GregH

Don't forget the 8mm bolt holding the dipstick to the upper oil pan...

I haven't heard about the pilot course, yet. Does anyone have more info about it?

Since you can make it smoke by brake torquing it, how about doing it in the stall or in the parking lot? Have someone else behind the wheel and you stand by the tailpipe and verify that it is coolant - and not unburned fuel...

Well, the vehicle ran perfectly the other morning. We decided another round trip to the house was in order, so last night I drove it again. Took it back to work this morning, and had issues the whole way. I couldn't get more than 3/4 throttle on the road before the transmission started to jerk. Once I got to work, torquing the engine up in the stall saw the same result - the powertrain would jump so much I thought it was going to hop out of the engine compartment and take off down the street... Data - GEAR_RAT showed commanded first gear. TRANS_RAT showed the transmission holding first gear until the jumping occurs. Then TRANS_RAT is all over the place. TSS and OSS jump - TSS in time with the jerking, and OSS would spike a little here and there. Then the wrench light comes on, TPMS light comes on, and the instrument cluster starts showing a speed - varied with engine RPM, but went from 5mph to 30mph. Place the gear selector in all the other ranges, and the speedometer still reads a speed. Switch over to other modules looking at VSS. PCM shows 0, ABS wheel speed PIDS are all 0, ACM and IC VSS PIDS show what the speedometer is reading. Codes in the PCM were P0720, P0722. Codes in other modules were for loss of communication with PCM and IC. Clear codes, disconnect battery, let it all reset again. Tried it after an hour, and I got the same behavior - jumping under load, TRANS_RAT and TSS spiking in time with the jump. Speedometer showing 20-30mph. We went on to load test powers and grounds to PCM - no problems found. We ran out of time before we could start disconencting the alternator and swapping coils in pursuit of a possible RF problem... Add to that pile a 6.0L in an E-series transit bus - got the engine out early last week to fix a compression issue. Told the service manager that we need the adapters for the engine stand to mount up the motor. Guess what? Snap-on man screwed us - he couldn't get them after giving us the runaround for a few days. Ordered them from online somewhere, and they came in this morning. They don't fit our engine stand! Send the adapters and a mating part of the stand to the local machine shop for modifications - they call back a few hours later and tell us they can't do it! So I call the local machine shop in the town I live in - no problems getting it done here. So I boxed 'em up and brought them home with me. Hopefully it won't take too long. We're already over a week past the original promised date, and they are a little antsy... Ahh, beer...

The TSB was applicable up to 2004. If the VIN was for an '05 or later, it wouldn't show up in OASIS. The kit is nice. Both connectors with pigtails, barrel crimps and heat shrink in one box. Just put one on an '06 bucket truck Friday. I used the AMP crimper in the Motorcraft wire splice kit, and carefully used my big wire crimper for the two large wires.

Not really 7.3L related, but I couldn't help but think about this bit of absurdity while I was writing the above - http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a2505951ea6dcca011eb6fddf7201e1 The reference to the element mercury had me rolling... It's at the end of the clip...

Well, I can't tell you the specifics of when certain engines made the change from one type of connecting rod to another - but I can define some of the terms... Iron is just that - the element Fe, number 26 on the periodic table. It is a flexible solid at room temperature, and is still referred to as iron if the level of impurity is below a certain amount. Steel is a generic term meaning an alloy of iron. Common alloys include the addition of carbon, vanadium, chromium and others. Alloying iron makes the material stronger. It's easiest to think of it this way - solid iron forms it's atoms into a lattice structure, basically cubes all stacked up nice an evenly. Left like this, the material can be deformed easily by sliding these cubes out of their nice, even alignment - much like a stack of child's blocks. These impurities that are added act like pins to hold the lattice stricture together, making it much harder to deform. Both steel and iron can be cast and forged. Casting is a method of creating the basic shape of a part by pouring melted metal into a mold and allowing it to cool. The mold is removed, and the part can be sent on to later production steps to finalize it's shape. The mold can be of a reusable type or non-reusable type. Most parts we are familiar with are cast in sand. One method goes like this: A plastic or wax form in the shape of the final cast is coated in a glue and dipped into sand. The sand covered form is then recoated with glue and dipped again until the layer of sand is built up. The glue is then cured, the sand mold then heated to melt out the form, and the empty sand mold is filled with molten metal and allowed to cool. Then the assembly is shaken to break up the sand, and the finished cast is sent on for more machining. An allowance for shrinkage is calculated when making the original wax or plastic form. Forging is when a part is formed without raising it's temperature above it's melting point. One variation is when a slug of metal is stamped in dies to progrssively shape a part into a rough outline. The shape after forging is not final, but closer than casting. Furthur production steps are required to finalize the part's shape. Powdered metallurgy is similar to forging. Instead of starting with a slug of metal, a quantity of powdered metal is used. This is placed in a mold, and the powder is compressed into it's final shape. The mold is then placed into a sintering furnace, and the powder self welds into a solid piece. The temperature at which the piece is sintered is below the metal's melting point, so the distribution and size of the grains in the metal are not disturbed. Once out of the sintering furnace, very little machining is necessary to finish the piece. Final productiuon steps are required for all these methods. In casting, the shape of the mold can't be very complicated because the pour cannot fill complicated nooks and crannies. In forging, more detail can be put to the piece - but not every detail. Working with powdered metal can return a very detailed piece, and only a few final production steps are typically required - in the case of a connecting rod, only the machining of the journals and cracking the rods are necessary. Each of the three methods have thier costs and benefits. Each method works better with some alloys than others. Each method has a different effect on the grain structure of the metal. Each method has it's own variations, too. Powedered metal is becoming much more common - mostly due to cost. Of the three methods, this one has the least waste material, fewer post-forming steps (and therefore cost), better (and easier) control of final grain structure, and the end results are more reproducable. Hope this gives a little background...

