Keith Browning

That's because I seem to get most of the o-rings and the quick connect couplers! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif And it does even out because I have only had to replace three HPOP's so far. And one good one. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif I see someone learned how to be creative with images! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif

This definitely qualifies... and THEY call US thieves! a customer had his Harley F350 in for head gaskets and took advantage of the LOANER trucks we let him drive, both of which he returned with the fuel tanks completely empty. Ripped my dealer off for about $190.00 Same guy, same two trucks, accumulated $1300.00 worth of unpaid EZ-Pass tolls and the subsequent fines for non-payment of the tolls. Stealing from the state of NJ. There are cameras that take a picture of the vehicle when a violation occurs... snagged! It is his signature on the loaner truck paperwork on the days the violations occurred. For those who don't know, In NJ (and other states) we have an automated highway and bridge toll system that with the purchase of a transceiver allows you to roll through a toll booth and automatically pay without stopping.

Hope you don't mind, I stuck one of your pics on the server so we don't lose it from the thread. Great picture too! The last one like this I saw was a 2003 with fuel dilution of the oil, you know, a full crank case! The turbo was also seized and the engine grenaded in the parking lot after it "ran away" due to oil and fuel that filled the intercooler. As a matter of fact, there are pictures of that engine in the Photographs section. These are the jobs you end by taking the truck to the back of the lot and stand on the throttle for fifteen minutes to clear it out. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif

Charlie, Good luck with the operation. I do hope it comes out well for you. Please let us know how you make out when you recover and come home. I know a couple of guys that have has serious back problems and I certainly feel for ya.

Is that like an "Oooooh Eeeeeeh, Oooooh Aaaaah Aaaaah, Ting-Tang Walla-Walla Bing-Bang?" /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif There's a couple company's or shops that build these super strong racing and towing transmissions. For some of these guys I think it's a good mod to add if they are bumping up the power output of their engines. Now, A more sensible and useful mod I thought of was to add a cooler module similar to what UD trucks hang off of the frames of their auto trans equipped trucks. It's simply a cooler in an enclosed housing with a thermostat, relay and an electric fan. You could mount it under the pick-up bed on the frame in front of the right rear wheel. Add a switch for constant cooling and there you go. This would be great for guys running plows. I bet it would cut down on fried units caused by snow plowing!

Nice. I love it when people screw themselves like that. And this is probably the first guy in line to bash US. Are the housing bolts in in this turbo gone as well? I thought thats what you said was wrong. ...and, would you like to add one of them there pics to the photo gallery with the other Loss of control pics?

Quote: I asked to have this picture posted. You didn't ask us did you? Because we never go a request. I can post pictures if you don't have it on a server to link to it - send as an e-mail attachment. On edit - here it is! Wow! That's an odd crack because I have only seen door panels crack like that around the window run attachment bolt itself. I have also seen a few fail at the interior release handle attachment point. Well I am not a body man but here's what I might try... I would first, drill holes at the ends of the cracks to keep them from growing any more. (Drummers do that to cracked cymbals to make them last a little longer) 3M makes a few metal bonding products that might work here. I am sure the local Napa parts store in Baghdad stocks some. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif I doubt you could weld metal this thin unless you are a welding God. Due to the severe service you guys are putting this truck through you might need to rivet on a piece of sheet metal over the area to support the window run and keep that metal from flexing. I would guess that the window spends most of it's time in the down position adding weight and stress to that attachment point. That does not help the situation.

I think you are right Ed. I have not seen any comparisons to the stock Donaldson filter. Come to think of it, one of our members is a from Donaldson but I haven't seen him around lately. I'll have to see if I can figure out who he is. I would love to hear his opinion on this. You also have to love that "Zoo-dad" modification for the air filter. Some of these guys remove the filter inlet snorkel and then proceed to drill 3 inch holes in the bezel right in front of the filter. Sounds good in theory but doesn't that seem like it would invite dirt and WATER right into the filter? Apparently these guys have dynomometers in their asses and claim they can feel a difference.

Yeah, what are the odds? I don't see all that many 7.3's any more or at least is seems that way being up to my ass in 6.0's. These being older trucks were the turbo's damaged? I have typically just seen them with one or two bolts backed out or missing. We did have one that came apart and it leaked pretty bad too. All in all, those 7.3's were damn good engines and will probably be around for quite a while. Ahhh, the good ol days! LOL

That would have been worth taking a picture of!

