1988 7.3L compression problem
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1988 7.3L compression problem
Hi! i am a new member, and am considering buying a 1988 International Bus with a 7.3 diesel engine that is not working.. Mechanic thought it was head gasket problem because water was getting into the oil, so he replaced head gaskets and still not working.. I heard there is a part that sits underneath the engine that cools both water and oil.. Does anyone know the name of that part? It could be that that part is rusted out therefore creating the leak.. Does anyone have any ideas of what else it may be?
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2013
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From: West Des Moines, IA
It's called the oil cooler. It's a long tube running almost the entire length of the engine block on the driver's side right under the exhaust manifold. Has passages through it for water and oil, with very big o-ring type seals on each end. Very good possibility of it being bad, either the seals or the internals, if the head gaskets didn't fix the oil/water mixing. That's the only other place on the engine where oil and water are close together, unless a head is cracked. Start with the simple stuff first. Those oil coolers are pretty notorious for leaking when they have the original seals still on them after 200k+ miles.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,072
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From: California
I just did this oil cooler seal job on my E250 van. It's not too bad, but a bit messy.
Make sure to get the green and dark blue seals, cuz apparently they are of better quality. Goop it with lots of Vaseline.
Also, since you are getting the bus, you have the IDI "van" engine and not the "truck" IDI engine. Subtle differences, but the oil cooler is a bit different. The seals are the same, but the gaskets that mount to the engine are different. So make sure you have parts that are compatible for the van engine.
If you are super **** like me, you could pressure test it with my DIY testing method: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...re-tester.html It's a low pressure test, but better than nothing. I suspect that if you have water in your oil, and not vice versa, then you might have some oil pressure issues too (maybe a failing oil pump) since the pressure of the oil is three times the pressure of coolant. Are you sure that there is not any oil in your coolant?
Make sure to get the green and dark blue seals, cuz apparently they are of better quality. Goop it with lots of Vaseline.
Also, since you are getting the bus, you have the IDI "van" engine and not the "truck" IDI engine. Subtle differences, but the oil cooler is a bit different. The seals are the same, but the gaskets that mount to the engine are different. So make sure you have parts that are compatible for the van engine.
If you are super **** like me, you could pressure test it with my DIY testing method: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...re-tester.html It's a low pressure test, but better than nothing. I suspect that if you have water in your oil, and not vice versa, then you might have some oil pressure issues too (maybe a failing oil pump) since the pressure of the oil is three times the pressure of coolant. Are you sure that there is not any oil in your coolant?
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2014
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Oil pressure is zero when the engine is shut off though, and the cooling system is still charged when you shut the truck off. I got my kit off E-bay with OE seals and it came with both gasket types- this might be the way to go if in doubt.
Probably not rusted out. I think the pipe assembly is stainless, and the internal tubes are copper. The ends are thick aluminum. Like Genscripter said, probably o-rings.
Probably not rusted out. I think the pipe assembly is stainless, and the internal tubes are copper. The ends are thick aluminum. Like Genscripter said, probably o-rings.
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