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If the engine is a old 7.3 IDI just replace it with a rebuilt engine if the rest of the truck is in good shape because your looking at 4 grand minimum. Usually when the engine is worn out the truck is worn out when it comes to diesel trucks. You may find a used engine but who knows what kind of shape it will be in or how much life you will get out of it.
thank you. the rest of the truck IS is good shape and i would like to keep it. 4 grand is the best i found on the net at useddieselengines.com (of all things). thanks for you response.
I'm curious about your 7.3.
What makes you think it needs a rebuild? You might just need a new fuel injecort/pump/'O' ring set.
It's rare for those 7.3's to need valves and rings. If you havent been changing oil regularly you might need a crank and cam though.
If your block is not perferated, it's rebuildable at almost any level of expertise.
I'm guessing, but about $1500 in parts should get you back in good shape again if you block is good.
So now what are you going to do?
right now it over at a friends house waiting to be looked at. with the initial input of needing $5500-6000 worth of work done on it, i sought out a second opinion.
this is what i know about it as of this last weekend as i was over there helping. it starts, blows white smoke (non burned fuel, i assume), has an incredibly loud noice coming from the drivers side block, lacks power, oil does not smell burned, water pump is free to move, need a new idler pully, injectors are fine, and that is about all i know.
if i need new lifters, i dont think i have to replace the cam, do i?
i am patiently allowing my friend to diagnose the problem(s), and then going from there.
Some of my friends that worked on the 6.9/7.3 diesels have a lot of bad news for you about the valve train.
The pushrods hammer down a little, Exhaust valves hammer over, the Roller Rockers twist or go flat, and the Cam will flatten out and lifters collapse.
All that is replacable for a lot less than you think though.
The white smoke may be water/steam. BLack smoke is unburned fuel.
That may mean your block has the terminal pin holes. If you have an early 7.3 it can happen.
In that case, you have to replace the block. No point in monkeying around with the rest of the problem.
You have to pressure check that block first of all. If you have the perferations, you have only one choice. Replace the engine.
Skinner, did your guy do the simple things? Cracking the fuel line at the injector to see which one is not firing? Or is they are all weak (ugh)
Does it start good when cold? If not, you might be missing the tip of one or more gloplugs.
Those tips come off and mess up the valves and tops of the piston.
You can make a Compression guage with some ordinary piping, hoses and an Air pressure guage from a scrap dealer.
It must be able to read up around 500-700 lbs of pressure.
Taking the compression readings is an involved process with a diesel.
On your engine, you have to remove all the fuel supply lines from the back of the pump and from the injectors and take them all out as a unit.
You need an 'O' Ring kit before you replace all that.
Now you can remove the injectors and take a look at the nozzles. You really need to have the nozzles checked on a machine though.
All that kinda monkeying around takes time. Be patient. You'll like your engine when it's up and running againn.