Jim Warman

Have you done the no start diagnostics in the PC/ED??? This part is pretty basic stuff - do NOT take another shops diagnosis as gospel.... especially if they couldn't fix it. Start with the basics.... There's enough times I have to recheck my own work.... I refuse to trust a strangers work.... If these guys had the HPOP off of the front cover, I'd be real worried about the gear.... there is no keyway on the gear or shaft and if the gear wasn't torqued properly......

Have you done the no start diagnostics in the PC/ED??? This part is pretty basic stuff - do NOT take another shops diagnosis as gospel.... especially if they couldn't fix it. Start with the basics.... There's enough times I have to recheck my own work.... I refuse to trust a strangers work....

Even without the decal, I recall some sort of message about the correct coolant level being below the "MIN" mark.... There is also another message (or it might have been hotline advice but do check for a message) about comparing EOT and ECT to determine EGR cooler/oil cooler condition. A pooched oil cooler is unmistakeable.... believe me!!!!! Guess what I was working on today???? Yep... an oil change - through the degas bottle - again!!!! Leaking EGR coolers will usually leave tattletales in the intake manifold or turbo and can even hydrolock an engine. Head gasket failures, from what our shop sees, are the result of extremely high boost pressures that stress the headbolts to the point of stretch.... Once probably ain't too bad.... multiple times and we see a snowball effect.... like a sagging spring, the more it happens, the worse it gets....

Haven't used a torque wrench yet (but I'm getting more and more anal every day).... I usually snug the boot clamps down just enough for the OD of the clamp to feel flush with the boot when I run my fingertip over them.... right or wrong, it is working so far...

I've come across a couple (yes, even the shop foreman gets these) with big chunks of the IPR screen wedged in the IPR valve.... Even without any sign of STC fitting failure, these get an HPOP and the STC kit....

I keep forgetting that a lot of you guys don't have much in the way of labour laws... Anything over 44 per week (except for piecework - aka flat rate) cannot be made "mandatory" and overtime must be paid. One week goes from Monday morning to Sunday night so they can't take 4 hours from one week and 4 hours from the next to make you work an 8 hour Saturday... Alberta has 9 statutory holidays... if you have to work one of these, you get paid a LOT even if you are piecework.

Mike... even now we are still going 'round and 'round over my pay.... Each payday, I am making more than I could have as line tech (without busting my chops real hard) but they have to "top me off" to do it. I'd like something a little more comfortable than "top me off"... For me, I have traded a lot of real grunt work for the mind puzzles and getting caught in the middle of "STUPID" (which, sometimes has it's rewards ). Stress level, for me, is about the same both ways - the gun pointed at my head is a different colour, now... And I sure don't miss lifting those 19.5 inch wheels on to the side of my old hoist. Bottom line.... it's all about what you feel comfortable with... how and who you are when you get home from work... Seems like there's a lot of divorced techs out there.... My loving bride and I are at something like 33, maybe 34 years. I will admit, though, to having a personal relationship with both Mr Seagram and Captain Morgan - two fine gentlemen that, when visited in semi-moderation, can ease the pains of the work-a-day world.

It's the spray that I am using... it's important to let the pieces sit and "flash off" since this stuff isn't anerobic (sp). At one point in time I had troubles with the boot coming off the CAC tube itself and this method cured all my troubles.

My "ex"lift is/was a 27,000 pound, four post Forward... one of two in the shop. Front jack beam was good for 8000 and the rear something like 12000. We finally have some new crew members and I relinquished my hoist to a tech experienced in alignments since my other duties have left me with reduced billable hours. One more similar is slated for the new bays...

Clean all the oil from the surfaces.... spray a coat of HiTack inside the boot and on the nipple and let them set for a few minutes.... Assemble as normal. A hose pick will be required for disassembly but it wont be impossible....

I wish I could say that I get all my intakes squeaky clean.... I wish.... Some varsol/ brake clean/ engine shampoo to loosen up the stuff that will loosen up - do the absolute best you can do with the pressure washer.. If you are recovering from any exhaust sooting, this is about the best you are going to hope for in most shops... Get rid of the loose stuff and pray... Anyone that's experienced that wierd shit after an EGR change can vouch for that. I'd love to try one of those ultrasonic cleaning baths but I don't see one in my operating budget for a long time.... Does this sound crude??? Yes.... But there is a need to be both realist and fatalist....

I'm sure you guys have noticed that A) I don't watch TV much... I don't have a life.... I have caught myself reading the "Description and Operation" sections of various WSMs... FOR FUN!!!!! Worse yet.... WBT courses have become my version of a video game.... I have sunk to the very depths of depravity... and us Protestants don't have confessional booths....

I have the silver book and the gold book... I am unaware of any others.... Got mine through our local training facility. Hold the phone... a quick trip to PowerStroke Central delivered a heading on the left side "6.0 Diesel Service Publications". The first choice in the resulting list is the 2003.25 "Coffee Table Book".... this is the Gold book.... Second choice is "2004 Coffee Table Book" - one that I have not yet seen. Both of these are in *.pdf format and are hefty downloads (40+Mb). Ford has offered us lots of resources... perhaps we should spend some time perusing them. Personally, I was surprise when I clicked on this link tonight.... I'm sure I saw it there before but didn't act on it... Something to remember... on the Canadian message board, I am often the target of derision for my firm belief that this is my chosen vocation and, as such, a portion of my personal time is well spent researching those things that make me a more valuable employee....

