A question for someone like The Diesel Dude.

Does anybody know when they started using the Powder metal rods in the PSD engine and what the serial number break is?


Steven Hogeweide
2000 F350 XLT PSD 4X4, 6spd, ESOF, 4.10ls, Super Cab Dually, Tow Pkg, Camper Pkg, Off Road pkg, Western Diesel Power Chip, AutoMeter EGT and Boost gauges.

 

It was a running change in that there was no serial number break. We'd use the powdered metal rods for a day or two when we had them then switch back to the forged rods for a day or two because we were having start-up problems with the new machining line on which they were produced. My guess is it was about 18 months ago but I'll check through some of my papers and see if I can get a more definite time frame. Why do you ask?

 

I am a member of www.ford-diesel.com and there has been several questions about these rods there and was just wanting to find out for them.

Knowledge is power....


Steven Hogeweide
2000 F350 XLT PSD 4X4, 6spd, ESOF, 4.10ls, Super Cab Dually, Tow Pkg, Camper Pkg, Off Road pkg, Western Diesel Power Chip, AutoMeter EGT and Boost gauges.

 

I scrolled the forddiesel.com message board back to May 29, and didn't see any questions about the powdered metal rods. I don't know if I can answer your questions or not but I'd be willing to give it a shot if you'd like to post them here.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Jun-02 AT 04:03 PM (EST)][link:forums.ford-diesel.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB33&Number=760821&page=0 &view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1|Ford-diesel post]

This is where the question was.
If the Url doesn't work, it is under the engine and drive train forum for 1999-up Super Duties.

I think it is someone wanting to know about how far they can push the power out of their engine without having to worry about blowing it up.

I know there has been some concerns about the Powder Metal Rods not being as strong as the older style rods.

Steven Hogeweide
2000 F350 XLT PSD 4X4, 6spd, ESOF, 4.10ls, Super Cab Dually, Tow Pkg, Camper Pkg, Off Road pkg, Western Diesel Power Chip, AutoMeter EGT and Boost gauges.

 

The URL works fine -- it took me straight to it.
I was looking through some of my photos and I found engine serial number 1406951 which had forged rods in it, built 6/27/2000. I remember opening that engine up and being surprised that it had forged rods in it, so I'm thinking that we were in the process of changing over about that time. We were having some start-up problems with the manufacturing equipment and we'd run a few days with powdered rods and when the manufacturing line couldn't keep up with the assembly line we'd switch back to forged rods for a couple days. It was on again, off again for 3 or 4 months but there was no serial number break, as such -- we built engines with the parts we had on hand the day they went down the line.
There are 2 pipe plugs down toward the bottom of the crankcase on the drivers side, one in the front and one in the back (on the side of the crankcase), with a female square drive just above the oil pan rail. If you can remove one of those plugs and if you can get your head in there to look into the hole with a light you can see into the crankcase to see if they are forged or powdered (I don't know how close you can get to look in this hole with the engine in the chassis). The forged rods have studs with nuts holding the rod caps on and the powdered rods have bolts that thread into the rods that hold the caps on.
I don't know how far you can push the horse power before you start breaking things but it is my opinion that the powdered rods are as strong as the forged rods and in some ways better. They are better in the fact that the bolts holding the caps on are stronger than the studs on the forged rods. The studs were torqued to 80 ft.lb. and they were stretching quite a bit by the time you got there. The powdered rods use 12.9 grade bolts and are torqued to 90 ft.lb. with very little stretch which gives a much better clamp load. The other thing is the powdered rod's caps are cracked instead of sawed in half. This keeps the cap from moving around when the engine is making power because the cracked caps have a roughness in the parting area which allows it to fit back together exactly where it was when it was machined, and also it won't move around because it fits back together like a broken piece of china, instead of on a smooth surface.
Also, you'd think they would be brittle but they don't seem to be -- they'll bend just like the others under the right circumstances.
How much power are you going to make?

 

I am not trying to make that much more power myself. I have a Western Diesel power chip that is supposed to put the engine around 300 flywheel hp, and 625 lb/ft torque. The main reason for that I went with the power chip was that it gives me 2 to 3 mpg better economy. 16 - 17 mpg is much better than 13 - 15 mpg. I have also been working on getting the air out of the fuel system and have notice better performance by doing some of the fuel system mods. I eventually want to do the regulator mod to allow the fuel to flow through the heads instead of dead heading.

I have read where some people are wanting to make up to 500 rwhp with a stock engine and my opinion is that would put the stock engine too much.

Thanks for you responses, I have posted a url to this forum on the other web site so those that are interested in this information can see it.

Steven Hogeweide
2000 F350 XLT PSD 4X4, 6spd, ESOF, 4.10ls, Super Cab Dually, Tow Pkg, Camper Pkg, Off Road pkg, Western Diesel Power Chip, AutoMeter EGT and Boost gauges.

 

Our reliability guys got an engine back that had the propane injection fittings still in it that had one broken rod and seven bent rods but I never saw this engine when it was apart so I don't know if it had forged or powdered rods in it. I don't know what the engineering parameters for these rods are but judging by the damage I've seen done to engines that have failed (for what ever reason), I don't think there is much difference in strength between one or the other. (Just my opinion.)

 

Hello Joe, I usually do not post on many powerstroke sites but I see this is an interesting discussion. I really like the Powerstroke motor and have done some slight work to one. How much power I make I do not know right now. I was wondering, my date on my motor is Nov 2000 cause I bought a 2001. If my motor does have the powdered metal rods, well, lets just say I have gotten to 1500 EGT's. I do not use a propane injection system cause it is dangerous when running to much power. My boost is not very high compared to some of the others I have seen. But the 1500 EGT's are with a 4 inch down pipe and a bigger exhaust housing. I am just saying, if I do have those rods, they can take alot of power. Some of my mods include bigger injectors, different compressor wheel, larger exhaust, custom chip, and the other usual stuff along with some other small power adders. I due intend to run some more stuff in the very near future. I have noticed one thing since working on the motor, its a happy motor as long as you keep feeding it fuel at the right time. You just have to know when to add more air and more fuel. The fuel is the key and I believe that the motor can handle a large amount of power. I might also add that I do run this truck against many smaller higher performance cars and I do hand them an *** beating. If you can add any information on this then it would be greatly appreciated.

Rick