PERSONAL 6.0L FIASCOES

[Brad Clayton]

I had a '03 come in backfiring thru the intake. No problem get out the WDS power balance says #7 bad. Pull right valve cover and all rockers and pushrods look ok, uhm. Run relative compression #7 down 12%. Pull fender liner trim a/c box and pull glow plug, compression 420 psi. What the heck?

 

WDS lied to me, pulled left valve cover and #8 exhaust rocker was shattered completely in half and push rod looked like a boomerang.

 

I work in a very small shop (converted Subaru dealer yea) so the truck has to go out while waiting for parts. On the way out the truck goes quiet still skips but no more popping noise. Thought about it for a minute but it was 1 o clock on a Saturday so I left for the day.

 

Parts come in, cab came off, both cylinder heads off, then I found the reason for no more noise. The #8 intake rocker split also. Well now the truck is in a million pieces and I only have one bay and parts have to be ordered. So I decided to put the truck together as far as I could, both heads back on (one new) intake, turbo, fuel system, harness, ect, up to the left valve cover. All head bolts and rockers were installed and torqued to initial 65 lbs ft. But I didn't want to torque out of sequence so I stopped until new rocker came in.

 

New rocker came in torqued all large headbolts then I read the last step in the process and I felt sick. I still had to tighten the 5 small bolts at the top of the head, which are now buried under the intake, turbo, fuel system and harness!!!!!!!!!!! One step forward and three back.

 

Well truck is done and I'm here to tell you it is the fastest 6.0l I have driven yet.

 

One last note the fuel gage was on empty when I started it and I was cussing the customer, until I realized I forgot to plug in the connector under the left rear of the cab.

[Jim Warman]

Oh,come now, Brad..... None of us here ever makes mistakes /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif

 

Y'see, I've never, ever had an oil pump pick up loosen off on me and for sure I haven't ever let my hoist down with a door open and my little step ladder in the wrong spot.

 

For the pick up tube.... it is possible to install these a wee bit cocked and they can feel tight enough for a major brain fart - these get torqued and double checked as part of the routine, now.

 

The door was simply a major lapse of consciousness - and it had to happen on the eve of starting my summer holiday.

 

Thank God the DP is an understanding guy... even though the door will set us back nearly a grand. It helps that I think in terms of shop profitability, I guess.

 

OK, I fessed up..... time to embarrass yourselves, guys... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/poke.gif

[Keith Browning]

Hmm, I do recall installing a new injector in the wrong cylinder because I was rushing the job so much and wasn't paying attention. I remember fixing the problem in even less time. Stupid is a good motivator! If you were around before we knew what was going on with the FICM harnesses I am sure you replaced everything on a truck or two too!

 

Other Fiasco tales:

 

 

Ever forget which way a one-way clutch was supposed to turn in a transmission? Yeah.... that must be it... what happened to 2nd gear? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smhair.gif

 

Ether is AMAZING stuff! When I was a younger, cockier Doc "just out of Med school" I ignored the warning sticker on the radiator support. Remember kids: just because six glow pugs don't work, one of the other two is likely to ignite the ether. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

The flames were intense! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rockon.gif

[snw blue by you]

Who, me?

Alright,I'll fess up.

'05 350. Long crank,hard start. Perform diag,low ICP. Air test shows leak at pump. Standard fare,no big deal.

Replace pump and connector as required,and attempt to start.

Nothing,nada,just more cranking,and zero ICP pressure

 

Recheck,huge air leak at the pump. Crap,now I gotta take it all back apart.

Needless to say as soon as the cover was off,I saw the problem.

 

Now,I can make excuses,like I was sick with the flu(which I was)and I was rushing in order to get the customer back in his truck(big rig roadside service truck)but the bottom line is, I screwed up!

 

Anybody?

 

Yea,I bolted the connector on upside down!

 

That'll never happen again! Doh!

[Joey Kaylor]

my first 6.0 that got major work: needed a high pressure pump, early build 03.

