in chassis bed plate reseal

jaysonfordtech · February 8, 2008

So we have been hearing about guys doing bedplates in chassis. Have any of you guys tried this, and what do you think? I would be afraid of not getting the torque correct on the bedplate but that is just me.

Jeff_E · February 8, 2008

A while back someone was talking about this on fmcdealer, and sent his procedure to anyone who put down their email. Being curious, I gave him my email.

He sent me his procedure, and in my opinion it is a clusterf%$# that creates more potential problems, and ends up being a lower grade repair than something I would want to stand behind. It involved many of the same steps as an in chassis branch tube, with the addition of removing the front cover, and upper and lower oil pans, as well as the bedplate with the engine still in chassis and the cab on. The difficulty level and frustration caused by trying to work in these confined spaces and in awkward positions did not appeal to me at all. And didn't sound like the time savings would be worth it either.

I would much rather lift the cab, pull the motor, put it on a stand, flip it over and clean the bedplate and block surfaces thoroughly. I also like to apply a thin bead of the 7.3 silicone sealer along the inner edge of the new seals to make up for any imperfections in the machined surface - and have never had one come back leaking after doing so. The thing about silicone though is that the surfaces must be clean/dry/degreased prior to applying otherwise you will have adhesion problems. Unless the engine is upside down in an engine stand, there is no way to stop the oil residue from seeping into the sealing area when performing this repair. Also, you're right about the torquing process as well which would be much harder and less accurate in vehicle /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

Jim Warman · February 8, 2008

Not sure if I'd want to try it myself... when we start to limit our freedom of movement... things can go wrong... add the opportunity to introduce dirt in the process....

If we are quoting to do this retail... we should quote enough to make it worth our while to do it right the first time.... If we don't, we can always do it for free the second time...

If it is warranty pay.... One tech did injector cups without removing the head but quoted the "required" labour ops.... Warranty asked for the gaskets and bolts to be returned... No appropriate gaskets to be had.... The claim was rewritten to reflect the method used... and denied as not being the WSM approved technique....

If we come up with a shortcut that will receive "approval".. somewhere along the line, some Einstein will try to look like a hotshot and spill the beans... SLTs will be adjusted. Some shortcuts will never receive "approval"... and there are sure to be some that we wish had never received "approval". (You really want to see me trying to snap that little sleeve over the IPR to appreciate that comment).

Perhaps my narrow views on integrity and honesty are well considered.

Mekanik · February 8, 2008

I got that procedure too and after reading it, I chickened out and just pulled the body and engine like I have done in the past. I knew that if something went wrong, I would look like a total hack. This is kind if like in vehicle 7.3l oil pan replacement. Sure it could be done, but do you really want to do it that way? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

mchan68 · February 8, 2008

I got that procedure too and after reading it, I chickened out and just pulled the body and engine like I have done in the past. I knew that if something went wrong, I would look like a total hack. This is kind if like in vehicle 7.3l oil pan replacement. Sure it could be done, but do you really want to do it that way? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

I agree 100%. Especially when it is a retail repair. The only way to do a 7.3L oil pan PROPERLY is to r & r engine, and seal it with the engine sealing surface ABSOLUTELY CLEAN of any oil residue, and let cure overnight before reinstallation. So what if you have to quote higher hours for the repair, and Joe Meat Cutter down the street will do it for half? At least when it "comes back" it'll be HIS problem, not YOURS.