so now that i decieded to rebuild the truck in its current configuration i need to know about engine rebuilding sources like for parts. northernautoparts and flatlander both have engine rebuild kits but are they any good? any one know about these or should i source parts out individually? i can t really find any sort of reviews or anything about the quality of these kits but they use name brand stuff and seem legit

plans for truck are 400+hp using appropriate r&d parts and supporting mods ( intercooler, studs etc...) plus proper machining process and procedures. all this over the course of the next year or so. i want to start collecting my stuff now.

thanks gents love this forum

 

I wouldnt buy any engine kit till you have torn down your engine and machine shop has told you what you need. Focus on the other items that will be needed that can be purchased ahead of time.

 

x2 with what xcite is stating, if you dont need something or need something and didnt get it. Its a headache, dealt with taht when I swapped engines, added turbo and the like.

 

I will tear it down first for sure. But I've been chasing a knock so I'm expecting a total overhaul. But I'm going to start looking into some prices but racin said the quality of the kits are good. Thanks for the advice guys. Anymore advice is surly welcome.

 

What kind of knock is it? I have dealt with all sorts of knocks.... Here is my story:

Bought a 1990 F-350 7.3l

I drove it about 3500 miles then I saw the aftermarket oil gauge start behaving erratically. At idle I had nothing for pressure, as soon as I revved it the oil pressure came back. I didnt think anything of it as the engine was performing as normal, I took it on the highway and drove it 117 miles....about 75 miles into the trip i heard knocking, A VERY HEAVY knocking....it went away as soon as I would get it slowed down a bit. I pushed it and continued the trip. I got to my girlfriends house and shut her down for the night. The next day I didnt bother checking anything cause it started right up and sounded fine. I drove it another 200 miles without stopping. It came back about 70 miles into the trip, I kept driving and got to my destination. When I got there I had a diesel mechanic look at it. He stated that the CDR valve had collapsed and wasn't working anymore. So I continued to drive it another 258 miles to the refinery I was working at. It quit on me about 30 miles from where I needed to go, like it had siezed up completely. I let the clutch out and it started again, this is when I knew something was wrong. I started really looking over it at my motel. Turns out(took me 2 days to figure out, it had a stuck valve and the engine couldnt keep up because it had little to no oil in the crankcase the entire trip. THe aftermarket gauge had a line that failed and sprayed my oil all over the road without me knowing it. A testament to the reliability: I pluged the line leak with a copper plug at the tee, unstuck the valve(somehow) and then filled it with oil, and drove it home, it was lacking in power but I knew why. It ran for 600 miles with no oil.....

If you need any help with diagnosing knocks..... Send me a PM and I will get you any help you need.

 

Well I chased it around with a stethoscope and can't find it. You can't really hear it outside of the truck but inside its pretty noticeable. It sounds like its right where the tranny mounts to the motor which leads me to believ it's a tranny problem. It's not a rid knock ( not a heavy thud) and its not in the top end like a injector. So I've got so looking to do. I was going to adjust my pump timing and see if its a valve but I'm really busy. My oil pressure is good thank goodness

 

What tranny? I'd suspect possibly a flex plate issue if it's an auto.

 

No it's a zf5. It's not a rod knock its not heavy enough and you can really only hear it inside. It sounds like its coming from like the shifter ****. It's a strange " fplatt fplatt fplatt" type sound that is in direct relation to rpm.

 

Sounds like it could be a clutch issue. Are you running the DMF still?

 

No I figured out that it is a smf. Tomorrow I'm going to miss with timing and take the valve covers off to see the valve train operating.

 

My '85 is a SMF, (obviously, T19), and its clutch makes noise similar to a knock. I can't hear it when I'm moving, but at idle it's noticeable. And fairly loud if I'm under the truck while it's running. Maybe stick your head under the truck and try to isolate where the noise is coming from, engine, clutch, transmission...

 

Some of zf-5 speeds knock idling, my unlce's has knocked when he drove it home from the dealer ship in 93, push in on the clutch when it is running and see if it gose a way.
My tow truck has a valve that hangs up every now and then, it only dose it going down the road and I can change the noise with the trottle
This was on a 18 speed that a freind of my worked on, it would make radom noise like yours, it didn't matter what gear or weather it was moving or not, it was a worn gear on the input shaft.

 

Ok so did some poking around with a friend today and this is what we found:

The four back injectors ( 2 on each side ) and with the stethoscope on the nut that connects the fuel line to the injector it sounds like a hollow ping/thud sound or the knocking sound I'm hearing. If I listen to the line itself its loader all the way back to the nut on the Injection pump. But when I listen to injection pump itself there is not knock. So the knock is fuel related but is my pump bad or just injectors? Also is this knocking detrimental to my motor? Thanks guys

 

I would pull the injecter and move it to another place, if your knock moves it is the injecter. Bad injecters can ruin engains if you run them too long

 

Is there somewhere I can get parts for injectors like new springs or shims. Or should I just nut up and send them off to racin?