Look at the depth the converter sets in the trans. Take a close look. Measure it somewhere if you want.
Yes, just pull the converter out by hand. Behind it, is the seal, inside the pump. Leave he pump bolted to the trans. Just pry the seal out and tap a new one in (no RTV).
When re-installing the converter, turn and push until you feel it seat 2, possibly 3 times. If in doubt, or to make super sure it's fully seated, just keep spinning and pushing inward on the converter for a solid 30 seconds. Take a note to see if it matches the depth it was before you pulled it.

LISTEN! Since this sounds like it may be your first time doing this, If if you don't get it fully seated, and you go to bolt the trans to the engine, you will crush and ruin the trans pump!
You'll know that you have it right when you line up the converter studs to the flex plate and the studs look a little short and may require you to pull the converter forward slightly. If it's binding STOP! Spin and push the converter more to fully seat it.

There is a small 1" section of dipstick tube that the end of the long tube (with o-ring) that you have slides into, and it narrows down to slide into the block. It sounds like you lost it! The last I looked, there were still a few places selling the short section (but you can't buy the long, upper section that you still have anymore.)
The short or lower half as it's called, looks like this:



1803073C1 Oil Filler Tube Navistar International



Do not re-install the dipstick tube until the engine is back in the truck and the engine is all together...... but install it before you bolt up the starter for more room. It should be one of the last items you re-install, so that you don't break/bend it. If you lose/break or bend it, you're SOL, and you'll have to make one out of brake line (I've done it, but it's very hard) or find a used one. Either way, you need the bottom section.





You don't need a "seal puller". That's a tool for pro's to be quick. Just pry it out with a screwdriver or two. It will take a bit longer than that, but under 30 seconds anyway haha. The hard part is tapping the darn thing in straight enough to get started. Find a super large socket or just baby taps to get get it going straight. It will eventually go and then you can start tapping it right in. You'll know when it's fully seated by sight and how it sounds while tapping.

 

Excellent write up thank you!

 

This is crucial. I made a mark before removing it and when I replaced the seal and reinstalled the torque converter, it never went back to that mark. It was only off by about a third of an inch but it didn't seat back to its original place. Just before giving up. I gave it a few more twists and pushes and it did go back that extra bit.

I did the oil pan and reinstalled the front and rear plates where the seals go and did the gaskets for those and the water pump. Everything else is legos now, I hope. I'm having issues with finding a harmonic balancer installer kit that has the right bolt size for this engine, can anyone recommend a different way to install without those?

 

Here is how to for making your own tool. Scroll way down to bottom:
https://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/eng...ement-process/

IF the bolt size is 5/8 x 18 then the free rental tool kit from oreillys or autozone should work:
OEMTOOLS 37144 kit

Well, he's posting a link in his article to a 5/8 x 11 bolt, and I'm not sure what it is, so. Too much powerstroke stuff comes up trying to googling it. Maybe someone here knows for sure, though, that's not something a guy tends to remember. A quick trip to the hardware store with the bolt will confirm, and while you're there, I guess you might as well just grab the stuff to make it work like he did. Though it's not as ideal as using the tool...... I highly doubt you'll hurt anything with that method either.

 

How about just whacking it with a dead blow?

He mentions having to time the engine after replacing the harmonic balancer. Is that something I'm going to have to do?

 

No I would follow his method. Cheap at the hardware store and you don't risk ruining your balancer. It's keywayed so it only goes on one way. Timing doesn't change.

 

Thanks, speaking of harmonic balancer I noticed that mine is not symmetrical at the face. Is something like this normal?

The circled area in the red in the left "dips" in more than the one on the right. The right is almost flush with the surface.

 

I imagine that's normal, to balance the crank. Otherwise it would just be a needless weight and it could just be a pulley for your timing line, see?

Side note;
The factory '93 and '94 turbo engines were balanced different, due to using different internals and they use a different balancer and weights on the flywheel. Look at that offset difference on the balancers! Major. You wouldn't want to try interchanging these (either item), that's for sure, or you would shake the engine right apart! hahaha



As you can see, your N/A balancer matches the illustration. Hold it to match the timing line straight up and you can see it.

 

Makes sense thank you.

The CDD master seal kit states that I should remove these below, circled in red, in order to install the HG. Do you guys recommend that? What is the advantage of that? Anyone else do that?

"This gasket set is modified to open additional cooling ports for superior coolant flow in the edges of the cylinder heads like the 6.9 IDIs, and when installing on a 7.3 IDI the small coolant freeze plugs should be removed from the block and head decks to allow even coolant flow."

 

How bad is it if I switch up the push rods or put the side that was on the rocker on the other end? Forgot to number them or keep track of where they originally went

 

I would question why the engineers at International decided to plug those ports on the 7.3L, and what engineering degree one has to overrule them years latter before I made any modifications. Since I don't know the question to either of those, I wont speculate as to what is right or wrong. I would research the subject first. I know when I thought the odds were high that I was just going to have to replace the head gaskets in the F450, I picked up felpro gaskets and wasn't going to change anything. I figured since the engine lasted 200k+ miles issue free up until then without any cooling issues, I didn't feel a desire to modify anything, nor do we hear of issues with 7.3l heads prematurely failing often on these engines in the forum. I know the heads on the old engine look great, so I saved them.
It may very well be a great idea and have a very great reasoning for removing those. It's possible the engineers over at International made a mistake years ago. I would just research it first, is all. Maybe someone here knows why International did that. I seem to remember knowing this years ago but have long since forgotten.

Pushrods are no big deal. Ideally you'll put everything back in the order you removed them, but what you really don't want to mix up are the lifters from the bores, cus they ware on the cam lobes. Though pushrods ware on the rockers a bit, It's nothing to lose any sleep over if you mixed them up. They'll be ok.

 

Thanks I put the heads on without removing those.I destroyed my AC condenser while removing the engine and have a new coming today. How bad is it evacuating the system and recharging? Is this a shop type of job?

 

Do you have a vacuum pump and a set of R12 manifold gauges? If not, you just might want to take the truck to a shop once you get it running. You can go ahead and hook up the new condenser though.

 

I would ask CCD about opening up those coolant passages and maybe they know the reason the 7.3 has them plugged? If I were to guess since the 7.3 is bored out from the 6.9 that less mass, thinner walls meant more cooling than was needed so they plugged those outside ports to compensate and keep engine temps up where they need to be. Diesel engines like to run hot not cold. Okay just a guess that they were looking for a cheap way to raise the coolant temp.

 

I just left it as is and installed gaskets.