Keith Browning

Dwayne, Welcome to the DTS! My opinion on oil viscosity... hmm, I feel that paying attention to climate is the key but a diesel is a diesel and if worked as they should be, an oil that will stand up to heat is preferred. I live in New Jersey where the weather does not get extremely cold but we do see some serious heat the summer and most of my customers are doing just fine with 15W40 all year. I do recommend 10W30 for winter use if performance is affected by cold and cold start romping is the only problem I have seen and only on older 7.3's. We could go on and on about oil, dino vs synthetic, what weight to use, what brand is best and to take oil samples or not to... Motorcraft oil is fine. Service intervals are more important to me. I think owners that spend extra money on synthetic and oil analyzing to extend their oil change intervals are missing the point. If "we" would just use the appropriate weight oil and service interval for the application and service type I think the number of oil related concerns we DO have would be reduced. I have yet to see a base engine failure due to lubrication on a Ford diesel truck. Extended oil change intervals are bad for HEUI injection systems. Do a buzz test on a truck that has been neglected and you will hear what I mean.

Quote: Keith I feel for you on this one lol !!! Don't feel bad for me, I dispatched this one to ATOM! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif Who made the repair quite nicely I might add. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif

So what you are eluding to is that we can make an engine more "efficient" by extracting the most energy that we can use from the fuel? Therefore, if the engine is making more power, you don't have to give it as much fuel/throttle for a given load ...as long as we ignore what is coming out of the tailpipe. READ THIS excellent tid-bit of info on the topic.

Larry he is talking about that curved piece on top of the stator that is right in front of the upper alternator. It is kinda like a scoop that directs air to and past the alternator. This truck was at another dealer and broke down shortly there after and was dragged into our dealer. Lucky us! The shroud piece is one of several missing along with loose fasteners, cut wiring heat shields and loose bolts holding the HPOP cover on. Scary to think that there are guys doing that kind of work huh?

I am just curious, how do you get more power AND better fuel economy? The two concepts inherently oppose each other, no? I realize that many tuners and programmers offer a choice of either or a selector "switch" of some type, but it does seem like a paradox.

The guy from fordcummins.com might have some advice for you. He is a member here but I haven't seen him around lately... but then again, I don't know what his username is. Go over to http://www.fordcummins.com/ and see if there is any info that might help in changing over from a Power Stroke or gasser.

Quite interesting. When I was recently at CAT for emissions certification the instructor made a glancing comment about this. I had a Super Crewzer in yesterday for a service and I was eying up the C7 for size. I don't think it is really that big and not much different than the Cummins engine in that chassis. As for weight, if the CAT engine is 1400 lbs that cant be too much more than a 6.0L, no? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif

Quote: And they wonder why I drink..... Yeah but this is the stuff that keeps it interesting! It seems we have visited the load testing grounds issue quite a few times now. The advice is priceless

It's a lovely fall day and the kiddies are looking forward to the Halloween promenade all across America... Look at that! A truck is setting the leaves on fire all the way down the road!!! The sounds of children screaming and fire trucks whining fill the air as terror fills the streets of Small Town U.S.A. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif

I do understand it though. You have to at least recognize that parts for this thing come from Ford, International and Mazda not to mention a few other miscellaneous suppliers so a centralized routing for parts is logistically the best way to go. But, it does cause a delay in getting parts. My gripe is that something common that is a service item SHOULD be more readily available. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif Someone might argue that if you plan to sell certain items then you should have them in stock which is something I have no control over and what do you do when you run short and a customer wants his truck? "Ghee, we are very sorry sir but you will have to wait two days for that air filter and your wiper blades." /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smhair.gif If this stuff was available as Motorcraft items I can get them in one of three daily runs our supplier makes daily. Glad I found a workaround!

Not surprising, Sterling is owned by Daimler... as is Chrysler/Dodge. Could this be a Ram in Sterling skin? Ford and International better stop screwing around and crapping on each other or they may find them selves sitting on a "throne" of a different kind!

Those are the numbers I have, one is 20" and one is 21" ... I used two YF1Z-17528-AB or Motorcraft #WW2023

cworley posted this picture I thought was interesting... a platform that fits over the heat exchanger group that could hold tools or support a technician while it protects those cooling fins. Great idea but do I need another "thing" cluttering up my shop? Mind you that is the very reason I haven't purchased an over the engine creeper. I haven't had to touch a single 6.4L yet (looks for some wood to knock on) but I might have to make me one of these.

