GregH

I've had great success with this strategy as well. In my stall right now is a 450, showing 3 faulty injectors. Did the reflash, and all three injectors came back to life. Still gotta open it up, though. #2 still drops out under spirited driving when fully warmed up... As for the TCM being flashed as well... maybe the original program said "hey, don't do nuthin'" and the updated program corrected the spelling....

AHAHAHA! Reminds me of the time I was putting a 2-speed motor on the rear end of a dump truck. I had little "friends" dropping onto me the whole time... Quickest job I'd ever done!! Don't worry - it's experiences like this that build character!

The way people operate their trucks around here, we only get them once they're trashed enough to be hydrolocked... All I've ever done is bar them over, or hit the starter a few times (if the hydrolock isn't too bad), until they will turn a few rev's without assistance. Fix the cause of the hydrolock, and take it on a good test drive to get the exhaust clear and the cylinders sealing again. No bent rods, damaged injectors, or anything else yet... Knock on wood...

It all comes down to batteries. Not in the literal sense, but in the sense of energy storage. Hydrogen, ethanol, fuel cells, gasoline, diesel, even winding up a rubber band - they are all forms of energy storage. What needs to be done is to find a method of energy storage that is loss-less, efficient, safe, and portable. Take hydrogen, for instance. There is currently one popular method for deriving hydrogen - electrolysising water. Takes massive amounts of electricity to make a significant amount of hydrogen. It's not a very efficient energy conversion (from electricity to hydrogen). Storing it is a nightmare. You have to pump it up to an exceptionally high pressure to get a high enough energy density to be convenient, ie. get enough mileage out of a tank of fuel, and take up about the same space. The conversion efficiency from hydrogen to heat (inside the engine) isn't very efficient either. So what is the benefit? Very safe byproducts coming out of the tailpipe. Nice, but not the best solution. Ethanol, methanol, and everything else we can derive from a renewable resources have their own set of compromises. High cost and low efficiency to turn corn, soybeans, or switchgrass into useable fuels. And tailpipe emissions that are more harmful than hydrogen byproducts. Diesel and gasoline are non-renewable. But we've gotten pretty good at converting raw crude into useable fuel. Of course, we're still fighting emissions... Batteries are nice. But they have a really low energy density. This means you'll need a lot of battery to go a short distance. No emissions from the tailpipe - nice again. But this is a form of "emissions transfer." You've gotta charge your batteries. Most people would do this from their houses. This means, the electric grid would need to provide you with your normal electrical demand, plus the demand for your car. More energy going to each household means more work for the energy plant. And that means more emissions, and higher consumption of whatever fuel the plant uses. Fuel cells are nice an efficient, but they are very delicate and pretty weak. The cost to manufacture them is pretty high as well. So, what are our sources of energy? We've got fossil fuels (diesel, gasoline, natural gas), renewable fuels (ethanol, methanol, vegetable oil), photovoltaic (solar cells), photothermic ("mirror farms" that focus light onto steam towers), nuclear, and hydroelectric. There are smaller, "fringe" sources such as using bouys riding waves while being anchored the ocean floor, geothermal which uses the temperature difference between air and the ground, wind, and a few others. There are even theoretical ones like harnesssing zero-point energy - which is energy that comes from quantum fluctuations (at least that's the easy explanation. it's pretty far out there). Just for trivia, can anyone guess what the only true source of energy is in the known universe? The fusion of hyrogen into helium in stars. Every single energy source we have either comes directly from sunlight (photovoltaic), indirectly from sunlight (wind, hydro, fossil, etc.), or from byproducts of star destruction (nuclear). What we (as a species) need to do is to find an environmentally friendly way to capture this energy, store it, convert it into useable forms, transfer it to the point of use, and then use it to do work in the most efficient means possible. Sounds easy, huh?