Starting the New Years celebration a little early Ed? But seriously, Yes I have noticed that just about every forum you go to is pretty much the same and most seem to be turning into mod central lately. Some are down right funny with the stupidity and they bash us? Flat Rate Tech seems to be the most serious but even a straggler or two drift in there too. Jim Warman seems to do a decent job at keeping the riff raff in place

Leave the reservoir on. It does not need to come off and you will make an even bigger mess if you do. If the pump shaft is not aligned and inserted into the drive gear you won't be able to get the bolt started. Sounds like you will be fine. Since you are new to diesel work, I will advise you to use the special Grey silicone sealant specified for use with 7.3L and 6.0L engines. There are chemicals in the other sealants that will react with the additives in the engine oil that reduce foaming. Air in the engine oil will affect performance. Why am I telling you this? You will need to apply silicone sealant to the pump gear bolt access cover.

Yeah, I'm sure that you could "bet" /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif Okay, I'll play: I am going to guess that the lower arrow is pointing to an EGR cooler which actually looks like a good place to put it because of the open space on that side of the engine... basing my comparison to the 6.0L. I am guessing that the top of the engine has become very crowded with the dual turbo and "God knows what kind" of fuel system this thing has. Which brings me to my guess for the top arrow. I have been reading a little about the new type of injectors and common rail systems that use extremely high fuel pressure. Could that possibly be a fuel cooler that uses intake air as the cooling medium in the heat exchanger? That would be a clever space saving design if my guess is correct in the first place. Who's next? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif

...and a couple dyno shots of what looks to be a 6.4L judging from the bits and pieces of information we have gotten. I wish that the pics showed more of the top end in better detail but you can clearly see the dual stage turbo set up. Since we can... I lightened up one image, blew it up and cropped out a part of one. I can't be sure what is engine and what is test equipment but the arrows point to some interesting areas I would like to know more about. .

This truck definitely looks to be a diesel, once again judging by the size of the tailpipe. I notice that there seems to be more covers on this truck with the addition of the rear end covers and mirrors. The front end looks the same as the other pics. Did anyone notice that the front bumper appears lower?

Alright! Keep your fender covers on! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif I'm gonna have to split these up cause the forums only allow a maximum of 8 images per post. I am sure that most of you have seen some or all of the truck pictures but the engine in the dyno room pictures are new to me. The first couple look like they might be a gasser by the size of the tailpipe. I think that these may have come from an on-line magazine but if you Google KGP Photography and hit the web sites that come up, it seems they do a lot of automotive spy camera work and there are many sites listing many makes and models. Interesting to say the least. You HAD to have seen these! My guess this is a diesel below.

I don't get your point here. Do you mean that if there is a will there is a way? We know it works in these trucks but Ford tells us no! No more than 5%. Why? Have there been any studies on this? I would love to know exactly what the effects of bio diesel use has on these engines. And I agree with you, I like the idea.

At this point I suspect that Bio Diesel is still a local or regional phenomenon because I haven't seen it here in Jersey. Nobody has asked about it either. I am glad that this topic has finally been raised because I would like to know more about it. I hear it burns much cleaner and quieter but I would still be concerned with the lubricity quality and impurities that could be introduced by questionable manufacturing methods. I know Ford recommends limiting it's use to 5% but there are owners using 50% and 100% with "supposedly" no problems. I hear it smells different too! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif If they can add butter flavor to it, the world might smell like a giant bowl of pop corn if it becomes widely used. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif

Yes, you did state that you don't have much experience with these engines. Any time that you open the high pressure oil system in particular, you will need to purge the air that is introduced when the oil spills out by replacing components. Usually, a nice 10-15 minute run down the highway in a lower gear will do the trick. Shutting it down and letting it sit before another good romp around the block also helps. I will also run the engine at 3500 RPM in the lot until most of the smoke clears out. This keeps the local police off my back... I smoked out a 300 foot stretch of the road on a road test once which they apparently thought was dangerous! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

I have been collecting "spy photos" from the Internet as I find them. I am sure many of you have seen some. For obvious reasons I won't post them anywhere in the public section of this web site but if you guys are interested I can post them here. I have (presumed) 2007 trucks or mock-up test trucks and 6.4L ENGINE PHOTOS. If you know of any links or shots, post a link or send them into me if you want to share. I am posting this message to test the water... if any of our Ford employee members have any objections or warnings, please make them known now! Besides, this stuff is already circulating the Internet. I'll post on Christmas.