Yep. Wiper blades. I have been seeing a few of the LCF customers in for services and recalls, a couple of which have needed wiper blades which I have not needed until now therefore we don't stock them. Guess what? They are not available in Motorcraft or from Ford so you have to buy them from Blue Diamond Parts. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif No big deal but it takes two days to get them! Fed up with the BS I took a closer look. The 20" blades from a Super duty fit perfectly. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer2.gif I have the part numbers... will post them when I get back to work.

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

Quote: February 27, 2007 Ford-Navistar showdown could threaten truck production Automaker won't say how long Super Duty pickups may be made if price issue isn't settled. Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News Ford Motor Co. said Monday that a decision by key supplier Navistar International Corp. to stop supplying diesel engines will not disrupt production of F-Series Super Duty pickups "in the near term." However, the automaker would not say how long it could keep its truck lines running if the vendor holds out. Ford began producing its crucial redesigned F-Series Super Duty pickups in Louisville, Ky., late last year and the trucks are arriving in showrooms this month. Navistar announced Monday that it has halted production of the PowerStroke diesel engine it makes for Ford because of an ongoing contract dispute. The Warrenville, Ill.-based engine manufacturer is the exclusive diesel engine supplier for Ford's heavy duty pickup trucks. In a statement Monday, Navistar said it "pays its suppliers and employees under contract terms and that it expects Ford to honor the terms of its agreement." But Ford said Navistar is the one violating that contract. "Ford has always honored the agreement and will continue to do so in the future," said Ford spokesman Tom Hoyt. "We have been working very closely with Navistar for many months to resolve these contract issues." In January, Ford sued Navistar, saying the engine maker was not complying with warranty cost-sharing agreements and that it had unjustifiably raised prices on its products. The suit said at the time that Navistar had threatened to cut off shipment if Ford did not pay the new prices for its engines. Navistar said it will stop making the 6.4-liter PowerStroke at its Indianapolis and Huntsville, Ala. factories, but added that the Huntsville plant will continue production for other customers. Any disruption of Super Duty production would be disastrous for Ford. After losing a record $12.7 billion last year, Ford is counting on the new Super Duty to boost sales of F-Series trucks. "Ford and Navistar are tied at the hip for diesel engines for the F-250 and F-350," Peter Nesvold, a New York-based Bear Stearns analyst, said in a research note. "While we don't currently expect an extended outage, 30-plus days would be material to both Navistar and Ford." About 40 percent of the nearly 800,000 F-Series trucks sold by Ford last year were diesel-powered. "It's impossible to quickly swap out the engine and put another manufacturer's diesel in place," Nesvold said. One analyst said the companies are likely to reach an agreement before long. "This is likely a short-term negotiation squabble," Andrew Casey, an analyst with Wachovia Capital Markets LLC in Boston, said in a research note It is not the first time problems with a supplier have threatened an important new vehicle. Last fall, bankrupt Collins & Aikman Corp. briefly suspended parts shipments to Ford's factory in Hermosillo, Mexico, halting production of the Ford Fusion. With a horde of suppliers either in bankruptcy or close to filing, Ford is working with a consultant to identify troubled suppliers and move proactively to prevent interruptions in parts shipments. You can reach Bryce G. Hoffman at (313) 222-2443 or bhoffman@detnews.com.

