Don't these trucks use the Valley Pans? I saw that it had a Valley Pan just like the 351M. I could be wrong but I thought the Valley Pans were reuseable.

Rockauto might have em for cheap, your right.

Just for clarification I take the Alternator, Fuel Filter, exhaust manifold and intake manifold to get the head off, right? Can I reuse the exhaust manifold gasket?

 

It is a valley pan/gasket. I've thought about the reusability of them, if it's intact and you're N/A I couldn't see a problem with it as the intake is just an air funnel on a N/A engine. But if you are turbo you could have some leakage issues.

The only way you'd be able to reuse the exhaust is if it's been replaced not too long ago and is still in good shape. If it's original it's going to come out in pieces.

If you get the head set it will have exhaust gaskets in it.

Your parts list is correct, but you'll also pull the vacuum pump as well. None of those accessories are difficult to install or remove nor do they require special tools.

This step is not necessary, but I was having problems getting my head off and I found removing the inner fender, (not hard), gave me good access to the rear and lower head bolts.

The head itself is heavy!

 

Here's a vendor on eBay with a head set for $79.99

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victor-HS3789-Engine-Cylinder-Head-Gasket-Set-/251243033402?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a7f40733a&vxp=mtr
And I did check RockAuto, they do have the individual head gasket for $39.89

 

Well, at this point you're out $1k for nothing, if you spend the money on a gasket or gasket set then you're out $1200 or so for a running truck-
I'm not sure what it would take to get a prechamber out with the injector port blocked, it looks like you put the punch in through that hole to knock it out.
Since it's at the point where there isn't a whole lot to lose, maybe try some sealant around the remnant and crank it again. Something like JB weld, that will harden and plug the hole so compression can't escape around it. It would be a delicate operation, you'd have to make sure the stuff didn't fall into the prechamber.

 

That is an idea before I take the head off. I tried something called QuikCrete but that stuff didn't harden after 2 days when i used it for something else.

However, my only concern with this is what about when the exhaust port opens up. Won't that make me lose all of my wanted pressure to push the ez out?

I'm not sure what it would take to get a prechamber out with the injector port blocked [Quote/]
Suppose they make a punch or something with a 45 degree bend or so?

 

Here is what it boils down to, compression during cranking is not going to be enough to push it out if the easy out doesnt wiggle even alittle bit. You will have to bite the bullet and pull the head. My fear is what other parts may have already fallen into the prechamber or into the cylinder that could destroy the engine.

You have basically 2 options, sell the truck as is for someone else to fix if they wish or take it apart and see if you can fix it within what you are will to spend.

 

I just found your cut away picture in google images (it never showed up on my computer or my phone) and It is worth gold to me, so Thank you.

Is this picture 100% accurate of a 7.3 IDI n/a? (1988)

 

Well I just pulled the valve cover off yesterday (I already decided I'm pulling the head), and it looks great under there, so it is definitely encouraging.. I plan to fix the truck before (if) I sell it, at least that way I can get back what I spent on it.

In response to to the parts that could have fallen into the engine/prechamber, I plan to pull the prechamber out, so it should get cleaned right up, along with the will be exposed cylinder/piston.

 

Sorry for the late reply. You're about to start college and I'm wrapping up at the moment.

To your question about how to remove the prechambers. As mentioned you would need to pass a drift through the injector port in order to drive it out. However port opening to the cylinder is large enough to get any filings out without the risk of damaging the precup or the bore it slides to in the head. I don't think its worth removing the prechambers and risk damaging something else in the process.

If the lower injector sleeve is still in there then using a sacrificial injector with the upper coarse threads ground off should work.

If the lower sleeve came out, then I'm at a loss to understand what is still in there (other than the easy out). The only thing that extends further is the nozzle itself and that has not choice but to come out with the sleeve.

 

Leave the exhaust manifold on the head when you pull it. You don't want to risk snapping off an old exhaust bolt in the head. The factory y-pipe on my NA engine was just a ball and socket design with two bolts to the manifold. If yours is that style, just disconnect it from there, no gasket required.

 

Here's an update: I got the head off, took the prechamber out, and hammered the easy out the way it came in no problem. BOY is that head heavy! The cylinders don't look too bad, nor do the pistons. The head looks decent too. I snapped a lot of pictures of the prechamber, and variations there off, and I'll get to posting them for reference as soon as I can for my fellow folks. I just spent 160 in parts for: head gasket, valley pan, 8 push roads, new head bolts, and valve cover gasket from RockAuto. I suppose the price could be worse for sure. I'll give the coolant system a few flushes, will regular water hose water work for this?

Thanks for all the help everyone

 

Great to hear you got it out!

Hose water will be just fine for a flush. If there's any rust debris in there, throw a little CLR in the mix to break some of it loose.

If you're using a cherry picker, be extremely careful when you reinstall the head that you don't accidentally scratch it. I did the first try, and found it's WAY easier to just hang the head off of a 2x4x8 piece of wood and have two buddies lower it down while you place it on the block. Took less than a minute to get it set in place that way.

 

Good deal, I bet it felt good to finally have that out of there!

Just out of curiosity, what did you use to remove the pre-chamber? Was it very easy/difficult?

 

Indeed, it felt great. What I did is a bought a Blind Hole Bearing Puller from Harbor Freight (60 bucks) with this puller came a heavy duty slide hammer, and four collets of varying sizes. Each individual collet is made of two pieces: a central rod type deal, and a flare that gets bigger or smaller depending which direction you turn it along this centered rod. I removed the flare from one collet, leaving just the rod. I screwed the rod onto the slide hammer. As desparate as I was I bent this rod roughly 45 degrees, slid the bent rod into the precup opening, pulled upwards and hammered it out. With this method it wasn't too difficult, but it took roughly 5 minutes per precup

 

I will probably use CLR, theres a lot of rust cholesterol pockets/hills in the head and radiator.

It will probably be just me putting the head back on, although I've no idea how I'll do it myself at the moment.

I will post reference pictures ASAP, I still need to acquire a MicroSD card for me phone.

ALL injectors, sleeves, and easy-outs are now out finally, leaving me with 3 stucks copper washers. Any ideas?