Oh, and as for diagnostics... I followed the TSB a few times. Every single time I had to go back in and do head gaskets. The last one (a few onths ago) I though it was fixed with an EGR cooler and an oil cooler. The owner came back in a week with the same problems. So I'm back to doing the whole thing. I do not follow the TSB procedure and replace the EGR cooler, then reassemble and retest. I go in once, put all the new parts to it (oil cooler based on ECT/EOT correlation) and come back out once. My customers and I don't have time to be dicking around with "patch" repairs and comebacks.

The lastest round of head gasket I had was a bitch. Three in a row. Pulled the cabs on all three, had all three done in three days.... A little less than one day on each, top to bottom and back out. Cab off on all three of them. Cabs come off in an hour. If I start at 8am, then I'm cleaning heads and deck by 10. The torque sequence is done by 11:30, and the first engine start is at 3. Bite to eat, final testing with two road tests, and I pack up at 5:30. Final road test is the next morning at 7, and the paperwork is done by 8. Three days of that, and my back was talking to me! Had to run time for a week on those tickets... Like someone else said, turn on some loud music, sack up, and do it. Been there enough to where I only have to go to the tool box once to load my roll cart. I'm 36, and have done more head gasket jobs than I can count.

Ahhh, the loss of innocence. After this experience, you will never be the same. Each one's first time is different, but they are all to be treasured. It is a deeply moving encounter between a man and a machine, full of doubt, uncertainty, furtive movements, and awakening emotions. Today, Tony, you will become a man... At least you're not drunk in the back of a station wagon with shag carpet and Air Supply playing on the radio...

Thanks to a previous poster, I found an MSDS... Good stuff... http://www.dhmo.org/msdsdhmo.html

I was taking a peek at the notebook full of material safety data sheets recently, and I noticed we didn't have one for dihydrogen monoxide. This had me a little concerned, since this chemical can be very hazardous in certain circumstances. In fact, the chemical is so hazardous that a town in Illinois banned the use of styrofoam cups at outdoor events - because it is used in the manufacture of styrofoam. Some of the other hazards are this - necrosis (dying) of skin tissue from prolonged exposure to the solid form of this chemical, aspirating small quanitites can cause death within a few minutes, and it is a major component of acid rain, of all things... In the automotive field, it is a major component of antifreeze, and is used in various other places on almost all vehicles. Make sure to take precautions against exposure to this (and all other) hazardous chemicals. The recent proliferation of glove use is a good defense. But a better one is to be ever vigilant of the dangers of the chemical exposure we recieve every day... Just be careful, guys...

We'll make a hole for you here, Keith. The new guy's gotta buy the next case of beer, though. Have it iced and ready to go by 5:30...

Stud, you gotta do what you gotta do to get the job out. 'specially on a new unit...

Sorry to hear of your loss... Interesting question - Why are skilled workers in this business finding it hard to make decent money... You know you're opening a can of worms here, right? Of course you do... First, what is "decent money?" Do you miss any meals? Do you miss any mortgage payments? Can you afford it when the kid needs new shoes and the wife needs perfume? Do you want to make more money than the "flusher" a few stalls down, since occasionally you have to actually use that 3lb. mass of gray matter in your head? Or, do you want to be able to afford that $500K house on the golf course, next to the doctors and lawyers? How much money do you want? And, more importantly, how much do you need? We can quantify a few things. Look at your tax records for the last few years. More than likely, you're staying about the same from year to year. A few ups, and a few downs. Problem is, the cost of things go up over time. A happy meal for my daughter is $3.50 now, used to be less than $3. Sucks, I know. I've got one brother and one sister. (you might recall a post I gave from the heart some time ago - "why bother") They make more money than I do. They both work in the air conditioning, 40 hours per week, with paid overtime and benefits out the wazoo. We all have the same schooling. My work is more demanding - physically, mentally, and financially. I work 10 hour days, 5 days a week. I've got tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools (my sister and brother dont' even have to bring a pen to work with them). Whine, whine, whine. I work hard and don't get rewarded for it. Fine, time to move on. But wait, this is the best paying business in my area. I can't make this kind of money anywhere else in town. So... I can't make as much as bro and sis. But I can't make more anywhere else. Maybe it's time to stop comparing myself to people categorically different? I don't miss any meals. I haven't missed any mortgage payments. The spouse has perfume and the offspring has new shoes. Maybe I'm doing alright... Hearty congratulations to anyone who leaves this field for more money. I respect their courage and wish them the best. As for me, maybe I don't need to watch the flusher two stalls down. Maybe I need to watch my own work, instead. Accurate, timely repairs. Honesty with customers, management and coworkers. A smile on my face at least once a day. Willingness to lend a hand to someone who needs it. These are the things I need to do. If I don't get rewarded for it, maybe I need to redefine the word "reward." Now don't get the wrong idea. I'm not rolling over. I've got my eye on a few things. There is more than one iron in the fire right now. Some of them are turning profitible, others are a bit immature still. I can't retire from this business - not unless I move from the diesel and transmission specialties (and since my employer is deficient in these areas, that move seems unlikely). My suggestion to you all, and take it however you wish (which means "I'm open to flame"), is to take a look at yourself. Trim the fat away. Concentrate on what is important. Plan for the future, knowing that your body will quite possibly wear out before retirement. What else can you do? Woodworking? Electronics? Computer repair? Work on neighbor's cars in the driveway? Learn a new skill that can be massaged into a career. Put a little back for the future (my plan - 10% to God, 10% for the future, 5% for me, and the other 75% for today's needs). And don't compare yourself to others...