Quote: Navistar furloughs 1,200 on Eastside Company shuts plant that makes Ford's 6.4-liter engine in dispute with automaker By Ted Evanoff ted.evanoff@indystar.com February 27, 2007 Navistar International suddenly closed its Indianapolis diesel plant for an unspecified period Monday when a legal dispute with Ford escalated into a bitter fight. Navistar idled the 1,625- employee Eastside complex, known as International Truck and Engine, in a pointed effort to deprive Ford of 6.4-liter diesels for the best-selling line of F-series pickup trucks. Ford and Navistar have wrangled in court over who should pay for warranty costs associated with mechanical problems in an older 6-liter diesel made in Indianapolis that has since been discontinued. Curtailing shipments of the new 6.4-liter engine could leave the Indianapolis complex without Ford as a customer after the contract with the automaker expires in 2010, industry analysts said. Ford has been the plant's only customer for two decades. "This is a gutsy move by Navistar. Ford doesn't have a lot of options. It's up against the wall,'' said auto analyst John Wolconowicz of market researcher Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. "Ford needs its Super Duty pickup to have a successful launch. It's the most promising new product they'll have this year,'' Wolconowicz said. "Navistar is up against it because we see a significant increase in diesel penetration in light trucks for the industry. They don't want to (anger) their best customer at a time like this.'' Navistar's Indianapolis plant in December began sending Ford the 6.4-liter models, which are engineered to meet tighter federal emission standards. Ford, in turn, launched a major advertising campaign touting the new Power Stroke diesels in its F-series line of Super Duty pickups. However, Navistar contends Ford has not paid for the 6.4-liter engines. Ford instead has pocketed the money in a so-called debit account. Ford created the debit account to recover warranty expenses on the 6-liter model, Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said. "They owe us a bundle of money,'' Wiley said. "In all my years in the automotive industry, I don't recall an auto company not paying its vendors.'' Ford spokeswoman Becky Sanch said the automaker filed the lawsuit against Navistar and created the debit account to bring the issue to a head. Wiley predicted Ford and Navistar will settle their differences. Sanch said Ford has enough diesels in hand for the "near term'' but declined to define that length of time. Analysts consider the diesel Super Duty Ford's most profitable vehicle. Ford sells about 800,000 F-series trucks each year, of which about 320,000 are equipped with the Indianapolis diesels. Navistar's International Truck employs 700 in the diesel-assembly plant and 500 in the nearby foundry. Another 425 employees were laid off last fall as F-series sales fell. The Indianapolis plant and an International factory in Alabama are the only sources of diesels on Ford pickups.

Quote: If Ford decided tomorrow that they needed a new diesel manufacturer, I imagine the problem would be solved pretty quickly. I have a suspicion that this may already have been planned for some time. There are many rumors, concepts and wishful thinkers out there posting on all the various forums. International aside, developing a new engine and testing it takes years to accomplish. The logistics of brining in a new engine and a new manufacturer is also a daunting task. Can a new manufacturer provide enough engines? The engines have to be fitted to the truck, the trans and the electronics... not to mention tested. Hearing that Ford has a contingency plan to begin with is interesting and it makes me think twice about something I heard in the past. I think this is a sad and disturbing turn of events and no matter how things play out we are all going to feel it. Let us hope the future is bright after the clouds dissipate.

Quote: UPDATE 1-Navistar stops shipping diesel engine to Ford Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:46 AM ET (Adds details from Navistar, background, dateline) CHICAGO, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Navistar International Corp. <NAVZ.PK> said on Monday that it had stopped shipping diesel engines to Ford Motor Co. <F.N> that power the automaker's key F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks because of a contract dispute. Navistar builds the 6.4-liter Ford Power Stroke diesel engine for the 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty, a key launch this year for the automaker in its move to rebound from billions of dollars of losses in recent years. The engine supplier said Ford had stopped honoring terms of its agreement with Navistar and it would halt production for the automaker immediately. "We shipped the last engines to Ford last week," Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said. Bear Stearns analyst Peter Nesvold said that if the disruption extends for more a month, it could lead to an $11.6 billion in annualized revenue loss for Ford. "While we don't currently expect an extended outage, 30-plus days would be material to both Navistar and Ford," Nesvold said in a note to clients. Navistar produces about 400 of the engines per day for Ford, down significantly from about 1,060 per day at peak production, Wiley said. Navistar plans to shut its Indianapolis, Indiana, facility that only produces engines for Ford temporarily, Wiley said. It has 700 workers at the engine plant and 500 at the foundry. A Huntsville, Alabama, facility builds engines for Ford and other customers and is expected to remain open, Wiley said. Super Duty trucks are the most popular vehicles in their class, averaging 50 percent market share in the heavy-duty pickup truck segment during the past five years. Ford sued Navistar in January over warranty costs and engine prices. The automaker had delayed the launch of the Super Duty pickup truck after ongoing problems with Navistar. Warrenville, Illinois-based Navistar has been the exclusive diesel engine supplier for heavy duty Ford pickup trucks since 1979 through its International Truck and Engine Corp. Navistar has said it invested more than $100 million in new machinery and other equipment at its manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis and Huntsville to build the new engine. (Reporting by Poornima Gupta in Detroit, David Bailey in Chicago and Anthony Kurian in Bangalore)