I think it's stupid mainly because it's a year too late in my opinion. A couple of the quotes are a little self serving and would have been better placed in a different article of the proper topics. Quote: Ford's diesel drama drags on: Power Stroke woes anger buyers, drive up warranty costs RICHARD TRUETT | Autoweek | Automotive News - December 14, 2005 James and Penny Schrader have bought Fords faithfully for 30 years. But persistent problems with the Power Stroke diesel engine in their 2004 F-250 pickup have unraveled three decades of brand loyalty. The Schraders, both 63, put a second mortgage on their home in Linden, Mich., to buy the $45,000 truck. Now they say they'll probably never buy another Ford. "My husband wouldn't look at anything else," says Penny Schrader of their pickup. "But I don't care how good their product was in the past. They haven't treated me well as a loyal customer." The Schraders aren't alone. Ford Motor Co. has been sued at least 58 times by consumers who bought 2003- and 2004-model Power Stroke trucks. The company also has fielded more than 12,000 consumer complaints, according to Ford's internal warranty data. Not a minor flaw This isn't a minor flaw that Ford can dispatch with basic service. The Power Stroke's warranty repair costs are battering Ford's bottom line. In a conference call with Wall Street analysts last March, a company executive acknowledged that Ford's diesel-powered super-duty pickups suffered from quality problems. Ford has declined to estimate the cost of fixing those defective Power Stroke engines. But Ford has acknowledged that its warranty costs ballooned by $500 million through the first nine months of 2005, compared with the same period a year earlier. Ford says it is honoring the engine's five-year, 100,000-mile warranty and doing everything it can to repair it. And newer versions of the engine in late 2004- and 2005-model pickups are more reliable. But the problem will continue to fester. Ford already has sold more than 384,000 diesel trucks with potentially defective engines. And customers like the Schraders appear ready to abandon the brand. Fixing its diesel problems - in terms of both engine performance and public confidence - is crucial for Ford because the stakes are enormous: Diesels account for about 25 percent of all F-series sales, and the 6.0-liter Power Stroke is a $5,000 option. The engine is offered on medium- and heavy-duty pickups, and had been offered on the discontinued Ford Excursion SUV. From 225,000 to 250,000 diesel-powered F-series trucks are sold each year, at prices ranging from $30,000 to $50,000-plus. If Ford can't put things right, the Power Stroke could cause a consumer backlash similar to that of Chrysler's problem-plagued Ultradrive transmission, which alienated minivan owners in the early 1990s. "If this isn't fixed, and fixed right, and customer satisfaction put back on track, there will be fallout," says Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research Inc. in Bandon, Ore. "Ford will lose buyers to Dodge and General Motors." Trouble from the start The 6.0-liter Power Stroke engine has been troublesome from the day it was launched in the fall of 2002. It replaced a somewhat unrefined 7.3-liter diesel. The powertrain was built by a longtime Ford diesel supplier, International Truck and Engine Corp., of Melrose Park, Ill. For this version of the engine, International Truck designed a unique high-pressure fuel-injection system. Most automakers use only electronic controls to operate the fuel injectors in a common-rail system. But the Power Stroke's fuel injectors are operated by a high-pressure oil pump as well as electronics. According to several of the 150-plus complaints posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some trucks never even made it home from the dealership before the fuel injectors or turbocharger failed. The engine also has been plagued with leaky fuel injectors, oil leaks, broken turbochargers, wiring harness troubles, faulty sensors, defective exhaust gas recirculation valves and bad computers. Since the engine debuted three years ago, Ford has issued at least 77 technical service bulletins. That is far above average, even for a new engine. These bulletins tell mechanics how to diagnose and fix various problems. By comparison, there have been eight service bulletins for GM's Duramax diesel V-8 and none for the diesel engine in the Dodge Ram truck. Both engines debuted at about the same time as the Power Stroke. After just a year on the market, International almost completely redesigned the Power Stroke's fuel system, replacing or redesigning nearly 500 parts. That helped reduce the number of problems, but did not cure the engine of all its ills. Ford has voluntarily recalled the engine at least twice to fix various problems. The troubles have caused a rift in relations between Ford and International. The engine can be repaired and made reliable, says International spokesman Bob Carso. Engineers from Ford and International have fixed the problems that plagued the early versions of the engine, he said. But Carso says the engine is extremely complex and requires "outstanding diagnostic capabilities" to properly identify and repair the faulty parts. Less help from Ford? When the Power Stroke's troubles surfaced, Ford tried hard to keep customers happy. In the summer of 2003, Ford took the unusual step of buying back 500 trucks, mostly because of fuel system problems. But two diesel technicians say Ford has changed the way it deals with the engine problems. "When they first started out with the 6.0-liter, Ford had a team that was looking over every bit of it and just doing whatever it took to get them fixed," says Mark Ward, a master diesel technician at Landers McLarty Ford in Bentonville, Ark. "And then that just shut off like a light when Ford found out how much losses they were having." Ward contends Ford is trying to shift more repair costs onto consumers. "We used to replace turbochargers left and right if the fins had any damage to them," he says. "Now they (Ford) won't accept a turbo back with any fin damage. They are saying if there is any (turbocharger) fin damage whatsoever, it has to be from a dirty air filter. You have to inform the customer that Ford won't pay for that. It's $700, plus the labor." The fin is the part of the turbocharger that is driven by engine's exhaust system. "When the 6.0 is running properly, it has much better performance than the 7.3 did," says Charles Ledger, a Ford master technician from Oroville, Calif. "Unfortunately, the 6.0 is plagued with sensor problems." Ledger dispenses advice on his Dieselmann Web site (intellidog.com/dieselmann/home.html). Ford: No change in policy Cisco Codina, president of Ford's customer service division, says Ford is not blaming consumers or trying to shift repair costs onto buyers. "We have not changed any policies whatsoever as it relates to defective material," Codina says. "We don't try to put this blame on the customers. We will spend whatever amount of time and money necessary to help customers who have problems." Not all of the Power Stroke's defects can be blamed on Ford and International. Consumers may cause problems by installing unauthorized parts that boost engine output. Aftermarket computer chips and exhaust systems can upset the delicate tuning of the engine and cause head gaskets to blow out, Ward says. Last year Ford and International officials told Automotive News that the Power Stroke's troubles were over. But that turns out to be only partially true. The engines made today have a better record for reliability, according to NHTSA (see story, above). But those 2003- and early 2004-model engines keep breaking down. And consumers are angry at having to return to the dealership time after time for "reflashes" - new software to be installed in the vehicle's engine computer or other repairs. Getting better The number of complaints for 2005 Power Stroke engines has dropped sharply compared with earlier versions since last year's redesign of the engine's fuel system. But there still are thousands on the road that are not reliable - and may never be. Design deficiencies in some faulty parts, Ward says, have not been addressed. "If you look at the part number at the new one you are putting on, it's identical to the one you are taking out," notes Ward, the Arkansas technician. "If you start out with something cheap, what do you expect to happen?" Ward details the engine's troubles and Ford's technical service bulletins on his Web site, flatratetech.com. The Power Stroke's troubles are reminiscent of Chrysler Corp.'s A-604 automatic transmission - dubbed Ultradrive - that was introduced in Chrysler minivans in 1989. The first versions of the electronically shifted transmission had more problems than a calculus book. Technicians couldn't fix them, consumers were fuming, and Chrysler ended up replacing thousands of transmissions under warranty. But Codina says Power Stroke has generated more complaints than rival diesels simply because more diesel Fords are on the road. Says Codina: "We try to address each and every (problem) as we became aware of them. I am sure I am not aware of all of them. But if they (consumers) come to us, we try to do our very best. But today if you have one or two problems, people are not very happy with you." One more chance As for the Schraders, three days before they were to appear before a Lemon Law arbitration panel in November, Ford offered to buy back their old truck, waive mileage costs and put them in a 2006 model. After consulting with a lawyer, the Schraders took the deal. The couple left Michigan a few days later for a road trip West. But they are still angry with Ford because they had to spend a year trying to get their truck fixed. And they will not cut the new truck any slack. If the new truck so much as sputters, James Schrader says he will pull into the nearest Dodge dealership and trade it for a Ram.