If the system voltage drops below about 6 volts, then all the modules on the truck will no longer function properly. Anyone driven a vehicle with a bad alternator? Modules will shut down one at a time, usually instrument cluster first, until the PCM gives up and shuts off. The 8 volt spec is given so there is a little wiggle room for manufacturing tolerance from the electronic component makers and Visteon, as well as variation in test equipment. Solid state electronics need a stable voltage source to operate. Really stable. Atmel and Microchip (my favorite) processors (and Motorola, like Visteon uses) can only tolerate a variation of less than one half of one volt before unpredictable operation occurs. And, if you go higher than 6 volts then the processor is in danger of meltdown. Now, when I say processor, I'm talking about the actual microprocessor located within all the modules on the vehicle. But wait. The vehicle supplies (about) 12V, right? Ok, so the batteries supply 12V. But the modules will operate until about 6 volts. That a wide range. And way above what solid state electronics operate on. Here ya go: all the electronics inside each module operate on 5 volts generated by an internal voltage regulator. This regulator requires a voltage higher than it's output voltage to maintain it's rated voltage. For instance, a 5V regulator will continue to put out 5V as the input voltage (VPWR) varies from 14.4V (charging) to 6V (dead). (Side note: Earlier generations of PCM's used the same 5V internal power source for the processor and memory to supply VREF to all the outside sensors that need it. Since that time, Visteon changed the design so the internals are separated from the outside world. Kill VREF now, and you can still communicate with the PCM. Two voltage regulators are now used.) Voltage regulators are short circuit protected. They sense the abnormal current draw and automatically shut down until the short circuit is removed. By the same token, they are overcurrent protected - it's the same feature. Voltage and current are interelated. Voltage is simply "pressure." "This is what I can put out." Current is the actual "work." Use the old comparison of a water pipe: Current capability is akin to the diameter of the pipe. Voltage is the pressure of the water in the pipe. So, KAM (as well as module operation) requires 6 volts minimum. How many amps? Well, the measure for the memory itself is really, really small. In fact, there is more energy wasted within the processor (as heat) and on the way there than the memory actually needs to function. It's on the order of hundredths of a milliamp (.00001 A) at 5V. (Another side note: in the past, the microprocessor goes into sleep mode and consumes an absurdly low current also. These days, the microprocessor stays more awake and the current draw is slightly higher since it has various housekeeping and monitoring functions that we didn't have a few years ago.) Anyway, hope this clears up a few things. Does this generate any new questions?

