Jim Warman

You guys get all the glory.... We are seeing squat for repairs on these things.... I did an injector and a UVC harness on one and a radiator on another.... Our other two techs are still working on 6.0s. And yes - we have scads of these on the road.... But.... we are at that time of year when an owner will run the damned thing until it wont move rather than miss a day in the field... There's a half mug of beer on the bar...... The pessimist says it is half empty.... the optimist says it is half full.... the engineer says the mug is too big.

It's always possible that there's something in PCM strategy that we aren't privvy to.... But the neanderthal in me wants to cut my PID list down to ICP_V and FUEL_PW to see if ICP has anything hiding in between data scans.... I don't really expect to see anything, but I feel the need to look.... Just so I know.... this IS two cranking events back to back, right?

I'd get lot's of signed and notarized waivers and statements on this puppy.... I hate to say this but this is the kind of motor that a guy could wind up "marrying". Not to lecture.... but..... While it's important to involve a customer in the repair process, we can't allow the customer to make all of our decisions for us. We have to step in somewhere and say "I'm sorry, I will not perform substandard repairs". It sounds like you are pretty uncomfortable with the way things are going...When the damned thing craps out, you can bet that the customer is going to forget about his input on the repair process and the blame will land square on your shoulders. There are few days when I don't tell someone (staff, customer, boss) that we just aren't going to do what is being asked of us.... A good rep is hard to earn but easy to squander.

Bruce... it took a while to "prepare" the bottles for my tree, but now I have to tear the danged thing down.... I noticed I left some in a bottle on the bottom row /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/drinkingdude.gif In keeping with the topic of this thread, I'd like to point out that proper safety apparel was worn throughout the erection of this edifice including a sign at the front door that stated "hard head hat area". "I always keep whiskey handy in case I see a snake... which I also keep handy..." - W.C. Fields

I think the confusion stems from the choice of having two F250s around about then.... There was the LD F250 that looked like a half ton and later became the F150 7700 and then there was the F250 SD...

That site is full of guys saying things that aren't necessarily so..... FWIW, some old dork by the name of "Thomas Odd" (damn, I love Dean Koontz) replied to the thread..... imagine that.....

Well.... it's not like they all ride the short bus or anything like that.... so I don't think it's illegal.... Some of the reactions I get make me close my eyes and imagine some fat old guy drinking watery beer getting ready to pop a gasket (wait a minute... that could be me...except for the watery beer). I didn't say it was "nice"... but it can sure feel good....

Does it always turn the same direction? Or is it "hit or miss"?

The PS pump bolts rarely seem to make rhyme nor reason.... three bolts - four bolts... All I can see is that if it comes from the factory with one less bolt - we will either see that the engineers have signed off on the change or Ford will have to pony up for any oversight.... I we unilaterally decide to leave a fastener out with no engineer signing off on it and without Fords blessing - where are we leaving ourselves? I think most of have seen the missing turbo bolt.... some of have seen more than one missing turbo bolt - on trucks that have never had any service in that area.... How about the missing EGR cooler bolt? How about the bolts under the floor mats - these bolts have no home... Or the missing bolts we notice during repairs???? What it boils down to..... If I see a missing bolt - I install one (unless it is <that> PS pump bolt)..... and I note that on the RO, make a punch for it and try to make myself look like a hero for being conscientious. That bolt is somebody elses missing bolt... IT AIN'T MY MISSING BOLT!!!!! And it goes back to something I've been saying all along.... Be <THE MAN>... be conscientious.... strive for perfection.... get in peoples faces over it. Be all that you can be... and reap the rewards. Your future is all about YOU.... but you wont do it without having customers and staff on your side.

