Bruce Amacker

It's common to verify a bad PCM by looking or smelling the inside. They commonly smell burnt when they are bad. That, and a bit of natural curiosity, I'd bet. Good Job!

Eastend: Those tank strainer screens are on Gen2 only, not his '97. His truck uses a regular pickup with only a screen near the floor of the tank, (with a suction relief valve that opens if it clogs). __________________________________________________________ TechTrain 2009 March 20-22, 2009 Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, Grantville, PA http://aasp-pa.org/generator/downloads/2009_TechTrain_brochure.pdf And they're having me teach CAR TOPICS! Automotive ABS and Electronic Service Information! A diesel guy teaching CAR TOPICS!

I'll be in your back yard teaching this Sunday, but car topics...... OOOoooooohhhhhhhh! I'm an "extreme member" now! Lotsa brownie points!

Yes, the kit includes the o-ring you mention, the brillo pad screen, big snap ring, and a small o-ring. Good Luck!

You will likely find a bad pump, but you will also likely find trash or junk in the regulator. If you find rubber chunkies, it needs injector o-rings. If you find metal shavings, it needs a pump. If the small screen has something like fibers in it, they've been using cheap aftermarket filters. If there's black residue like below, the injector o-rings are also bad. 50/50% on whether you need the o-ring kit shown below. Getting the PN for that kit was a REAL MF because Ford lists the IPR as the fuel pressure regulator for this engine and the regulator shown below is just called "regulator". Good Luck!

Have you checked fuel pressure under load? It sounds like a classic case of fuel starvation.

In addition to all of this, I attribute fuel knock from an overfueling injector to one cylinder running at an extreme compression ratio from less air available and too much fuel in the cylinder. This is another way of saying it is near hydrolock. Good Luck!

I remember one years ago like this, I think it was overfueling due to an injector problem of some sort. I'm sorry to say I can't remember the details. Future reference: Used PCM's (and other parts) are quite cheap and easy to order through www.car-part.com Good Luck!

I've got it handy for 6.0. Does anyone know if it is the same? It's in the WSM.

Beam type torque wrenches never go out of calibration. Use an inexpensive beam type and a 1/2" 8 point socket end-to-end with your clickie to verify its accuracy. Adjusting them isn't difficult, either, if it does go out of calibration. Oooohhhh! I got a new banner!

You still have Mac dealers running around? They've all but disappeared in my area, and other areas in the US, too, from what I hear.

If you read the Tech Tips that show up when you do your daily IDS update, you'll see that XP Home has been a supported OS since January 22.

If it has a weak/bad injector, it could conceivably cause a misfire by having ICP pressure too low to properly atomize the fuel in one hole. Disconnecting the ICP causes it to go to a default value of 725psi with a higher IPR command. I've never seen a dead miss caused by a bad ICP, but anything could happen. Good Luck!

That would be me........

The definition of an expert: "Someone who does the basics better than anyone else."

Yes, the screens in the tank sender assy are a big time pattern failure giving the exact complaint you have- intermittent stalling on the highway, wait 10 minutes and it's fine. You can do a fuel pressure test at the head to check pressure, but in reality you need to duplicate the concern with a vacuum gauge on the pump inlet. The tool you'll need to check inlet restriction should be in your 7.3 kit, it's a hose assembly, PN 014-00931-2. Normal restriction is in the 4-6" HG range, I've seen them pull 29"+ when the screens are clogged. We had a discussion about PN a while ago, normally you buy the whole sender assy when you have this problem. The 7.3 screens are on the left. If you do find this problem, warn the guy that his pump has been cavitating and could fail as a result of the blocked screens. Good Luck!

Glad you got it fixed! Were you watching ICPV and not ICP? It's REALLY important to look at ICPV as one of the first PIDS you monitor in Datalogger for any driveability problem you encounter. ICPV must be between .17 and .24VDC KOEO and is usually about .8-.9vdc idling. The reason you need to focus on ICPV and not ICP is that ICPV is a factual voltage taken from the ICP sensor, but ICP pressure is CALCULATED by the PCM and will be substituted in the event of an high pressure problem. For example, if there is an active HP oil DTC, the scan tool can report ICP pressure rising normally during a cranking, no start cycle to about 1200psi, but the ICPV stays fixed at .20vdc. This really fools the tech who's watching ICP and not ICPV into thinking the HP oil system is fine. That's why the IDS pulls up both ICP and ICPV automatically when you select ICP in Datalogger. Rule of thumb: Get used to watching ICPV more than ICP. It'll save your ass bigtime. I've seen more guys burned by this...... Good Luck!

Taken at the Cleveland Auto Show this weekend, note the little baby turbos on each side:

Found on the 'net, no guarantees it is correct, but it looks good: Altitude and temperature also affect the compression readings. Manufacturer’s specifications are almost always given at a specific altitude (14.7 psi at sea level), and 59° Fahrenheit. Both temperature and barometric pressure change as you go up in altitude, so you will need to correct your measurements if you wish to compare it with a factory specification. The following chart provides conversion factors for correctly compensating for changes in altitude: Compression Test Altitude Compensation Factors Altitude Factor 500 0.987 1500 0.960 2500 0.933 3500 0.907 4500 0.880 5500 0.853 6500 0.826 7500 0.800 8500 0.773 A standard compression reading of about 150 psi at sea level in Los Angeles would measure significantly less in the surrounding mountains. For example, at an elevation of 6000 feet, the expected reading would be 150 psi X .8359 = 125 psi. The cylinders would be reading low if compared to sea level measurements, yet perfectly fine at this altitude. At your 1900 foot altitude, this should translate a (sea level 100%)425psi reading into 402psi, but you still say you've never seen 400psi???

I find I learn as much (or more) in the hallways and at lunch as I do from most training programs.

I hear you about back pain, as I have also suffered with it my whole life. I will say my back has never felt as good since I sold the shop 5 years ago...... Regarding using your hand to bang a wrench, a friend of mine from IATN (Albin Moore) had surgery recently to repair a crushed artery from this move.

Bad move if you ask me. How are you going to diagnose a dusted engine?

Grampa, what's your MAP/Baro read KOEO in your area? Sea level is 14.7psi, Cleveland is 14.2 unless it's raining. In higher altitudes like Denver, I see 12ish. I've seen as low as 13.8 in a rainstorm on a truck in Cleveland that's usually 14.2. (yea, you can forecast weather with the Baro/Map sensor readings)

Are you really sure you want to do that? Aren't you afraid we'll tell them what we think of you?

At sea level. I don't know the altitude at Slave Lake, maybe it's really high. Thin air would explain some of Grandpa's remarks....