Sure did! Lookie Here

Oh nooooo! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hitthefan.gif Quote: Press Release Source: Navistar International Corporation Navistar Suspends Production of Ford Power Stroke® Diesel Engines in Dispute Over Commercial Terms Monday February 26, 7:00 am ET WARRENVILE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Navistar International Corporation (OTC:NAVZ - News) announced today that it is suspending production of the Power Stroke® diesel engine that it builds for Ford Motor Company because Ford has stopped honoring the terms of agreement under which the engines were built. ADVERTISEMENT Navistar's principal operating company, International Truck and Engine Corporation, has been the exclusive diesel engine supplier for Ford's heavy duty pickup trucks since 1979 and recently launched a new 6.4L Power Stroke® diesel engine that meets 2007 emissions standards while increasing performance, durability and fuel economy. Ford, using International-manufactured Power Stroke® diesel engines, has enjoyed leadership market share of close to 50 percent for many years. Navistar believes the new Power Stroke 6.4L diesel engines provide Ford the opportunity to maintain or improve this leadership position. Trade editors who have driven Ford's 2008 F-250 equipped with the Power Stroke® have given it rave reviews. International currently produces the new 6.4L Power Stroke® diesel engine at its engine plants in Indianapolis, Ind., and Huntsville, Ala., and as a result of the dispute over commercial terms, production of those engines at both facilities will be halted immediately. The Huntsville operation will continue to produce engines for other customers. Navistar said that it pays its suppliers and employees under contract terms and that it expects Ford to honor the terms of its agreement. Navistar International Corporation (OTC:NAVZ - News) is a holding company whose wholly owned subsidiaries produce International® brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC brand school buses, and Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It also is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine parts and service. Another wholly owned subsidiary offers financing services. Additional information is available at: http://www.navistar.com. Contact: Navistar International Corporation Roy Wiley, 630-753-2627 (Media) Heather Kos, 630-753-2406 (Investors) http://www.nav-international.com ------------------------------------------------------------------Source: Navistar International Corporation

For the Tow-Haul issue you need an overdrive inverter. My fleet department installs these by the 100's! While it says "overdrive inverter", the Tow-Haul button is identical to the overdrive button in functionality therefore this product still works. http://www.intermotive.net/odi1.htm As for the speed limiter I completely understand from a fleet management position but I started thinking about this. As a NASCAR fan, restrictor plate racing popped into my head and thought that if I was on the highway and needed to accelerate to get out of danger or get out of the way of something bigger and faster than me I might be in trouble when the go pedal doesn't respond. I think I like the idea of monitoring best. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/2cents.gif

It is all about developing a diagnostic routine of your own and having patience. The unfortunate thing is that most customers do not have patience and that sometimes spoils the results by rushing the repair. First, common sense applies here in that oil flows down and back on this engine and almost all oil leaks eventually show at the bell housing. See THIS POLL for which oil leak sources are most common. Not everyone has participated in this poll yet!!! I am a firm believer in using engine oil tracer dye. There are several key points to know when using dye that will help you succeed: Each bottle of dye is good for 5 quarts of oil. On a Power Stroke with a 15 Qt capacity you will need three bottles of dye. I think they are 1 oz. bottles. Using the proper concentration of dye to oil will assure that the dye will be visible under UV light. I also recommend that you use a high powered light such as the ones that connect to the vehicle battery. They actually project a broad beam of strong light. The battery powered pen-type are okay but they are just not as bright. Use the yellow enhancing eye glasses as well. . For some reason, the oil dye does not show well when used with really dirty oil. If the oil is very black you might consider changing the oil before adding the dye. This might seem pointless if you are going to have to remove an engine or otherwise drain the oil to make the repair. My opinion, 15 qts. of oil cost less than two or three attempts to fix the leak. . Some bad leaks show up fairly quickly. Many techs are in the habit of installing the dye and returning the truck to the customer to return later for inspection. Not a good idea. You may end up with oil everywhere which will still leave you guessing. Detecting the leak at the first sight of dye is the best way of pinpointing the source. I have had to drive vehicles sometimes to get the engine hot, allow for pressure to have an effect or in some cases, allow enough time for a leak to seep enough to begin showing dye. BE PATIENT! Oil leaks at the bed plate are the trickiest to deal with because oil will travel along the seam the entire length of the engine and end up at the rear cover or transmission bell housing. There have been times when oil has seeped along that seam and had not been visible on the side of the block! The most common sources for a bed plate leak are the cam and crank sensor seals. Leaks from the engine supply oil pump area also tend to travel along the bed plate seam as well.

"Damn tree huggers and warranty Nazis!"

No I didnt unfortunately. You hear a lot of things inclass, some of which you write down and others you assume you will remember... ahhhh yeah! Not this time. I will keep searching.