Aaron.. there are several things we MUST do each day.... Each and every day, I try to learn at least one new thing... and, each and every day, I manage to accomplish at least one stupid thing.... (there are others, but they don't matter when it comes to the smart/stupid yin-yang balance of the universe...). Your only fault was in approaching one of these public forums without properly preparing yourself for an overwhelming dose of abject stupidity... In defense of many of these guys, I do believe that there are many that have received some sort of substandard treatment somewhere along the line.... I only have to look at some of the trucks in our store that have had previous repairs in other stores to realize that some of the pencils in the box are very sharp.... and some of the pencils in the box aren't. If one guy get's a tech that hasn't prepared himself for the technology he faces and suffers at his hands, 100 readers will automatically think that all of us are ill prepared for the technology we face (though that may, sometimes be true... it's just that some of can think and get ourselves out of that knowledge gap...). Go back to the forum.... but prepare yourself first. Some of these posts are amusing to no end... others allow chances for a little "sport" with the civilians. Many offer the opportunity to make these cretins see that all techs are not created equal... and they should consider treating the good ones as the valuable resource they are.... FWIW, I often abandon myself on another, tech oriented forum.... these guys are nuckin' futs....

In many respects, I've been "fed up" for a long time.... I'm that "technical voice" that has to "fix" the things that our SAs have explained poorly (the blind leading the blind happens at the front desk all too often).... But the target is starting to move much faster than it used to.... I've got a siezed EGR valve sitting on my bench from when we were supposed to clean them before submitting them. I didn't bother cleaning it (siezed is siezed, right?) and they punted the claim.... (I'm waiting for the opportunity to "resubmit"). Aside from moving quicker... the target has "gone public". The EGR valve fiasco only involved those owners that were caught with a bad valve while we were labouring through this useless experiment (when the valves were on national backorder, we tried cleaning some..... they all came back). Now we are at the point where we say one thing publicly today.... and another tomorrow.... "Oh, NO..... your oil HAS to be CJ4....." - "but if you can't find the VI that you want, just dump damned near anything in there". "Oh, NO..... don't restrict the airflow through your cooling stack..... unless the restriction has a Ford part number on it...". I'm starting to get the feeling that it isn't just the censorbot that isn't going to like me any more...... You know my motto.... "open mouth - insert foot...".

I'm sure I did, James... and I still feel bad for jumping on you like that..... I do hope that makes you feel a bit better.... I'm active on many venues with my main thrust being that consumers need to differentiate between the good guys and the hacks..... There is currently some yoyo on TDS that stamps his feet and frowns at people (with smileys, no less) that call our stores "stealerships" - but he doesn't appear to be prepared to act professionally - .... There's another guy that considers himself professional and his "torque wrench" is his trigger finger..... The things that I have seen in all my years has me on a hair trigger for many "suggestions". Getting real broad on the topic.... there are "good" shorcuts and there are "bad" shortcuts. Too many techs can't tell the difference any more. Like my Dodge 4 cylinder starter bolt... some of this crap starts to become "accepted industry practice" - it's wrong, but some techs accept it as a way of finding gain time.... (rough translation - "I'm a !@#!?$!"). The thought of leaving a bolt out (expressed in even an innocent fashion) will get me going.... Public perception of our trade is of paramount importance to me... how "Joe Blow" looks at me, at you and at every other tech out there.... We'd all be a lot better off if there weren't sluts among us... I just react to what I read.... I apologize for thinking the worst... I don't apologize for reacting. WE ALL NEED TO REACT when we see someone do something that isn't going to show our craft in it's best light. We can have instant gratification by leaving fasteners out (gain time) - or, we can have long term change by proving that we are, indeed, professionals.... There is no easy way to explain how I feel and think... I can foresee the possibility of great change in our stature - if we do it right.... and it wont be in my lifetine. But, doing my best Nostradamus impersonation, I can see where "mechanicians" (those that can deal with electromechanical devices) could be very important, highly regarded, well recompensed individuals. We're all good at brake jobs... but not everyone that is good at brake jobs is good at driveability or electrical... I've had a shitty week.... I'm rambling... but I hope you get the idea and realize that I hold no malice....