The line pressures haven't been checked with a manual gauge yet. The worm trails were checked for flat, and there were no blown gaskets... On consensus from us four techs, the tech working the car disconnected the battery and allowed everything to reset. When he drove the car again, all the problems were gone. Right now, the car is sitting in my driveway, 60 miles from work. Last night, the car performed beautifully both on the highway and in town. Even the slow stop and go traffic that was trying to get around the local high school's homecoming parade. We'll see how it does this morning when I go back to work. You know, we've been here before with other modules. I can't count how many radios in F-150's failed to come on with the key on. after testing, and finding that the accessory delay relay is not energized, removing power from the IC briefly has fixed it. I've replaced a handful of clusters for this concern, and so far they have remained fixed... Some of the trucks that declined repair have needed the IC rebooted again when the problem reoccurs. We had an APIM that wouldn't supply 5V to the USB port. No communication with the APIM. Checked power and ground, ok. Cycle poer to the APIM, and everything goes back to working. And just yesterday, I read an SSM on a PDI for an Escape. It said that letting a trnsit, focus, escape, and others sit for more than 50 days without cranking the engine will result in a no crank, PATS lamp flashing, and no communication with the PCM. The fix? Remove the KAPWR fuse to the PCM for a moment to allow the PCM to reset. The cause? The internal key off timer has exceeded it's maximum count - locking up the PCM. There is software running all the time on all of these modules. As an amateur hardware and software designer, even I realize there are limits to what we can expect these designs to do. Software cannot run nonstop indefinately without encountering an error. Take your windows PC - how often do you reboot it? Even my cellphone - I have to cycle it's power once every two weeks or it will not play it's ringtone during an incoming call (the .mp3 file is corrupt before a reboot, and amazingly uncorrupts upon a reboot) Yeah, so on this Milan, I'm going to recommend a PCM... And hope that the new one is less glitchy...

Even if these vans do ont have PATS, the PCM and IC have to handshake when the truck is turned on. If the codes between the two match, the PCM allows the engine to start. No chipped keys or transponders, of course... The hadshake sequence happpens fast. But if the IC or PCM is a little slow in waking up, then the handshake can miss it's target, and the PCM will store a P1260 and flash the theft light. It is usually caused by a battery issue. Bad ground, like Mutter said, or weak batteries causing a PCM or IC reset during starting. The problem is aggrevated by the long battery cables on the e-series... Make sure your starting voltages at the PCM and IC are where they need to be... As for the P0606, I would suggest yoyu clear it, and replace the PCM if it comes back...

I'm coming in on the tail end of this repair - one of my coworkers who is a very talented tranny guy has one that bit him in the ass.. '10 milan, low miles. Transmission shudders hard - and I mean really hard - when torquing the engine up in the stall in reverse and drive. No codes. TSS signal jumps from 0rpm to 130rpm or so in a staccato fashion. This occurs when we hold the engine RPM between 1000 and 1500rpm. The whole engine jumps around in the engine compartment, and the exhaust bangs against the underside of the vehicle. Fluid is burned black. Remove, teardown and inspect - no metal, no worn clutches. Replace low/reverse components, torque convertor, and solenoid bdy. Set the correct calibration according to the number etched on the solenoid body. Reassemble, install and retest - problem solved. Return to customer, he has it 25 miles, and the problem happens again. Back into the shop, and the condition is identical. Here is where I enter into the picture. Scan for codes - gear 3 and 5 incorrect ratio, and SSB performance. Torque it up again, and TSS and OSS both jump when the transmission shudders. At one point, the OSS read 160rpm - vehicle was in the stall the whole time... We decide to take it out onto the road - gently, of course. While driving down the highway under low load, the PCM started to command random gears - even commanded first gear several times - VSS was holding steady at 60mph at the time... Thank goodness for the one way clutch in the torque convertor! Ok, so taking the performance of the transmission out on the road - specifically the commanded first gear at highway speed - I am thinking that the PCM is failing. It doesn't explain the shuddering in the stall when torquing, but if the PCM is freaking out it could be cauing this behavior... This behavior is similar to a torqueshift in a gasser I had a while back. Broken components in low/reverse, rebuild tranny, retest and once it was hot it started commanding first at highway speed. Made the rear tires skid and I almost swapped ends - PCM was causing it. The message boards on Ford are full of this type of complaint.. Some seem to have been repaired by replacing the transmission. But most have had more than one... I haven't seen anyone fix this with a PCM... Anyone else been here?