When I got hired on at my current dealer, I was asked one question - "Can you work on diesels?" Ummm, yeah, I can do that. I cut my teeth on 6.0L. I can handle it. Sure enough, that's what I do here. Diesel. But, not just 6.0L. There is a fair percentage of 7.3L work as well. Ok, I think, it's just another diesel engine. The principles are the same, the application is a little different. Now don't get me wrong. I know my way around a 7.3L. I know the difference between a spill spout and a glow plug. I've done my share of UVC harnesses, cam sensors, high pressure pump fitting o-rings, and water pumps. But, I don't have the same intimate (carefully chosen word) knowledge of 7.3 that I do of 6.0. But I know where to find the information. WSM, PC/ED, OASIS, EVTM, and all the other acronyms that we, as techs, toss about like normal words. And I've got a lifeline - phone number of "the man" in my area. I don't know how to work on these things. I can do it, and I am learning, but I still do not know them. So when a comeback darkens my doorstep, management looks at me and wonders if they made a mistake in taking me on. I know about some sharp learning curves - been through it with the 6.0, and I'm going through it with the 6.4. But the 7.3L has been around for a while. Everyone, it seems, expects me to just "know it." I don't. At least, not yet. I can't just shit the repair out of thin air like I can with the 6.0. And it's frustrating. I see the others. They are taking in the jobs hand over fist. They are making a killing. While I struggle in the back, six manuals open on the radiator support, jabbering to the hotline, "taking too much time" with the IDS. reminds me of this from the charactarization of Antonio Salieri: "I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint. Mediocraties everywhere, I absove you...all." Anyway, enough whining. I've got a 7.3L with no parking brake, CEL, and a "brake fluid leak under the dash" to work on...

Ok, this may not be the best advice in the world, but here is what I did for the 4 or 5 recalls I had to do here. When you look at the torque sequence, and feel how the connections are fitting together at the various stopping points, it becomes clear what the intent of the torque sequence is. At the final stage, the male fitting is in it's final position in the injector and manifold fittings. The little acorn shape isn't supposed to shift anymore during this sequence. The last torque that is peformed ensures that the acorn is hard against the manifold and injector fittings, but is not yet crushed. The final 60 degree turn provides the required amount of acorn crush. I used a torque wrench on the first injector. I did not use a torque wrench on the remaining injectors. Mine passed the high pressure tests too, and as of Friday, none of them have come back in for injector or oil/fuel related concerns. Am I playing with fire? Yes. I am fully aware that I did not follow the proper procedure. Will it bite me? maybe. How big is the acceptable margin of error? Did Keith get any closer to the proper specification than I did? How close to specification is it when the truck leaves the factory? As a side note, I'm curently working a 6.4 with fuel in the oil. The field service engineer and I put oil dye into the fuel and ran several high pressure tests in a row with the valve covers off. We have yet to locate any dye. But, to verify that dye was getting to the injectors, we cracked the supply line for #2. With less than 1/4 turn, the fuel spray was pretty big. I tightened the line back up and we continued diagnoisis. The line continued to leak a small amount...

I've read a few threads recently on other sites about having to replace a large number of balljoints. We do our fir share here too, and I was reminded of an incident that happened on my last balljoint job. I'm hip deep into the repair, and another technician comes over to see. He was quite surprised to see the method I employed to remove the spindles on a F-super duty 4x4... Got me thinking - how does everyone else do this job?

Great suggestion! I installed the right size shoes, and put a new set of drums on it. Brakes were still poor. Fronts will lock during a panic stop, but rear ABS will only activate on wet pavement. And the pedal is almost to the floor before any of this happens. Re-bled the brakes - no air, as I suspected. Remove master cylinder and double check booster pushrod length - spot on. I've got a handful of fittings and some brake line. My next step was to block off sections of the brake system to localize the problem area. I'll look at the RABS accumulator piston travel first.

