He just called me back. He vacuum tested the AC, and it held, so he’s gonna try to recharge it right now. So far he’s only charging me $75, half an hour’s time. I think that’s more than fair in my book. He’s gonna inspect the turbo with a mirror right now, trying to hunt down the rattle. Also mentioned the up pipes leaking.

I’m tempted to have him pull the trans cover and diff cover while we’re at it, just to see what’s going on.

My Archoil should be arriving this weekend. I’m gonna see if it can pull off a miracle, bringing back injectors from the dead. I know the importance of getting multiple quotes/opinions, and I’m not doing any repairs until I can confirm the problem.

Appreciate everyone’s collective insight. Once we figure it out, I will post pics of the fixed-up truck, along with plenty of beer if you ever come down here.

 

Good to have the tech do the AC so it is done with proper equipment.

Might even want him to do the carrier bearing, but wait for input from others. I've never done the job but it looks like a PITA.

Otherwise as Sous said, get it home!! You can do all those repairs for 25% of what he will charge.

 

I’m honestly wondering why the book quotes injectors as a 5 hour job? If I’m not mistaken, you just remove intake, disconnect engine harness, unbolt valve covers, take the gaskets off, and pop out the injectors. Sounds more like 30 minutes, what am I missing here?

He doesn’t think it’s an electrical issue since there’s no codes being thrown around related to IDM, valve cover gaskets, etc. Just tired injectors. I’m not really planning on having a mechanic do most of the basic stuff, but I’m obviously forced to use one for repairs requiring a lift or specialized drivetrain diagnosis. This guy seems to know what he’s talking about, but I’m being mindful of the truck’s value and my bank account’s balance!

 

@Calidiesel73red , I have not gone back to reread this entire thread, but I will offer this advice going forward.

Everything your truck needs (except for the bodywork) is spelled out step by step in the 7.3L PSD Tech Folder or sponsored sites like Riffraff Installation Resource Page or Diesel-O-Rings Instruction Sheets and Information page.

If you cannot find the information in any of those, it is here somewhere in this FTE sub-forum that you are posting in now... If not there, then Google and other company sites have resource pages and advice that can be accessed in seconds 24 hours a day...

You will need a scan tool of some sort, a multi-meter, patience, basic tools, the ability to listen to advice and ability to provide detailed answers to questions asked of you. We cannot help you if you are not responsive and do not provide answers to the questions we ask with as much detail as you can provide. A simple aspect that you might look over could be a YUGE red flag for others here on the FTE. All too often we see people like you stop by in an effort to get things right with their 7.3L, they become frustrated and take it to a "trusted shop" where they are ripped off in one way or another. A couple of years ago I had a suspected clutch chatter issue that was unverified, so I took my truck to a "well known and trusted diesel transmission shop". On the test drive with the owner/lead mechanic he stated he had never heard or seen anything like this before and it might be the springs on the flywheel.

Me being the person I am knew from my basic knowledge that there are no springs on the flywheel, but I left the truck with him against my better judgement. By the time I got home from the 30 mile drive, I was nearly sick to my stomach knowing I made the wrong call. First thing the next morning I was there to pick up the truck and remove it from his possession. I was lucky and met @SkySkiJason shortly after that as he agreed to take the truck in and get to the root of the cause between major projects that he had going on. My family has formed a great relationship with his family and that is just another example of how the FTE can help you get right when you seem to feel that you "can't get right..."

Many, many people have been helped over the years by very knowledgeable people here on the FTE. There is NOT a problem, issue or question that has not been asked here on the FTE. Newer member @rjdj1186 was a recent recipient of some on-site help from @ajbrown208 and his friend or BIL (cannot remember for sure). That is one of thousands of examples of how the FTE has been here to help out. I was a recipient of some on-site help when @AllaboutMPG drove 3 hours one way to help my wife and out when the steering gear literally exploded in a campground. We awoke to a 7.3L pulling into the site next to us and as I left the camper Paul was there with his cigar and coffee mug and greeted me with "I hear there is some illegal 7.3L work going on here." Again, another great relationship that my family formed with his family...

So, get whatever list of parts or services that the mechanic wants you to pay $10,000 - $20,000 for, get the truck and get a scan tool and come back to us either in this thread or a new one that you can start fresh from. If you start a new thread, link this one to it as a "general history" and resolution progression backstory.

If you feel you want to pay the $10,000 - $20,000 let me know first because I will find a camping spot near you and bring my 5th wheel there and charge you 50% of what he is charging to fix the same stuff using the resources on the FTE and company sites that I listed above. That said, post your location if you feel you want to, there may be an FTE'r near you that can offer some on-site advice...

