mchan68

Have any of you seen the Cautionary display on the fmcdealer webpage that states: So what are they trying to tell us? That we are being watched (which is not news), or that we are being watched more closely?

10 foot extension will eliminate all oil baths from 6.7

I still have the original STC fitting in my 2007 truck.

When I first quoted this job, I had my parts manager consult PACO. It turns out that lack of availability is due to lack of available rebuildable cores on hand. This tells me they fail very seldomly.

Well, I guess you don't need to. I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper into this. It turns out, all '08 F-250/F-350 trucks with a build date up to July 30th 2007 use STG-263-RM steering boxes (which by the way is the same part number for the steering box for my 2007 F-250) and 7C3Z-3B676-C steering shaft (which I'm assuming HAS TO BE the splined shaft pictured above). All F-250/F-350 trucks after that build date use STG-286-RM boxes and 9C3Z-3B676-A steering shafts. BUT, the particular truck referenced has a build date of May 2009, so how in the hell did this truck end up with an early box and shaft?

I doubt this box was ever replaced at any point in this truck's life, due to the fact they seldomly ever fail. But that still doesn't explain the splined steering coupler. Before you suggest an older truck, it's impossible due to the '07 and older trucks use a completely different shaft (and part number) from the '08 to '10 trucks.

Well, it turns out the lower steering coupler is in fact non-splined as you indicated Matt. Which leaves me scratching my head wondering why there isn't any mention of this in Microcat. This also means that any truck requiring either a box or steering coupler replaced will end up crossing this bridge.

Nada. I tried looking it up with no VIN as well, and it still comes up with that part number. Unfortunately in this case, replacement is the only repair option due to the input shaft being broken and completely separated from the box. Compunded to this, is the fact that it remains stuck on the hoist due to no way of being able to steer it, if I were to choose to push it out of the bay.

I have myself an '09 F-350 Harley truck that came in on the hook with a loss of steering control. The part number for the steering box this truck calls for is STG-286-RM. I have since installed it into the truck as you can see in the first photo, but now unable to fasten the lower coupler to the input shaft of the replacement box. As you can see in the first photo, it appears the replacement box input shaft is completely different from the original box in the second picture. To illustrate this point more clearly, I have removed the lower steering column coupler for a better visual of the differences. It appears the original box to coupler mating utilizes splines and a "half moon" shape, as opposed to the "triangle" shape of the replacement. Anyone else ever run into this, or able to shed some light on this issue. Of course, another replacement box is on USA no-stock status. I've since ordered a new lower steering column coupler in for the morning, but something gives me this awful feeling that it will only be identical to the original coupler, putting me no further ahead and in a bind.

I've been Senior/Master/Diesel certified since 2007. For reasons beyond my ability to fathom, I'm not feeling much love.

84 or 96 month financing.

Common sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruc1pBkOLN8

Although very few through the years I have wrenched on these trucks, I too have personally come across a couple shorted injectors that shut the engine down. And yes, these were admittedly tricky to pinpoint.

$114.

$35.20 per flat rape hour. Is that with or without bonus' like training for example? I am not going to complain so much about my wage now. That's only when I do "diesel" work. When I'm not, I get the same $29.50 that everyone else gets.

$35.20 per flat rape hour.

On my plate first thing this morning, an '08 F-450 came in on the hook on the weekend with a popping noise in the intake. Scanned it, got a P0263 and P0301. Got the approval to pull bank #1 valve cover for a look/see. Turns out cylinder #5 exhaust rocker arm had fallen off the pedestal. Amazingly enough, the pushrod, rocker arm and even the plastic retainer is all intact. So I reassemble everything, and bump the engine over and to my dismay, there is about 7/16 to 1/2 an inch of play between the pushrod and the rocker arm.

We have been looking for techs and apprentices as well for quite some time now, as well as other area stores with far better offers than us. Thus, it is no surprise that no one is biting.

I got an '08 F-250 right side up-pipe that went from a partial cab lift to a full cab lift after a turbo bolt snapped off.

Wow how time flies. I am very sorry to hear this as well. It only hits harder home for me due to my father passing this January past as well. Cancer SUCKS!!!! RIP Jim.

I guess buddy didn't like the retail labour quote eh?

I was asking this same very question myself, and my own personal theory is this. I think having a single chain driving four cams (well, the other two indirectly) puts a lot of stress on it. This, combined with a chain tensioner that has relatively little travel before it reaches the end of its travel of adjustment combine to put valve timing out just enough for the PCM to detect it and call our attention to it for repair. You don't see this problem on the 4.6/5.4/6.8 engines because they all use one chain per bank of cylinders, along with tensioners for each chain that put it under constant pressure with engine oil pressure. For what it's worth, I put 460,000 kms. on my previous vehicle equipped with a 4.6 that I never needed to get inside the engine, including the timing chain, before I got rid of it, only due to body rust issues. Had the body held up, I would probably still be driving it.

is it warranty or retail? Let me know how long it takes. Let me know if he pulls the cab or not. I've already done two.

I would m time it, or claim half the overhaul time."As per technical hotline request, tore down engine assembly to determine cost cap and root cause. Reassembly required for core reimbursement".That or fire the pile of shit back into the black box and let someone else worry about it.This isn't the Salvation Army. We don't work for free. I've been in this boat a couple of times myself, enough to where I won't even touch one bolt on a truck until I establish HOW I'm getting paid. Failing that, the truck sits outside to grow plants under it. I had one such truck in with about 295,000 that another dealer cammed and liftered about a year ago. He came in complaining of an overfull crankcase. Conveniently enough, he happens to have DieselCare warranty up to 300,000....... OR 7500 hours. He came in DEMANDING I repair his truck. As soon as I checked the engine hour count, it showed 9072 hours. Damn, it sucks to him, now PAY UP SUCKA, or I'm not playing. Hmmmm, his truck sure left in a hurry.