since ive had it ive been chasing problems the PO caused by not doing maint.. engines been strong.. still runs great.. just "stock" with the exception of what ive done.. have the maint records from the first owner... (thanks to a friend)... 2nd owner the truck disappeared... engine was replaced at 53K miles... apparently the block cracked despite their good maint.. (yay).. has had 4 EGR coolers.. 1 oil cooler... 3 up pipes... new turbo and new engine all in the first 56K miles... dunno what the 2nd owner did but suspect nothing but drive it into the ground...

Since i got it.. New Valve cover gaskets (still oil leaks there.. ), Trans flush and filter change, rear pinion seal.. also had the gear oil changed as they looked like chocolate milk in the pumpkins.. within the first month i had it...

2 months later the whole rear end had to be rebuilt (ty shotty dealer work.. yeah pinion bearings like new.. uh huh sure... ) Pinion bearing went and let the pinion gear walk which stripped the teeth off the ring and pinion gears.. ntm trashed the spiders inside the carrier.. New seat belt receiver for the back seat.. COMPLETELY NEW Brakes front and rear, along with couple calipers and brake lines (yay seized calipers)... New backing plates inner hub seal on the rear axle 6 months later (yay service warranty).. end seals on the front axle were done... changed the transfer case fluid myself.. Center carrier bearing for the rear driveshaft... cleaned and regreased the hub locks.. ICP sensor cracked and shorted out the connector.. dealer fixed both of those... they also found the little blue boot between the EGR cooler and oil cooler... then New coolant reservoir tank... new water in fuel drain cover plate (ty previous owner for JB WELDING THE PLUG IN THE HOLE!!!!!) new fuel pump... fuel regulator, upgraded fuel banjo bolts.. ect ect... list goes on...

engine hasnt been so much the problem.. just everything AROUND the engine has been... Most recently was the T-stat seal gave out and replaced the whole housing since its all 1 piece... upper and lower rad hoses... unfortunately new rad because i busted a nipple off (DOH!!!), tie rod for where it connects to the steering arm to the drag link... and front driveshaft just got new u-joints which i gotta pull back apart to replace the CV ball joint in the middle of the double cardigan joint... fun huh... and in the middle of doing the driveshaft is when i got the UOA back...

 

Dang man. I might would consider trading it.

This is why when I was truck shopping 2 years ago, I asked several of my customers who ran diesel shops if I should buy a gas or oil burner. EVERY ONE said to buy a gas truck and never look back.

They said if you don't tow heavy all the time then they just are not worth the upkeep and cost to repair when they break. Exception being older Cummins and 7.3s. Older 7.3s are like freaking platinum $ and I love cummins but a Dodge truck (after the old square bodys) aint comin' here LOL.

I have friends who have spent thousands keeping their diesels running. I can build a bad azz 514 for my truck cheaper than a set of diesel injectors LOL

The guy who bought my V10 super Duty said he spent 25K putting new engines in his two work trucks for his business (6.0) and said he would never ever even think about another oil burner.

 

nahh im starting to love this truck... besides i still got 19 more enslavement payments left on it... shes been pretty reliable... has never left me stranded on the side of the road... always gotten me home and where i needed to go.. unlike my old truck that couldnt be trusted to go 500 miles without finding something to break.. and like you said once bullet proofed the 6.0 is hard to kill... i started with the fuel system... have added a coolant filter... got a CCV filter... had to rebuild the turbo in june as well just after they found i had 3 dead injectors... they tried saying it was the actuator but i didnt buy that... replaced it myself.. still wouldnt build pressure... pulled it apart... cleaned the turbo inside and out.. new bearings.. seals.. upgraded the compressor wheel... now she takes off.. get her up to 26psi almost every time now.. has new CAC boots...

 

I hope you get her straightened out, Sparky.

 

The last shop I was at, we had a fleet of 7.3's, and I loved those engines. Then the owner finally did a company wide upgrade and we got new trucks with the 6.0. Every one of those trucks had issues, from injectors, & coolant leaks right out of the shoot. By the time they were getting 50/60K on them they were getting replaced with crate engines, or at least the top end. I'm just not a fan of that engine.

 

They don't call them 6 leakers for nothing.

But gas or diesel, they all cost to own and maintain.

The front end on my excursion is getting ready to cost me some time and money. It's fubar right now. Some call it a wandering issue. I call it a death stagger. I've been neglecting it and keep thinking that more tore up farm roads and mud holes and trail riding will miraculously cure it. Hasn't worked yet but I'll keep trying.

Hump day, yep. We're almost there.

