45mph 1500-2000 rpms.

Any advice or opinions? Im calling a mech later this evening hes a pretty reputable ford master tech that does side jobs, if this can be fixed "cheaply" ill do it, if not its going to him and im going broke

 

Good luck and keep posting. Were the valve springs all in tack. I mean could you see the retainers both there. We have had some bad lifters on here but not very comon at all. Do a compression test of that cyclinder for sure. If you just bought it, you mit be able to get help from the dealer.

Chet

 

too late for the dealer as im 700miles away, calling a guy tonight though.

 

Bent valve, bad lifter, broken piston...

Stop driving it for the love of god!

Your going to bend/break a rod.

As I said, you dont break or bend pushrods like that on a stock truck without having something much worse going on.

Time to pull the head on that side and go from there.

 

Yup, sounds like some work is needed as well as your uppies and stuff. Time to pull the motor, pull the head and see what your going to be buying.