Glad to be of service. You guys have screwed my head on straight more times than I can count, so it is nice to return the favor...

Yes.. We are seeing a lot of E-series ball joints.. Unfortunately, we are seeing a lot of other failures, too. And by "we," I mean "I." I'm the only one here that works 'em I present to you, my mortgage payments for the next two years: I currently have two of these beasts in the shop. One has a blown oil cooler, and mashed potatoes in the cooling system. Mind you, not the buttery, peppery, tasty kind - the smelly, gray, can't clean it outa the radiator for shit kind. The other one has a problem on #3 - loss of compression and "putt putt putt" through the intake. I've already put ball joints on every one of them, head gaskets on one, and an EGR cooler on another. I've also had a few EGR valves and a #3 injector electrical concern that went away on it's own.... All this within the last year. Ahh I love me some 6.0L warranty...

Well, it looks like the signal starts at the ABS sensors. From there it is hardwired to the ABS module. Since you get wacky performance whether your speed signals originate from the front sensors or the rear sensor, I would guess for now that the speed sensors and associated wiring are not the root cause. The ABS module then makes a VSS signal that is broadcast on a dedicated line. This line goes to the PCM, 4WD, radio and windshield wiper motor. It appears that from your screenshot in your first post, the VSS signal is erratic. Is this from the PCM? If so, than this is merely the interpretation of the VSS signal from the ABS module as understood by the PCM. A couple of suggestions. Access the VSS line from the ABS module. This can be done at any number of places, but I would suggest the radio, since it is inside the vehicle. Measure it with an oscilloscope, and you should see a nice square wave. The frequency is proportional to vehicle speed. If the signal looks crappy, then I would try disconnecting the non-essential modules - windshield wiper motor and 4WD. If the wave gets better, then you may have found the problem. Now, if the wave still looks crappy - backprobe right at the ABS module and compare. Then disconnect the VSS line from the ABS module, and probe the ABS module alone. If you've got a good signal all around, then it may be time to consider the PCM. The PCM takes the VSS signal and converts it to be broadcast on the CAN. The instrument cluster picks it up off the network and does it's thing. It is possible to read the messages on the network, and do it in real time, but not with the tools we've got. However, since the cluster has been replaced, we can guess that the cluster is interpreting the messages on the CAN properly. If there aren't any other issues with network communication while the problem is occuring, then the network integrity is probably ok. That would leave the PCM as a prime suspect...

You can also install a resistor between two legs of the ICP sensor to make it bias low. 5KOhms is enough to lower the reading, but not skew it enough to cause a code. At a given throttle amount, the IPR drives the high pressure system to a certain pressure. That pressure is read from the ICP sensor. If the ICP sensor reports a lower pressure than actual, then the IPR will be driven higher to compensate. More ICP, more power... One account I read about this emphasised how easy it was to remove if the truck had to go to the shop for warranty work. Nothing to unprogram, and no tools required. Simply open the hood, and snatch the resistor out of the back of the ICP connector - and no evidence is left behind. The same site detailed the same operation on a 6.0 - using a 10KOhm resistor. There was also talk of a variable resistor setup to go from 10KOhms down to 1KOhm while driving. Values lower than 5KOhms would make for an unacceptable idle, but can be tolerated under load...

We lost ours a year ago. We also lost that third week of vacation at the 10 year mark - now we top out at two weeks after 3 years....

"So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time." Sorry, Jim. Couldn't resist.

Does it buck and jerk at a certain RPM? Will it do it in neutral in the stall? How about unplugging the fan and the alternator? I had one that kicked me too - had to scope the lines between the FICM and the PCM and finally found the PCM making the square wave CMPO too long at times. The FICM didn't know what to do with that signal so FICMSYNC turned to No and the engine started to jump around in the engine compartment... There is a thread on here about it....

