7.3 Powerstroke rebuild

[Tell_Sackett]

Making progress slowly. Been way too hot lately so we did short days at work the last couple days. Got it stripped to the long block. Cylinders walls look pretty good to me, but we'll see when everything is out and gets measured. Pretty good crosshatching pattern on the cylinder walls. Only thing that concerns me at all is a little surface rust on a couple cylinders.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Block is completely stripped, just have to get the valves out of the heads and extract a stuck oil galley plug and exhaust manifold bolt, then figure out how I'm going to get it 2 hours away to the machine shop. Started getting some parts ordered. So far I decided on just rebuilding the stock turbo with the riffraff wheel, new water pump, reseal kit for the fuel bowl and injector cups. I have to talk to the machine shop and hopefully they can press the cups in for me. Otherwise I have a buddy who has the tools. Only thing that's really concerning me right now is a little surface rust on the cylinder walls. Not sure what that is from. I'll try to get some pictures up later today.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Well I'm making some progress. A lot slower than I hoped but about what I figured being realistic. Picked up a bore guage and trying to get some accurate measurements so I can decide if it's going a couple hours away to a shop for boring or if I can drop it at my local shop that can hot tank and hone. Right now it's looking like it's getting bored. Been busy cleaning all the caked on grease off of everything and painting what needs paint.

So far I have the turbo rebuild kit and a riffraff wheel, fuel bowl rebuild kit and a bunch of other odds and ends. I thought the book I ordered had specs on the block but it just says bring it to a machine shop so I'm trying to find the specs online without much luck. Put in an order for a factory service manual CD that should have what I need. Hopefully I'll get it to one of the shops this week and I can start cleaning up the truck and getting it ready to go back in.

I was going to paint the exhaust manifold with some black vht rattle can, but the more I think about it I think I'll call around Monday and see what it would cost to get them and the turbo collector and exhaust housing ceramic coated.

 

[bdkw1]

Ceramic coating is a good idea. Anything you do to keep the heat in makes your AC work that much better. Turbo blanket and downpipe wrap helped immensely on mine.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

I did the exhaust wrap on the downpipe when I put the aftermarket 3.5" in. It rubbed on the firewall though and made a mess. I'll pound the firewall out a little more before the engine goes back in and redo it. Up pipes are already ceramic coated bellowed ones from riffraff. Anyone have any thoughts on some sort of heat shield I can do on the firewall and maybe under the truck for sound/heat? I'd like to make the truck a little more enjoyable to drive. Hard to hold a conversation in the thing as it is.

 

[Levigarrett76]

Im a little late i was going to highly reccomend this

KC Balanced Assembly DIY Turbo Kit - 7.3 Powerstroke (1994-2003)

Upgrade your stock 7.3 truck turbo with the KC Balanced Assembly. This DIY kit features an upgraded 360 bearing, billet compressor wheel, and SXE turbine wheel design. Enjoy quicker spool up, increased air flow, and lower EGTS. The component is balanced, eliminating turbo surge. Note that the...

kcturbos.com

But since you've already got the rebuild and im assuming a 4/4 wheel you can still sweeten it up nice with this.

KC S300 Turbine Wheel (KC300x Style) - 7.3 Powerstroke (1994-2003)

The KC S300 Turbine Wheel is a turbo upgrade designed to provide quicker spool up, lower EGTS, and better response. It features larger blades, which allow it to capture more air and increase efficiency. The wheel is 100% drop-in ready and component balanced. However, it is important to note that...

kcturbos.com

Get rid of the swamps tunes when you can, they run hot . I had the same tunes and injectors in a 97

 

[bdkw1]

This shit on the firewall.

Design Engineering DEI 10393 DEI Reflect-A-GOLD Heat Barriers | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - DEI Reflect-A-GOLD Heat Barriers with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Heat Barrier and Sound Deadening Mats at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Then rip the interior out and put a layer of this on everything.

Amazon.com

Then follow up with a layer of this on the doors and walls. I did the floor too but it was kind of thick and a pain to get the carpet back in right.

Amazon.com

I would go with thinner stuff on the floor if I did it again. Still need to do the roof, but it has made such an improvement it's not even funny. Even closing the door it sounds like a different truck.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

That first one for the firewall is actually what I had been looking at. I'll probably order that and do the interior lining later. Trying to make her a little more comfortable to drive

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Update, forgot to snap pictures, but block crank and heads are loaded in the back of my buddies Volvo station wagon for the 2 hour trip to the machine shop tomorrow. Tires are bulging and it's almost on the bump stops, but it should work.... He said he's going to double check tire pressure in the morning

 

[DT75FLH]

Nice

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Apparently I really suck at build threads and taking pics, but I'll try an update and snap some pics tomorrow. Heard back from the machine shop last Friday. Everything has been hot tanked and magna fluxed and looks good. Said it needs a .020 overbore, polish the crank, resize the rods and a bunch of head work. Ended up a little more than I expected but it is what it is at this point. Should get the parts back next week I'm hoping. Meanwhile I've been working on continuing to clean paint and rebuilding all the covers and small parts. Really need to spend a day getting the frame and everything cleaned up while everything is out. Trying to balance getting everything done right without shortcuts, it getting more expensive than I thought every day and being stressed about not having a truck especially with fire season building up worse and worse as the year goes on.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Lacking on pictures as usual. Got the block back on Tues. Spent a bit after work getting her painted and got the crank installed today. Never done this before but fuck Plasti gauge. Got two bearings checked and dropped the rest in a big grease spot on the floor of the shop. Headed to town and got stuck running into my boss at the parts store... Finished up and they all checked out between .0035 and .004. upper end of in spec but ok. End play is set at .003, nice and tight. All I got done before the kid decided he needed to "help" by trying to drop random things in the block and had to walk away.

 

[Tell_Sackett]

Lacking on pictures as usual. Got the block back on Tues. Spent a bit after work getting her painted and got the crank installed today. Never done this before but fuck Plasti gauge. Got two bearings checked and dropped the rest in a big grease spot on the floor of the shop. Headed to town and got stuck running into my boss at the parts store... Finished up and they all checked out between .0035 and .004. upper end of in spec but ok. End play is set at .003, nice and tight. All I got done before the kid decided he needed to "help" by trying to drop random things in the block and had to walk away.

Oh, also while cleaning up the oil pan for paint, I discovered a 4" weld right next to the rear of the engine a half inch off the sealing surface covered in rtv. Think I may have found yet another leak I was looking for. New pan and dipstick adapter on the way since the adapter was warped, probably from over tightening. Judging by everything I w found over the years the previous owner was one hell of a duck tape and bubblegum hack mechanic.