Hi Guys, my name is Bob and while towing a tandem trailer at 30KPH yesterday my 2004 7.3 diesel motor started shaking. I stopped and the engine was shaking as if it was missing ( as a petrol motor does ) and started blowing a lot of white smoke. It seems as if one or more of the injectors were not working. I was in a very remote area of Australia and had to travel 700klms to get her home. I found that once the revs hot 2000 that shaking stopped or got better anyway and the vehicle would run well enough to get home. I dropped the overdrive off and set the cruise to 2000 rpm or 80 Kph. It kept blowing the smoke but got me home.
We did a engine oil and filter change only 700 KLs before this and all was fine, it travelled up great. There is no oil or water usage but used a heap of diesel coming back, I babyed her all the way back and it took 12 hours to do the 700ks. I t starts easy but I am not sure what the problem is , it is the best for work horse and this is unusual. Have been told by some that it has blown a head gasket, lost an injector or two or done the rings.
I noticed this morning a very small drop of oil from the left hand side of the engine but cant see where it is coming from, just a tiny drop. I have also been told that these injectors have oil run through the back of them as well and there could be an issue with the oil pressure pump for the injectors? Maybe they need replacing.

Any ideas before I go to get it looked at, hope to know a bit about this issue as in Aus they bend you over on anything to do with F250s Thanks

 

Do a continuity test on the cylinders. When, what you say, happened to me I had a hole in the top of cylinder number 8.

 

Are you sure it's not a 6.0? 2003 was the last year for the 7.3...

 

Hi Oldbird, I will have the test done. Thanks

 

Hi BBSlider001 yes its a 7.3 Australian RHD delivered F250. I think the 2003 motors came to Australia in 2004 and they ( the trucks ) were made in Spain.

 

 

 

 

Hi Mike,, Yes in Australia

 

Hi, thanks for that I will also have that checked.
Rebuilt by Ford USA motors are AU$18000 plus install.

 

 

That's for rebuilt engine, sorry for the mixup

 

Bob, The harness for the injectors has a plug on each valve cover gasket and they are known to back off and cause running issues. They can come loose on the outside but more common inside the valve cover. Ford makes a clip to fix the problem but a lot of us use 2 quarters, called the 50 cent mod.

Here's a video showing what it looks like.

 

You can place your oil fill cap upside down on the fill tube and see what it does. If you have a hole in a piston or blown rings you'll have blowby and it will blow the cap of of the tube. If it just sits there and vibrates your compression is good and time to check other things. Do you have diagnostic capabilities? OBDII adapter and phone or tablet for software? Can also use your laptop but it's a little more cumbersome.

 

The oil cap test is a very good suggestion.

Here's another quick way to check for a hole in a cylinder as well. It says for 6.0 but works for our engines too