Well... A few things have happened since I last posted. It was last Friday when the customer brought us the truck, late in the day, and I told him that we wouldn't really do anything to it beyond make our recordings in what little of the day was left. I recommended that he take it on his planned trip to Picayune (some 250 miles away) and bring it back Monday. So, Saturday sees the end of the rain. Temperatures start to even out, and Saturday night was beautiful. As a side note, I purchased a telescope two weeks ago - a sho-nuff Meade computerized "see 'till the beginning of time" telescope, and it has been sickening me to see it in the dining room, all set up, calibrated, and ready to go. Saturday was it's "first light" and that is a whole story unto itself! www.cloudynights.com Sunday dawned bright and clear, and it has been crisp, semi-fall weather ever since. Monday morning, my favorite truck pulls up... The owner said it messed up over the weekend a little, but not as much. Over the past few days, I have driven it through 6 drive cycles of 10 miles each, and never got the first misfire out of it. In fact, the truck is sitting in my driveway right now, 60 miles away from work, and it didn't miss a lick the whole way home... No codes, calibration is up to date, fuel looks and smells right, and maintenance is up to date. It messed up during our forty days of rain, but once it stopped the truck runs right? WTF? The only thing I have seen that could possibly be related to operating the truck in the rain is an accumulation of water in the CAC - but even that was only about a tablespoon.... I'd buy an injector issue. In fact, I would love to find an injector issue - or any definate problem for that matter. But I would think that an injector electrical concern would set a code. An injector mechanical issue might not set a code - it misfires for such a short period of time that it doesn't set a contribution code. But, which one? #2 dropped out first, followed by #8 and then #6 and #4 together. But that is off of just one recording.... Egads..

After I drive this customer's truck about 10 miles at 60mph, bring the vehicle to a stop, then roll the throttle to the floor, the enigne misses it's ass off. Cylinder #2 starts the show, with about 4 misfires. Then #8 gets into the act, and before 2 and 8 go back to hitting, 4 and 6 also drop out for a few crank rounds. Vehilce rolls blue/white smoke when this happens. If the road speed is above 70, then the engine will never misfire. If it is less than about 45, it also acts fine. It's only at that sweet spot of about 60, and it has to be sustained for at least 7 or 8 miles. Maintenance records are up to date. Fluid levels are optimum. No history of other repairs, and the calibration is up to date. No codes stored in memory, and no programmer used. Fuel quality probaby isn't an issue, since this concern has been going on for several tanks of fuel from different locations. I did crack the connection between the horizontal and vertical EGR coolers and looked for coolant - it's dry in there. When I removed the lower CAC tube connection, about a tablespoon of water came out. But we have been having nonstop rain for the past two and a half weeks here, so I'm not too worried about that small amount of water. Anyone have an idea? I'm stumped...

My sister bought this car brand new under the d-plan a while back and absolutely loves it... But, she's complained a couple of times about an excessively high idle. About once a month the idle will be high enough that she'll have to stand on the brake to hold the vehicle stopped. Most times she'll shift it into park, shut it off, restart, and then it's fine for another month or so. When she shifts into park, the idle speed will rise to between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM. I've had her tap the throttle, verify that the floor mats aren't interfering with pedal travel, and take it to the local dealer for diagnosis. The other dealer did not find anything wrong - no codes and could not duplicate. They did not have a VDR to install on her car. She lives 5 hours away from me, otherwise I'd be looking at it myself. The problem ususally happens after a highway drive of at least 20 miles. It has happened in all weather conditions... I've told her that I've seen throttle bodies mess up and cause this kind of thing. Not as bad nor as intermittant as hers, but the symptoms are similar. What do you guys think?

Fixed it.... #6 injector was leaking fuel into the crankcase. The big nut around the injector body just below the fuel line fitting was where fuel would slowly bubble out of it. One injector and repair the consequential damage, and away it goes...

Thanks.. That was a lot of good information, along with some pretty pictures.. Exactly what is compacted graphite iron?

ohhh, larry... that was horrible...

Quick update - got it stripped a while back, and got pulled off to do other things. The engine is just about back together - almost time to smell smoke... #2 piston was melted. #2 and #8 inboard exhaust valves had holes in them large enough to drop green peas into. Not the big, fat green peas, mind you - just the small baby peas. Although I guess any hole in a valve is too much of a hole. The glow plugs on #2 and #8 were eroded away, too... I got about 2 quarts of oil out of the CAC, and about 25 quarts out of the oil pan. One piston and one cylinder head should fix 'er up.. Management stated that this is the last warranty repair if there is a P0297 in memory. 'course that's what they said last time... Ahhh, beer...

I would expect that you could add air to the cylinder to reinstall the keepers... The real question is what caused the bridges to fall off. If the tech is absolutely certain they were installed properly, then the valves most likely stuck and have been struck by the pistons and bent... Off with it's head. Again.