Wow... I thought it was all "gloom and doom" as described on "another" forum. My DP is damned near a prince among men.... If something gets broken during a repair (and who, among us, hasn't had one of "them" days?), tell someone so that things can be made right... no charge - no retribution (unless it's a habit). One of the highest base wages in the province... training at the drop of a hat (three Masters in the shop.... building more)... raises for specialties.... bonus for production.... Downside - only downside - is lot's and lot's and lot's of diesel work. Upside... lot's and lot's of diesel work...

I realize that an open circuit reading will develop a default reading.... but, usually, an open circuit will show up when we check sensor bias... something I did right at the beginning - IIRC, I had 0.18 volt - didn't look at the spec but I recall this is about borderline low. Think about the chain of events in what you expect for readings.... Select the PIDs, look at KOEO values - they're OK... start the truck and look for something after that. For me, engaging the starter somehow dragged ICP volts low (to 0) and they remained there for a short period of time generating the code. Don't forget, I wasn't tackling a running concern, I was tackling a recurring code... HGM.... you are right about advising some of the less experienced members on strategy.... Something I keep forgetting involves more PID data readings. A real good example is a shorted O2 heater...... If an O2 heater somehow shorts to O2 SIG, the scan tool will display 1.5 volts. It does this because that's all it is programmed for. If O2 SIG reads 1.4 volts, it will display 1.4 volts... if it reads 1.5 volts, it will display 1.5 volts...if it reads 12 volts, it will display 1.5 volts because that is all it knows.... Sherlock Holmes, step aside....

David, even after this much time, my payscale is still in a state of flux.... Our DP 'was' a victim of my predecessor - I 'am' a victim of my predecessor. Bonus plans are usually based on the shops net profits. WIth 7 new bays under construction, new hoists and equipment to purchase, some equipment neglected by my predecessor to the point where replacement is the logical choice (not to mention 2 IDS and 2 PDS purchases), it's going to be quite some time before my department shows a net profit. In this light, I know it is going to be an uphill battle and I might fall a tad short of my target earnings for the year..... I'm not a young man any more and I am building what is left of my future (FWIW, target earnings were in the 6 figure range - I know you Yanks don't get what you deserve - the good guys, anyway - but a 9 bubble Master can make $38/frh in our house). The big thing, for me, is the "WORKING" part. Where many shop foreman positions fail is when technology gets past the foreman. Our old one spent far too much time having me show him how things work. This saga is far from over in my little world... if I find something that works, I'll let everyone know. In the meantime.... happy customers make busy shops. With the way SLTS are going, we need to keep them long past 3/36 to do well.

Manuel... I've asked our Edmonton instructor several times about the 6.4 course and (not surprisingly) there are no real good answers.... I live in "diesel city" and it would be nice to know exactly when the course will be released. I have, at this time, three guys to put through this and January is a real zoo for us....

Not like a genius.. it just reaffirms that we can't rest on our laurels... not for an instant. In my case, the truck started every time... started real good. The PCM is making too many decisions to make life easy.... My take on this case.... the last time the truck was started, the truck started... PCM saw 0 volts and decided that this was probably wrong and substituted a PSI computed value. In spite of the 0 reading, the PCM allowed injector operation and there was sufficient actual pressure for the engine to start. Of course, the volts reading was way out of line and that set the code. Now, I'm all for "fail safe" operating but this is something that could have been added to the introduction section for the PPT. THEY know the PCM strategy... THEY should be able to give us better hints for some of this stuff..... Don't mind me... I have a new hire that the DP enticed into the flock..... He's not getting what he thought he was getting and I'm not getting what I thought I was getting. I can't avoid recounting this experience so keep an eye on the "water cooler" for the next few days.... I'm gonna let it build for a while....

Yesterday, I got a spin and win..... "Replace oil cooler and flush system"... I hate you guys

Had an 03 in the other day... CEL is on and had a couple of concerns.... Some EGR related stuff that appears to have been cured with a MAF (old one had a lovely fur coat) but had a recurring P2285 - ICP low or something to that effect. Several road tests later, with nothing noticed on the IDS, I found the concern. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the ICP PSI would respond on start up and track ICP desired but ICP volts would hang at 0 for a second or so. Remembering that ICP volts is a sensor value and ICP pressure is a computed value, I replaced the ICP sensor - problem gone... I could have spent the whole week looking for something that happened briefly at start up....

Obviously, the problem belongs to Superchips - might it be better to ask them for a solution? Bad enough that all the "yayhoos" think everything is the trucks fault and their mods are Gods gift...

No aftermarket equivalents that I've seen yet... Standing line at one training centre... Mercon S(pecial) P(rice).

Gloat, you boogers, gloat.... No baubles for us Canucks...

The unpredictable damping I am seeing is with the damper in my grubby little hands... No sign pf leakage but stroke it once and it is firm and the next stroke will collapse or extend a couple of inches before damping hits... FWIW, I have solved many concerns simply be connecting the VDR and sending the customer on his way... the unit comes back with the button never having been pushed.

Pete, while I use Mode 6 for gas engines occasionally, I am unsure if it will be much help with a diesel. IDS and WDS both support Mode 6.... Mode 6 is extremely helpful when an emissions monitor wont complete but diesels always seem to clear a P1000 pretty quick (no EVAP cycle to run I think is the biggie and no catalyst monitor). There are so many times that these engines get to be very hard to even consider Fords SSCC mantra and we throw a turbo at it in frustration (praying, all the while, that we don't get too familiar with "chargeback"). HGM, sadly, your take on the concern is very, very true.... When we perform our testing, we should do it under operating conditions (when the concern is evident). Unfortunately, I didn't see anything about "self-basting" in the job requirements.... When necessary, I include a line about "not being confident" that a part would operate as intended at all times. Sidebar... 05 and up steering dampers sometimes get an "unpredictable damping" explanation.