Hey Chas, I don't get over to the FTE web site much anymore because it's hard to find the substance amidst all of the advertising. I'm all for making a buck but for crying out loud! Any way, I don't get to play with too many gassers these days but I am curious about this oil consumption you are reporting and the PCV modification. Am I that far out of the loop with the gas trucks? LOL Pinging - running lean - I found nothing posted as far ad SSM's or TSB's that look like what you describe. This is typically a result of low fuel pressure or unmetered air. I have seen a few 5.4L with low power concerns that were traced to the fuel pump pick-up sock being too fine and clogging. Contaminated MAF sensors. I also see around the shop a lot of intake manifold seals being replaced for lean codes on V-6's and 4.6's in the non Super Duty Trucks. Sorry I have nothing definitive for you but those are a few things to look at - did I mention we sell 95% diesels? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rofl.gif

Just in case you do run into one of these 4X4 vans, be advised that they chop off about 1 foot of the midship steel fuel tank to make room for the transfer case. I have a 2005 E350 with a 6.8L that stalls after driving for a while. Runs after it sits and cools. Fuel system codes P0148 and P0191 led to fuel pressure. Long story short, there was A LOT of metal debris in the fuel tank and pick-up. (metal from the tank modification) This is not a FORD warranty repair!!!

I had started a list of publicly accessible Ford Diesel web sites some time ago but I cannot remember where I put it so I decided to start over again. Of course I can't remember them all so I thought I would post the ones I remember Please feel free to add to the list!!! I know that there are at least a handful more! When I think it's complete I thought it might be interesting to throw up a new poll or two rating them. These are listed in alphabetical order: Blue Oval Forums Diesel Engine Trader - Ford Flat Rate Tech Ford Super Duty Ford Truck Enthusiasts Ford Truck World Super Duty Diesel The Diesel Stop The Truck Blog

I asked again... the floor and accelerator peddle issue continues to sway customers away.