 

get the pump in, all back together, go to fill cooling system and hear coolant hitting the floor. realized it was coming from under intake, and after teardown found EGR nipple to intake smashed cause i installed it cocked.

 

good thing the truck had higher milage, cause i didnt feel bad about getting a new cooler for it since i have seen them go out before. i would rather do it now than later!

[GregH]

My gosh, where to begin...

 

Had my first fuel in oil 6.0 years ago. Took me 3 days to finally pull the oil dipstick and figure it out.

 

I went rounds with an intermittant "dies while driving" and "spin no start." After a FICM, FICM harness, engine harness overlay, engine harness replacement, FICM relay repin and replace, it turned out to be a loose fitting fuse under the dash.

 

I put pushrods in upside down on my first head gasket job. It's amazing how fast the cab comes back off...

 

I cracked a 4wd motor and contact plate during an 04b24.

 

I discovered that it takes exactly 4 minutes and 34 seconds to blow off the heater hose by the alterntor if you don't put the clamp on - just enough time to pull out onto the highway.

 

Dual batteries will power an f-250 for 89 miles before going dead if the nut on the right battery positive clamp isn't tight. Oh, and don't snug it up with your fingers on the side of the road - it's hot.

 

(this one wasn't me) Front companion flange bolts on the rear driveshaft can be installed from the wrong direction. It will cause a vibration and pound the hell out of the floorpan when it does come free at 45mph. "but it is easier to put your impact on them from that direction!"

 

Faulty map sensors can lead you to replace the turbo twice before you screw your head on straight and figure out the problem.

 

Well, I'm officially embarassed.

[Brad Clayton]

funny stuff there, cheered me right up after a hard day.

[Keith Browning]

This falls under the category of God-Dammit!!!! I replaced an EGR cooler last week and of course the turbo had to come off. This was one of the many that come in with the right turbo-to pedestal-bolts missing. Got the truck together and fired it up. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEET! Apparently the upper flex bellows on the y-pipe was cracked un be-known to me. With the turbo positioned properly the crack opened up and it now screeches loudly.

 

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banghead.gif DAMMIT! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smhair.gif

[eastendpowerstroke]

I've never replaced a badly chafed engine harness on a minibus with dual ALT, extra A/C compressor, heater hoses ,stupid wiring every were, can' get the dog house off without a sawzall because ,the a$$-clowns screwed the floor to close to it, grab handles in the way door handle in the way,radio, and anything else that makes you so angry ya just want to break stuff.......

TO GET IT ALL DONE AND IT WON'T START!!!!

Well after throwing stuff and kicking it till my foot hurt I checked this and that for a while untill I "screwed my head on straight" to find out I never plugged in the IPR. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

[Tony302600]

I've seen the black donut o-ring forgotten to be installed under the intake to front cover and coolant shoots out fast as hell.

 

Ive forgotten to torque an injector down and remembered after putting on the hot-side cac tube since the manager was talking to me.

 

Forgotten to take out the FICM relay on 2 trucks they came back with #1 injectors after a month.

 

Seen downtubes forgetten to be put in the HPP cover,

 

Forgot that trans's fill better when the dipstick tube is attached, but the fluid cleans the floor nice.

 

Blue EGR cooler hoses leak until u hear the click when putting them on.

 

And disconnecting and recconecting the battery when no radio, power windows, ( everything that runs through the instrument cluster ) is better then doing the pinpoint test trying to figure it out since it didnt do it before the repair.

[Tony302600]

Forgotten to take out the FICM relay on 2 trucks they came back with #1 injectors after a month.

 

 

errr while reprogramming that is

[Bruce Amacker]

Forgotten to take out the FICM relay on 2 trucks they came back with #1 injectors after a month' date=' error while reprogramming that is [/quote']

 

Hmmm.... I'm working on an '04 with the #1 injector harness melted to a glob from overamperage all the way from the FICM to the injector. I wonder if this could be related?