In the P0128 thread, Gary made mention of upselling winter fronts. Of course some old guy thought that was interesting...... Oh, and it appears that we have accidentally started upselling winter fronts, too - so I ain't picking on anyone.... Wwwwaaaaaayyyyyy back when we were breathlessly awaiting the arrival of our first 6.4, Ford was busy telling us what we shouldn't do to a truck equipped with this motor..... Restricting air flow through the cooling stack was one of those things that we weren't supposed to do... A week or so ago, one of the apprentices is accessorizing a new truck and I see him unfolding this unGodly big, black, vinyl "blanket". A winterfront.... without a slot... a hole.... nor even a flap that can be opened should the need arise. This blanket came in a Ford package with a Ford part number on it. On the included instruction sheet, in small print, this warning "Do not drive above 50F or tow above 32F with this installed". One thing that comes to mind.... these guys don't actually think that customers read these instruction sheets, do they? I spend a significant amount of time telling customers that page <whatever> in their owners guide explains it better than I can... The other thing that comes to mind.... these guys are starting to talk out of both sides of their faces with alarming regularity.... at OUR expense. First it's the about face with the motor oil.... and now restricting air flow through the cooling stack... And WE look like jerks because WE can't make up OUR minds... <SIGH> .... at least it's Friday - payday AND the liquor store is on my way home from work.....

We see something similar to Gary.... in our case, few caved in tanks but lots and lots of water in the tank. I do have to congratulate Ma Ford though.... they have the balls to charge over $40 CAD for about a foot of hose, a plastic cap and a zip tie.....

Like Dwayne, I'm looking to a base oil concern... Something I've seen is the front engine cover badly scored inside the oil pump housing (one of those was an FQR with only 12,000 kms since install). What can happen is that the base oil system will lose it's prime and then can't pick it back up before the reservoir runs dry.... Try jacking the back end of the truck up a couple of feet when you next expect the problem to manifest itself... This will raise the oil level in the pick up tube and make it easier for the engine to re-establish base oil system prime. If that's not an option, you can monitor base oil pressure with a mechanical gauge at the fitting just above the oil filter and watch how long it takes that to build. HTH

Now your just toying with the old curmudgeon, Dave.... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Sometimes I take things maybe a little too literal.... and anything that might affect the way we are perceived by civilians just kinda lights a short fuse... I feel bad about dumping on James like that but I've seen far too many "unique" repairs done by professionals in my life... And, somewhere along the line, we might all be judged by some of this stuff....

I've "heard" of engines being replaced for oil cooler failures - ostensibly because the contamination can't be cleaned from the water jacket.... Whether this is true or not is a matter for conjecture... With shrinking labour times, could it be possible that one day Ford will let us work on their iron if WE pay THEM enough?

The current crop of TPMS uses the SJB as the "mother" module. It is here that the thresh-holds are programmed. Something I am beginning (or think I'm beginning) to notice. We had a truck (SuperDuty) in for a PDI... tire pressure spec was the same front and rear.... this truck did NOT come with a fob.... Those trucks that spec a different pressure front to rear, DO come with a fob. Time and experience with either prove or disprove this assumption. Those trucks that spec a different pressure front to rear will live with the rear tires set at the (lower) front tire pressure.... Sign me "confused".

I do all those things, Larry. It's just my lifestyle and sleep habits that offer me a longer day than most get.... I'm not much of a television watcher and as long as I get 5 hours of sleep I wind up with a lot of spare time on my hands.... I love fixing and building things.... but most of all, I love learning things and perfecting what-ever techniques I am learning.. be it mechanical or wood-butchery. In 8 years, I'll be 65... I have had people ask me what I plan to do when I retire... and all I can reply with is "Retire? Who said anything about retire?". Work-a-holic.... probably. But I'm a well paid work-a-holic /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Lot rot isn't a prblem with the turbines... it's a problem with the unison rings and the vanes.... Not sure but they might be made out of "unobtainium". No, wait... that's the secret ingredient for the "hush-a-boom" bombs....