 

James, that could be worth shaking down that front suspension and checking for play in those ball joints, n tie rod ends.
Grope n feel those tires too. Do you keep those tires rotated?
I spent my last 10 years in a tire shop that specialized in BIG trucks. We did 18 wheelers, and up, that may have helped with the boogered up lower back.

 

Replaced ball joints almost two years ago. Replaced hubs a few months ago along with all new rotors and pads on all for corners.

Tires are worn and will need replacing soon. But worn evenly. No cupping or slick spots.

I've got an adjustment arm that is seized up and wont adjust on the drivers side. Another linkage is bent on the passenger side. Pretty sure my steering box needs refurbishing. Front stabilizer probably needs replacing.

The springs are shot on all four corners. I replaced the shocks about four years ago and am waiting to re spring it before I put new ones on again.

I definitely need to get it on a lift and start a parts list. Just haven't had the time.

 

sure plan too.. would have more $$$ if i could drive my stang atm but the tranny's input shaft seal let go and havent gotten a chance to fix that yet.

EGR cooler's the biggest issue for those coolant leaks which is why i plan to make it disappear.. Biggest reason people blame the head studs for being weak is they dont realize what the EGR cooler does in the background. A lot will delete the cooler than pop the head gaskets shortly there after.. Reason being the EGR Cooler acts as a BOV when you let off the throttle.. preventing the pressures from spiking in the cylinders.. you delete the EGR you take that ability away. Thats why stronger studs are required if you plan to do so. International didnt help matters by casting the heads warped and using the factory studs to pull them flat causing more stress on those studs.. Fix those 3 and you solve a lot of their problems.

Biggest issue with the injectors is keeping clean oil running through them and not going aftermarket on the filters.. because of the close tolerances on the injectors the crud floating in them gets trapped around the needle causing them to get stuck. Cheap components in the FICM doesnt help matters either.

Have heard that nickname for them often... my oil leak issue i think is more due to crappy service tech work.. shop i had do the valve covers at ive had to have all that work redone since due to their lack of competency.. prime example when i picked it up i had a trip planned for the next day.. was a good thing i checked the tires as ALL THE LUGNUTS WERE LOOSE!!!.. i could literally take them off by hand. why they havent gotten it back since. shop she goes to now is much more competent. little further drive but worth it imo..

That they do.. especially when PO dont take care of them.

 

Taking Shari's 08 Escape in for an oil change and rotate and balance this morning, if I can get it in someplace.
Weather looks like it's going to be on our side this next week, so I think that Escape and my truck may get washed and vacuumed this weekend.
Y'all have a safe weekend, get outside if you can.

 

Picked up this Bronco tank to swap into Brutus in place of his rear tank. Will give me 47 gallons of fuel capacity.





And finished bending up this light bar.

 

I did get Shari's 08 Escape in for it's oil change and tire rotate. Normally I tell them, don't inspect anything, just do what I'm wanting done. But today it was a $10 discount if they do the inspection. Well I do know better, but $10 is $10.
Well the" Tech/D@mn kid" wanted to show me how bad my wife's Escape is.
Now, I've been a mechanic longer than that "Kid" has been alive. But here goes.
$204 for front brakes, even though they're bonded pads, and well over 1/4" thick, both in and outside pad.
$25 for the air filter that I got from Orielly's for $15.
$95 for fuel system cleaning, no issues there either, and I run Lucas through the fuel system three times a year, always have.
$47.99 for a rear wiper blade, it's only 12" long, also got it at O'rielly's for $11.99.
$1.025.00 for both front struts and rear shocks. No oil on them, look like they're just a couple of years old. No tire wear from a worn strut or shock.
I knew I was in for something when the same "Kid" did try to sell stuff to the other customers that he got before me.
I used to work for the same company years ago. And the way they really push sales is part of the reason I left after only 6 months.
What shop is this you ask? The name rhymes with "My Your Stoned"
Ok, BEER ME

 

Had our monthly meeting this morning for our VRA chapter. Then set off on the bikes with no real destination or plan, finally found our way back home after a 100 miles of wandering around.

 

Larry, an 100 mile bike ride doesn't sound like a bad deal to me, specially if a guy had a day like today has been.
Weekend is almost over, and I didn't get done everything that I wish I would have. But it's been nice to spend the day outside, even with the wind. Burger's and toasted buns off the grill and time to feed my neck.
Hope y'all had a good day.

 

One of the customers I used to do service work for would often bring in a pickup complaining about the "Death Wobble". They did mining work and the inside of the wheels would be caked solid in dust and water that turned almost into cement. Have you been off road lately and maybe have something caked on the inside of a wheel