Define "new" internals.

 

Every thing that matters is new. Rods are checked and crank is also checked and ground. Just like if they were doing yours. Except you get a better warrinty. If your building HP then go rebuilt with all new parts and rods etc.. Thing is you want 10 or 20 over max. I guess some have gone 30 but I feel better about 10. Ford brings it back to stock bore by bring up the cylinder with a weld process of some kind. Heads are gone threw with new cups guides valves etc. It's all in what you want. I'm not against rebuilt at all, it just getting the right shop for machining. I'd put it together myself.

 

Despite soaking in PB Blaster all night, the trans lines refused to come off the radiator. I rounded off the fittings trying to break them free, so I ended up cutting the line on the right and disconnecting the left line at the hose. I'll probably replace both. My first unexpected expense.




The turbo came off by whacking the up-pipe hard. Got most of the front end removed yesterday.




I've been taking plenty of pics and notes as I go. The only other engine rebuild I've tackled is on my little project car:






Obviously this was much easier than the 7.3. I could almost lift the engine out with my bare hands

Next up is removing the trans. Unfortunately it's started raining hard and the rain is supposed to last a while, so I won't be working much this week.

 

A set of line wrenches could well have saved you that tranny line. Craftsman has them. And I think we're thinking of different pipes with your turbo. The pipe out the side is your down pipe, is that the one you were on? The up pipes come up back at the firewall, two of them, one to each exhaust manifold.

 

The cut trans line is no biggie. Now you can plumb in an external filtrr😉

 

Good to know about the line wrenches, though I doubt they would have been much help in this case. Even with the fitting in a vise I had a heck of a time breaking it free. The pipe that fought me was the up-pipe. With the front end removed it was easier to access, but I'll be sure to put some high-temp anti-seize on before reinstalling.

I installed an external filter some years ago but I'm not happy with my work. The plate I used is too flexible. With the bumper removed I can get a better look at possible alternative locations, but I might just reinstall in the same place with thicker plate.

 

I drove a car like that red one once (company car). A buddy of mine and I wanted to see how hard it was to lift the rear by hand - it wasn't hard at all.

The part that cracked me up the hardest was starting the air conditioner was a sure-fire way to provoke a faceplant into the steering wheel.

Here are some of my garage fillers:

 

Try a butane torch warm up the fitting. Just be careful not to melt the radiator. You can also add your lubricant as it is cooling. Try a good vise grip if you have rounded off the nut. You can buy a cheap flare kit if you do not have one, I think some places let you loan the tool. Buy a bulk (brake)line for the new fitting at any parts store. Little work but cheaper than that pre-bent line from Ford ect. Hope that helps you out.


Where do you live that you have a Geo metro that is not rotted out? I had one that I tweaked to 55MPG. Takes a few mods

 

The Geo's fun to work on, and cheap too. Unlike the truck. I don't get anywhere near 50mpg, more like mid-30s around town, but it's still really cheap to drive. Sucks on power though I bought the car in Virginia and towed it to CA when I moved here. It's completely rust free. I plan to drive it for years, which doesn't make my daughter or wife happy.

I thought about hitting the lines with a torch, but the risk of melting the bottom of the radiator wasn't worth it to me. I'll look into bending new lines when the time comes, thanks.

Made a few calls this morning. The guy at Auto Nation was completely unhelpful. He quoted me $7,330 w/ core, but I think that was for a complete engine not just block and heads. Sunrise Ford was more helpful and quoted me about $5,000 for the stripped long-block minus injector cups. Neither place knew anything about the engine or the supplier, which doesn't make me feel confident.

The guy at County Auto Machine knows his stuff and claims to work on 7.3s regularly. He quoted me $3,500 for a rebuild, plus machining the crank which he says isn't usually necessary. He recommended new, stiffer valve springs for a couple hundred more. He doesn't normally replace injector cups unless they don't pass pressure testing. Interestingly, he said he sleeves if boring would be more than 0.03. I thought I read that 7.3's weren't normally sleeved, but maybe that's the earlier models. He says his 7.3 is sleeved. Given his price and knowledge of the engine, I'm inclined to take my block here. Said turn around is about 3 weeks, which would give me time to "refresh" the trans.

 

I would not trust the seal of an injector cup after it's been through a hot tank cleaning. I'd dismantle each head, pull the cups...send it through the cleaning process, install new cups. Easy...and worth the minor added expense at the rebuilding stage, rather than the headache of doing them in frame....after one or more fails.

 

Got it. I'll insist that County Auto install new cups. They're actually called "sleeves" on RockAuto and it looks like a set of 8 will only set me back about $50. Definitely worth the expense.

 

Might wanna check Riff Raff. Cups are not a thing to skimp on.

 

Didn't think to check RiffRaff. I'll add them to my list of things to buy. I changed out the o-rings and washers a few months ago, when I thought my problem might be with the injectors. Is it recommended to replace them whenever the cups are replaced?

 

Um, I wouldn't trust a Dorman part, which is likely you will get from Rock Auto, for a injector sleeve. OEM on this part.

 

I would change the 0-rings with the new cups. You mitt ask the shop what he charges for his cups so he can't say I won't warrinty them. But I agree, OEM. Ans that is what Riffraff sales. But the new remans come with cups. I believe 3 year unlimited miles on Ford. But this guy dose sound like he knows the 7.3L.