Ummmmm, I don't want to get into a "deal" here... but your post is kind of open ended.... I worked for one independant that saw no problem with this scenario.... Dodge 4 cylinder, circa late 80s - early 90s. The starter has a three bolt flange... one bolt can be difficult. This shop owner saw no problem with "accidentally" leaving this difficult bolt out. By and large, this trade is held in low public esteem.... The owner of the aforementioned Dodge bought a car with three starter bolts... if I replace his starter, it ahould have three bolts in it. If I keep one of those bolts, I am a thief.... not to mention a sh!t poor tech (my dear old Mum... as English as the day is long, would tell me "In for a penny - in for a pound"). If I keep one of those bolts, the next guy to work on it might mention the fact that he is missing a starter bolt.... I hope everyone can see where this is going..... Now.... I dearly hope that I am mistaken and I'm not reading too much in to your post.... It's not like I haven't done it before.... There are shortcuts that work.... remove the elbow to replace the EGR cooler hose.... There are shortcuts that wont "fly".... leave a bolt out. Am I anal? Without a doubt. Anything inside the motor gets torqued.... everything else gets looked at closely. Some fasteners (injector hold downs, for example) will get an "unexpected" torque value... quite high considering the size of the fastener.... Other fasteners will get torque values we expect. I don't use a torque wrench on everything, but I use a torque wrench on those fasteners that my experience has shown to be "critical".... (would you believe tie rod sleeve clamp nuts? Most are 41 ft/lb and this is CRITICAL). Once again.... if I have misread your post, I am truly sorry and offer apologies. However, if we are to expect that we will be treated as professionals, we must conduct ourselves as professionals.

Brad... I enjoy that same privilege at my store..... We get results... good results and the customers are happy.... When we get something that refuses to be fixed.... I get it.... I ain't special... but I do things that other guys don't... One of my faves is when I'm asked for advice and give it... and it's not the advice they wanted... After wasted hours, in desparation, my suggestion is tried.... Did I mention that I'm not above saying "I told you so"? In the name of "one-upmanship".... We have two parades a year in our town... The Santa Claus Parade and our Riverboat Days (summer fair) parade.... We enter a float in any parade that comes along.... I'm the designated float driver (one year we had a SuperDuty decked out as a stagecoach with four Mustangs as the horses).... Now, this ain't as good as it may sound.... Most of our floats are powered by Super Duties.... Most of are floats are impossible to see out of... There isn't a whole lot of difference between "float driver" and "scapegoat"... but, at the very least, they do have faith in my methods.... Sidebar.... if anyone has seen me "performing" on other venues... "faith in my methods" is an overwhelming consideration.... I almost ripped the door off a near new SD CC through a foolish lapse in common sense.... $2500 was the body shop tab.... and that doesn't include the cost of the loaner or any other considerations we offered the customer.... I felt like sh!t and the DP laughed at me..... Anyone here can have this kind of job... all you need to do is apply yourself.

OK.... my Saturday to work.... As I was closing up the shop I got to thinking about this thread.... Not exactly in my bay, but hanging over my head all the same - a 4R70 that stinks to high heaven - looks like it's from the thing that used to be a direct clutch.... I'll go in tomorrow if I have nothing else to do and unstack the trans and see what I'm looking at. A 2000something Chev half ton with a front diff bearing noise... Hooray for the guy that pooched the used vehicle inspection... DP is royally pissed because this repair is going to eat up most of the profit on the deal. An apprentice is doing the job..... which means he'll be watching me do it..... An 03 Expedition with a front diff gear noise.... Hooray for the guy that pooched the used vehicle inspection... The DP saw the estimate for this one - his reaction made the Chevy seem like small potatoes... Not sure how this will play out... My first "dance" of next week.... A Hyundai.... a FREAKIN' Hyundai.... runs bad MIL, slipping clutch... belongs to one of the partsmongers.... Along about Wednesday, they'll ask how that 4R70 is coming along..... and I'll tell them that they haven't given me any time to work on it.... And my day is never complete without a constant string of smiling faces asking me to "come and look at...."..... The really, really sad part about all of this is that I love my job.....

Hey, Bruno.... welcome to a real message board.

Nice kitchen you have there, Bruce.... Happy T Giving... we had ours last month.