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.

The 6.0 liter has got to be the most finiky powertrains Ford has used in a while. Customer comes in with egr stopped up with soot, talk to the customer "sir are you letting idle?" yes, well you can't do that. Comes in with turbo frozen, or valve jammed sideways in head "sir are you letting sit around without driving it?" yes, well you can't do that either. Comes in with lousy fuel mileage "sir are you running the engine hard with your foot to the board?" well guess what you can't do that either. We will give you a set of specific instructions on how to drive your rig, now go home and study hard, and by the way enjoy your new truck.

The salt here is an automotive nitemare to say the least. We get about the same time for cash jobs but they are mostly town trucks with these gigantic plow frames in the way and hydralic hoses and belt driven pumps everywhere. I seem to agree with the majority here, sometimes a short cut just isn't worth it.

I have always pulled the engine, but I hear guys talk when I am at school about how easy it is in chassis. Just curious if they were right.

looking for information on other ways to replace the oil pan other than removing engine from f-series.