[Brad Clayton]

Ever had one of those days where you go around the block to get to a fix? Well I went way around the block yesterday to fix a hpop fitting to branch tube. Weird, I was staring the problem right in the face and kept convincing myself something else was wrong. You don't even want to know the time I ended up with.

 

It didn't help matters that I started out the day looking for my car keys that were already in my pocket. Then ended up the day looking for my car keys after my box was locked. This one wasn't my fault, turns out my buddy who has my spare key thought I left for the day and locked my box for me. I thought I was loosing my mind on this one.

 

Today was kind of continuation, I tripped over my kids bike (who never puts it in the way, yea right) and took some skin off my shin that I was fondly attached to, then My buddy with showed up an hour and half late with my spare key. Oh well TGIF eh?

 

Last but not least, I blew a heater hose on my Exploder on the way to the bank. At least my payroll check cleared. Whew!!!

[Scott B]

Was doing a Rear geartrain recall on A VT.Not a real big deal pull trans,flywheel.Remove the rear main seal carrier.Change cluster gear on crank and Install New Idler gear and new shaft in rear cover.So I get the cluster gear changed out put New shaft in rear cover and get pulled off Job to go out in the lot on a waiting customer that Needed a Alternator Put on His 379 Pete.So I tell a trainee all you have to do is Put the rear main seal carrier on the rear cover it has a New seal in it then Put the Flywheel on and Install trans.So My alternator Job turned out to last a couple hrs because of wiring issues.I come back in trainee making good progress has trans in all hooked up ready to start.Yeah right.I look on the bench and there is the Idler gear on top of the box that I forgot to put in for the PS/Fuel pump.So back out with the trans and the whole mess.He also should have noticed it But excited to get into to something he did exactly what I said.

[Keith Browning]

Scott, that is one of the humbling things about having junior technicians especially if they pay attention and follow your instructions. When WE forget something we learn just how sharp they are, or aren't. A good lesson for him, always look things over well before buttoning it up! We also learn from these instances to be a lot more careful. I am frequently reminded that because I am so busy that I sometimes forget what I say to somebody and who I say it to! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif

[Tony302600]

Other diesel tech did a HPOP fitting on a 05 5.0 E-van. Go to start it up.. Nothing, no icp, ipr at 84%. Shit....calls me over...LoL maybe u put the branch tube block upside down..."no way he said" come back 3 hours later, he pops the cover off....sure as shit was upside down. I had a injector connector on a 6.0 that would not stay on, when i did gas drivebillity, i did 3.8 upper inake gasket o-rings, bolts isoloters, clamshell for leans codes, get all done look on my took boc, theres 6 new orings in the package, 6 old ones next to them, gotta take it apary again... LoL, my best one was on a 94 7.3. No start, stalled while driving, no fuel at HPP, no fuel coming out of Low pressure pump, replace low pressur pump, nothing, rediag, get frustrated, leave it for 3 hours, come back...crank the shit outta it...nothing... while im cranking i see teh fuel gauge is WAY WAY past full. SOAB... hit tank from undeneath, sounds wicked empty drop tank, negative terminal is rusted off, remove pickup...no fuel.... SOAB... Lol

[Tony302600]

tool box* not tooc boc

[Brad Clayton]

This is not a 6.0l concern but Scott's story reminded me of the one and only time a helper saved my arse.

 

The vehicle was an '85 E150 with a 300 cid, classic. My helper was a shadow student from the high school. I was replacing stripped out timing gears and at the point of tightening the timing cover. To start the young fellow out on the right foot in his newly chosen career, I asked him to get me the torque specs. He had no idea what he was looking for so he starts rattling off torque specs. for whatever he sees, bearing caps, head bolts, and on. Then he says the words "fuel pump eccentric". I immediately look at the cowl panel and there it is where it shouldn't be. I then drift off into a day nightmare consisting of that frustrating feeling of a crank no start after having major internal engine components apart. Followed by every ear in the shop pointing my way like radar tracking a rogue jet, with snickers of "he couldn't fix a sandwich", knowing that I would have to tear back down and fix my mistake on my own time, while gravy jobs would be handed out like candy canes at a Christmas parade.