 

You need to listen if you want to save $$$. GET YOUR TRUCK BACK. I told you a few posts back to breathe deep and start from the beginning. It sounds a little bit like you got yourself into an anxiety induced frenzy. Get it back and start from square one. Read....ALOT....like we all had to. The 7.3 isn't an odd one. Just need to know where to start and go from there.

 

I appreciate you greatly, along with the rest of this awesome community. I created a bit of a cluster***** in this thread. The issues kept evolving, and I just wanted to document everything. I will create a more concise build/repair thread once I get the truck back.
I am located near Los Angeles, CA. I have ForScan Lite on Android, OBDLink MX scanner, a cheap multimeter, and a fair amount of tools (and patience). I will gladly buy a keg for any FTE'rs who want to stop by and lend a hand.

This truck has started consuming my soul. My toilet and bed time reading are all 7.3-related.
I wanted to get a full inspection, just to make sure there was nothing catastrophic lurking underneath (like rust). I also thought he'd have Archoil in stock, which may have been a quick/cheap solution. I will request a full breakdown of repairs, and I'll tow the truck back home. Believe me, I don't have thousands of dollars burning a hole in my pocket (especially for a project truck). However, I thought it would be worth spending a couple hundred bucks just to make sure I'm not wasting my time.

 

Well, I am forced to recant my statement about traveling to help you out with on-site support. Los Angeles and southern CA are places that I will not be visiting. I appreciate their beauty and what other people are drawn to about them, but they are not for me and probably never will be. I do intend to visit northern CA one day though on one of our cross country trips.

Based on your quoted statement above, you are nearly there in regard to setting a clear path to success!

Get your truck back, post up the "suggested to fix" parts and we can help you prioritize them, validate them and get you pointed in the right direction.

 

SoCal definitely has its pros and cons. Not sure if it's still the law, but we couldn't wash cars in the driveway for the longest time because of the drought. You'd get a huge ticket if your neighbors snitched to the city. I also need to be relatively quick with the repairs, since they're technically against the HOA rules (can't have a 3500 truck parked, can't do major mechanic work, and can't leave an "abandoned/neglected" vehicle outside). But the weather's nice, though

 

https://imgur.com/a/243qrC1
Any guesses on the high pitched ting ting ting noise? It's very hard to hear, high pitched, most noticeable towards end of video. Two mechanics had a hard time finding it...

 

All I could hear was 7.3 running.

 

Shimmying sound, sounds like a tambourine or maybe water dripping onto something hot and sizzling

 

Tough call. I don’t believe in spending good money on a rusty truck, so I’d be inclined to fix it as cheap as possible.

Ill post more thoughts about your project tomorrow.

 

Yea, the truck is definitely in rough shape, so time/money/effort are serious concerns. The only visible, serious rust is around the windshield frame. Based on my research, I think it needs to be ground down, treated, patched, and primered. Mechanic only saw typical surface rust under the truck, nothing serious.

The paint is not great. The driver's side is acceptable, but the hood/roof and passenger side have clear coat peeling. There is one damaged fender and one damaged dually flare. I was going to try and find cheap salvage yard parts in the same color and bolt them on. Sand and repaint the areas with peeling clear using paint-matched rattle cans.

So far:
Truck cost: $0
Towing: $60
Registration: ~$500
Oil change, fuel filter, and air filter: $300
Scan tool: $100
Archoil: $80 (hasn't arrived yet)
Mechanic labor: ~$150
Light bulbs: $15

So around $1,200 spent so far.

Was hoping to spend:
$1000-$2000 to basically fix the paint and treat the rust
$2000 fixing the misfire/cold start and handling all deferred maintenance (praying the transmission and other expensive parts are good)
$1100 for tires
$1000 for unexpected problems
Plus plenty of sweat equity, learning invaluable skills
God willing, totaling around $7,000 for a running, presentable, reliable truck.

I also have the old 7.3 block (not sure if it's any good or worth anything).
If **** hits the fan, I'm assuming I could sell the truck and the old block to recoup ~$5,000?

Final goal is something like this:

 

First, screw the paint!!

A good running 7.3 is by far the biggest component of the overall value of the truck. Anybody can paint it their favorite color later.

Need to cut out and fill the rust but it does not need to be cosmetic, just functional. Especially around the windshield as leakage there can drip onto the fuse panel and cause havoc.

All that said you have a good basic truck with issues and I think you have the cajones to make it right. Apply that sweat equity and you'll have a great truck.

 

Yea, my biggest concern is just the rust/leak. I do not want to add GEM and fuse box to the repair list.
Once it's running reliably, I'm going to look into having the paint/bodywork done in Mexico. My buddy needs his coupe painted, we'll just tow it behind the truck and have them do both vehicles