I have an 08 f250 6.4 that i am pretty sure has the 7 or 8 lifter starting to seize. im getting a high pitch squeak/squeal at the back of the engine when at idle to mid rpm. not sure if it goes away at higher rpm or if engine noise just starts drowning it out. So several questions, is there any way to inspect the cam before tearing the engine down? If my lifter is going bad is there a way to fix without pulling the engine and replacing the cam at the same time? I really dont have the cash to tear into it right now, but if the engine has to come out anyway id really like to just go ahead and do a cam, lifters, pistons, head studs, and stuff like that anyway...thanks

 

Any Metal particles on magnetic oil drain plug, or Oil filter?

 

switch to 5W40

and see if it loosens up

the only way to get to a bad lifter is to either pull the heads or pull the motor.

the only way to pull the cam is to pull the motor

if you pull the head, and pul the lifter, you can bore scope the cam lobe

assuming of course that the lifter is not mushroomed....then it will only come out the bottom.

I would pull the valve cover to see if the squek is comimg from a rocker arm that has lost its ball or even a bent push rod that is rubbing against the heads.

 

Have not noticed any metal on plug or filter, but changed oil yesterday and am sending a sample to Blackstone today...I put 15w40 in it since it is starting to warm up here, maybe I should drain it and put lighter weight oil in it?

 

your in AL, so 15W40 is fine. my thoughts are if there is crud and such guming up the lifter or the lube path ways 5W40 would clean it out. during cold months thinner startup oil would be a must.

 

I have rebuilt several engines and have been working on engines all my life so im not afraid to tackle it myself. My question, is there a way to pull the cab without a lift. I live on a farm so we have a chain hoist and tractor and stuff that will lift it easily, im just not willing to take a chance on messing the cab up. I replaced the turbos by raising the front of the cab, but if im going to really get in it and pull the heads and stuff, id realy like to get the cab out of the way...

 

I used 4 bottle jacks with a 4X4 wooden spacer to lift my cab. the 4x4 wooden spacers need a 3/16th slot cut into them so that the slot can go onto the body edges ....jacks go under the 4x4 spacers.

if your going to pull your engine...you dont need to lift more than 6 inches.....but make sure everything needed to be disconnected for a body lift is disconnected.

once you get the body to the needed hieght, if you jacks are not the locking type...put a combination of 4x4 plus 2X4 in between the body and the frame where the body bolts are...that will keep the body from floating back down.

the body bolts are a PIA. besst bet is to heat the nuts all up with a propane torch from inside the cab. if the bolts on the radiator area start to spin, tig weld the nut to the fram with a shot of flux cord. the rest of the nuts can be stoped from spinning by just jaming a screw driver between the nuts and the funky nut holders.

if you are just going to pull your valve covers you can just loosen and remove the steering bolt, and then just lift the back of the cab up to 6 inches and the front 1 inch.....almost nothing but the battery , air box, degaus tank, fuel cooler, etc will have to be removed.

I just did my rockers and rods and all I had to do was a mild body lift tilt style (1" in the front/4" in the back).

 

speakerfritz, I read your thread from when you repaired your engine, excellent write up...I am posting a link to a YouTube video of my engine with the squeak...

 

I don't hear a thumping sound which is normally associated with either lifter or rocker geometry so my guess is a bent rocker is rubbing, a lifter or rocker problem obviously the exhaust side since a rocker or lifter problem on the intake side is accompanied by a intake thumping sound.

 

I do have a thumping noise from the intake at times. I dont notice it all the time but there are times when it is really noticeable

 

I'm really considering yanking the valve covers and checking everything out.Are the stock Ford pushrods up to the task or would it be better to go with chromoly ones from River City or somewhere? And is the rocker arm set from Ford the way to go?

 

on the push rods, stock lasted the miles on your truck...so they are ok as replacement parts.

i installed the river city rods and had these thoughts
- since they are stronger....where is the stress that would bend a rod be transferred too...the rockers or the lifters ....is that good or bad?

- the stock rods were shortened in a more recent part number but the aftermarket rods are original oem length...is that good or bad?

- I probably would have ordered a custom set of aftermarket rods with the intake rods being shorter than the exhuast rods.

-I could not find any aftermarket rockers for the 6.4

 

One guy somewhere in the South Americas lifted the cab off a Super Duty truck some years ago, using two forklifts raising it in unison if I recall correctly. His purpose though, was to swap cabs, not doing engine work. It was a very interesting sight I must admit.