There is no sure fire way to tell. It is an accumulation of evidence. P0603, CLRDIST PID is exactly the distance from the owner's house to the dealership, "superchips" box behind the back seat, various stickers on the back glass, the words the owner uses while describing his/her vehicle, intake and exhaust modifications, a request to be informed prior to any reflashes, etc. It's like pieces of a puzzle. Sometimes, if I think a truck is chipped, but I don't have enough evidence, I'll just ask the owner outright. I do it in person, and stick the question inbetween benign questions. Watch their reaction, and you'll be able to tell if they are lying when they say no. One other thing - if it is important whether or not a truck is chipped, and the owner lies about it, and I find out later that they lied, they are screwed. I will nail them to the wall as hard as I can. On the other hand, if someone is honest with me about modifications, I'd be much more inclined to repair the vehicle under warranty - even if the modifications are in a gray area. Head gaskets on a chipped vehicle? And you told me about the program when you dropped the truck off? And you were pretty cool - not some jerk dissin' his POS truck? Ok, I'll fix it and not say anything. Besides, half the time when we don't honor the warranty based on modifications, and Ford gets involved, then we end up fixing it anyway. Then the dealer is seen as the jerk who tried to get the owner's warranty cancelled, and Ford looks like the good guy. I'd much rather look like the good guy than FMC.

Chuck and I are on a first name basis with each other after the last round with this very truck. He's a pretty sharp guy...

RABS only... Thanks for the specs. I'll put the new drums and shoes on this morning. I'll double check the pushrod if I still have trouble...

The field service engineer called me back with his recommendations. Regretfully they didn't involve a late evening trip to the dealership with a gas can and a match... International is sending a team (team?) to come and look at the truck a week from Monday. Egads! I thought it was annoying being the FSE's bitch. Now I'm going to have to take it from a team. True story - some years ago, before I started working here, this dealership used to sell chips and other hop up parts for diesels. There was a problem truck in the shop, and it had escalated to a visit from International. The international rep was there for an entire week. One day, a customer walks in, goes straight to the tech who was working with the rep, and asks him about installing a chip on his truck. A few hours later, another customer pulls the same thing. I think the final straw for the international guy was when another customer pulls up, 100 miles on their new truck, with a bed full of Banks stuff and tells the tech (from across the shop) "Al, I got da big kit from Banks. When can you put it on?"

Anyone know the maximum diameter of the rear brake drum on this SRW truck? Brakes are 12x3.0. I've got a low/soft pedal that sinks with constant pressure. Rear brakes are almost completely inefective. About 10 different shops have been into this one. 5 master cylinders were installed on the truck. I inspected it and found no contact patch on the rear shoes, poor surface on the drum, broken adjuster cables, and the right side adjuster was installed backwards. (How did these other shops miss the obvious rear brake problems??) I redid the rear brakes, had the drums machined, and installed new hardware. Then I used the power bleeder and got good flow from all bleeder screws. Drove the vehicle, and had no difference in brake performance. I pulled the drums off again, and found a small contact patch in the center of the shoes. Also discovered that the parts department gave me 12x2.5 instead of 12x3.0 shoes. My drum after machining (outsourced, of course) is 12 5/16" (real precise measurement - had to use a tape measure!). So, I'm thinking that the rear drums are out of spec - and probably were before turning. So, new drums and shoes are on the way. But I'm still concerned about the sinking brake pedal. This vehicle is equipped with RABS, and the owner stated he replaced it twice with a NAPA part. What do you guys think? Please withold unproductive comments on our comedy of errors, please... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/poke.gif Thanks...

The vehicle's owner traded it back to us, so it's our baby now. Nice because the only person breathing down my neck is the used car department - and we all know that the UCD can take a flying leap... Anyway, we've got it full time now - with very low pressure to get it done right away. The FSE and I crawled all over this thing yesterday with the valve covers off - never could find a leak. He went back to the office today to consult with International. We'll see what they say later today.

I've got one that I've been fighting since the truck had 2000 miles (it's at 11,000 now). This truck has been dropping about 2 quarts of fuel into the crankcase every 1,000 miles. So far, it's gotten a high pressure pump. Didn't change anything. Me and an engineer put dye into the fuel, and ran it at high pressure with the valve covers off - no dye appeared... Egads!

Nice job, man!