 

Anyway this terrible scenario never played out thanks to my shadow and his help, gave him a big ol great job buddy and he had not the slightest idea. Of course he was a total pain on every job afterwards though.

[GregH]

Reminds me of the extra 4.6/5.4 exciter ring we had lying arond the shop for a while.

 

We'd bring it out and lay it on the bench near where a tech is working the front end of one of these engines. We'd make sure it is visible just as the last few componenets went together.

 

It was amusing to see the look of dispair when the tech saw it lying there, as his gaze swivels to the engine that is almost fully reassembled. It would never last long, since we couldn't keep a straight face.

 

That all ended one day when we went to plant our exciter ring, and found that there was already one there. And the engine was just about ready to start....

[Tony302600]

That all ended one day when we went to plant our exciter ring, and found that there was already one there. And the engine was just about ready to start....

 

 

 

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif That is toooooooo funny. Only sceonario that happened like that would be major engine or trans work, car would be running and we would put new trans fluid or oil under the car and tech would come back and see the leak pissed off.

[Brad Clayton]

Looking thru some old stuff here......and I had a good one a couple of weeks ago. Went to an eighteen wheeler repair shop to do a egr/oil cooler combo on my day off. These guys look down there noses at light duty diesels and would rather farm them out. So I go out every once in a while and fix something and everybody is happy.

 

In the past I have always put the oil cooler in dry and just spun the starter over to prime it and the rails. But now I prime everything and fill it right to the gills. She starts on the second spin everytime.

 

I've only got one day to do this and their hours are 7:30 to 5:00 so I didn't have time to fool around and I'm working in a strange shop. Well it came down to starting it and I hooked up a battery charger (as I always do), and now all ears are pointed my way. I spin 'er for 30 seconds, wait.....spin 'er again and no voooroooommm. Uh, spin it again and again, break out the go go juice and I still don't even have oil pressure on the dash. Now I'm confused. Has this guy been driving around with a broken gage? And most importantly why want this truck start.

 

I ground the gage with a jumper wire and it still doesn't work. Then it all came clear, I forgot to plug in the two connectors of the engine harness on the left fender. Fired right up pronto after that. Oh well, made a lot of extra work for myself, but all is well and customer is tickeled pink to get dealer level service without giving up too much coin.

[BrunoWilimek]

Had a cube van come in on the hook one morning. No start. Owner just had major work done at another dealer and drove it home, parked it, then wouldn't start next day. It was winter and we had just had freezing rain, so the van was covered with a thick layer of ice which was slowly melting and pouring down on me at the driver's door. Needless to say, I tried to avoid this area of the van as much as possible, but I pulled codes and found low ICP. The batteries were dead from repeated cranking efforts of the owner in cold weather, so I hooked the charger up. Meanwhile I was able to find out that the other dealer had just replaced the STC fitting for a low ICP concern. I checked PIDS and it did have low ICP, so I air leak tested it and found a leaking dummy plug D-ring. I replaced that and still had low ICP. Meanwhile, truck had sat overnight with battery charger supposedly hooked up, but when I came in the next morning, one of the clamps had popped off(thanks a lot FOMOCO for putting the batteries underneath, on the frame), so I still couldn't crank it for more than a few seconds. I was finally able to get the batteries charged(after another day that the corroded terminals prevented the charger from working). I discovered no base oil pressure and after removing the pan and front cover, the cause was obvious. A piece of the old STC snap ring had been sucked up by the pickup and badly scored the pump and front cover. After replacing the damaged parts(and cursing IH for putting such a large mesh screen on the pickup tube)it started. I always check for base oil pressure at the guage first now, when I am diagnosing a low ICP concern but was glad to not have to pull the engine on that thing.