Keith Browning

I assumed this was well known by now. Yes, you can use your torch to carefully heat the heads of the body bolts then wait a few minutes for the heat to travel to the threaded end and soften the thread lock compound. Then break them loose and remove by hand. Here is the ARTICLE I wrote on this. One of the few I have gotten to this year.

Quote: It would really piss me off when our S/M would lend out a special tool to a "really great" customer. Thats taking money right out of my pocket. They don't see it that way. "We sell parts to those people... right?" That is an argument worth making, but I still don't agree with the whole concept. All too often the dealer gets it in the end and the first people to be affected by this are the technician and THE DEALER'S CUSTOMERS.

See THIS TOPIC

Shoot, we have done somewhere between 40 or 50 by now. Of that I recall only about three that were delaminated in a true sense. The remainder were all rusted internally in a recognizable pattern. Many of those trucs also required injectors.

You don't even need a V-10 to get groceries. There is plenty of room on the right seat of my Smart Car for a case of beer and a few bags of vittles.

Two things, this is an E-series and yes, some things are worth experimenting with, but I cant with the solid body mounting.

I have a pair of 2008 E350 stripped chassis Aeromaster Walk in Vans that make a heavy popping noise over bumps - Sounds structural. The noise comes from the right front in the cowl area and it disappears after the trucks are run for 15-20 minutes. Obviously heat is playing a role. I have checked the Ford chassis, all steering and suspension fasteners are properly tightened including cross member bolts. I am using Chassis ears to isolate the noise and "somewhere in the right front of the body" is the best I can get from it. These things are actually well made but the screwy thing is that there are no body mount isolators at all! Solid aluminum construction with brackets mated directly to the frame. Anyone? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif

Alex you re not alone. A long time ago when we moved into the building we are now in we acquired a few new people and increased our front parts countermen and business overall. I am not one to refuse helping people in general. However, when a parts guy is interrupting you several times a day asking questions for outside shop mechanics it wears on me. It got t a point where I finally blew my stack and I had not been approached for years. I have since turned this around with the guy, who is still my coworker but now there is a lot more respect - both ways. Anyway, I too sometimes get annoyed that I am asked to provide my hard learned knowledge to help some guy who realistically, should not be turning wrenches. This does not mean that I don't recognize that there are plenty of good techs on the outside. The borrowing of tools is without a doubt something I cannot condone. If they are in business and are working on these vehicles it should be their responsibility to purchase their own tools and equipment. I would be livid to have a parts counterman give out one of our coveted special service tools. Return a tool damaged or incomplete? Don't even go there!!! As it is we have had in-house problems with tool and equipment abuse and loss. Currently I believe we have a crew of techs that respect the shop and the equipment.

That makes me ask, is it really worth it? I don't think that heating the bolts up and removing them by hand is that big of a deal or adds too much time to the job. I realize that every tenth counts but... just how expensive is this tool? If it wasn't for the design of the cage nuts this wouldn't even be an issue.

Hey Alex, how is that coma coming along? Alex? Alex? Alex? Alex? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whattodo.gif

Think of it like head studs... Maybe somebody will come out with "Body Studs" with a cotter pin hole drilled on the end and put castle nuts on them that come off easily. Problem solved. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cover.gif

My opinion on this is that ANY FSA or TSB would place Ford in a position of liability where product quality or reliability would then come under certain scrutiny. This could make them liable for countless repairs for a condition that they have consistently had the position that aftermarket devices are the root cause of most head gasket failures... despite the redesign of the heads and larger head bolts back in 2006. I seriously doubt Ford is in a financial position to open themselves up to that kind of liability. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

I know there is a topic on this but I couldn't find it. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif I did find the picture of the tool and the message to apply thread locker to the nut before using. I learned that in the 6.4L class. I was in the 2nd class and John Clark had the same problem in the first class when they used the tool for the first time.

That is truly odd Mike. I too have pulled out screens with a section or two missing or bent inward. They become very fragile with age. I remember the first one I had out and decided to blow it clean with shop air. WOW! it looked really clean alright then I realized I blew the screens right out of the frame. But no, I have never seem one completely missing,

For some reason I feel funny taking a tip... but I usually accept it. You know, don't want to be rude. I do however like the odd six pack or bottle of Cuervo at the holidays though. I need to skim through my employee handbook as I recall there being some company policy stating that Warnock employees are not permitted to accept tips.

Since earlier this year I have replaced seven DPF's including one this morning. One was replaced because of raw fuel contamination but the others were for sooty tailpipes. Only one of those had a driveability concern and needed additional repairs. Are you guys seeing DPF's failing for no apparent reason? What are else you finding wrong with the trucks?

/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif

More great consumer safety news - Made In China! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif

Joey, Ford's medium duty trucks, the LCF, F650 and F750 are made by Blue Diamond Truck in Mexico... Blue Diamond is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and International Truck and Engine Corp.

Good luck Aron! I am always amazed when I hear stories about what some dealers do to recruit employees. Don't kid yourself, the part about the family operation feeling and the way people treat you is a huge part of any job. I put up with a genuine asshole in my shop for ten years and now that he is gone the atmosphere is quite pleasant for everyone. I hope the move also goes well for you, picking up and moving cant be all that easy.

Would it not just be easier to lighten the truck by removing the spare tire, pick-up bed and the rear bumper?

You know what sucks about that? I don't think that my dealership has an EEC4 scan tool. Imagine that! A FORD DEALER can't diagnose an EEC4 vehicle because Ford wont implement one into their Integrated Diagnostic System? I must say that is not integrating with the older technology. It could not be very hard at all.

Funny you mention buffalo meat, there is a new wave of bison and buffalo meat availability here in the North East and I am thinking in the U.S. as a whole. The local market here has started stocking more than the random packages they have had for the last couple of years. I caught a documentary on the subject on the Discovery channel, or was it the Food Channel, buffalo or bison meat tastes better, is much leaner and has more protein and iron. We cut down on beef consumption more so because My wife wont eat beef unless it is so freaking over cooked that you cant chew it because she doesn't like any pinkness to her meat. On the flip side she hates tough meat which happens when you over cook a steak. So I stopped buying beef except on rare (no pun intended)occasions and we have substituted ground turkey for most recipes calling for beef. I think I am going to slip a little buffalo into the kitchen sometime real soon. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Sure you can, why do you think 2/3 of the American population is overweight? Double Quarter Pounder with cheese anyone? Fries? 30-oz beverage... better make it diet. Apple pie? ...and super-size it! Some people eat that shit several times a week. A couple of turkeys 4 weeks apart? No problem!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crybaby2.gif I used to LOVE 1/4 pounders with cheese! I got away from that habit a good 15 years ago.