Can this 7.3 be saved????????

dragon71 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 03:46 PM

I have a 2001 F250 with a 7.3 and only 114000 miles. I bought it from a guy who hadn't had it running for a year because the starter went bad, the door was bashed in, and just didn't want to spend anything on it. I've been working on it off and on since last December. I have had the Ford dealer replace all injectors, glow plugs valve cover harnesses,and injector drive module just to get the service engine light to stay off. They also did a compression test and found 1 cylinder about 30 PSI lower that the rest. All the others were at 350 or so. (They also found a crack in the air intake hose between the air cleaner and the turbo.)I talked to a machinist about the low compression and he said the 7.3 was very hard to kill. He suggested running John Deere break in oil and some Marvel Mystery Oil for a couple of oil changes. The oil is only available in 10W30. He said if it had stuck rings it should loosen them up. I asked him about the bad air hose and he thought if it got dirt in it all 8 cylinders would be low, not just 1.
Well I have put 2000 miles on since I put that oil in, and have added 5 quarts of oil. IT smokes blue when cold, and at idle when hot. It sometimes feels as if it has a slight miss in drive when standing still, but other times it runs fine. Is there any hope save this thing without pulling the engine. The machinist said it probably could get by with just a good ring job, and throw it back together.
Getting tired of spending money on this thing. The whole front end also had to be rebuilt, (ball joints, idler arm etc.)is that normal for this few miles?

GAS · #2 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 08:05 PM

Do another oil change, and use a quality 15W 40. Then you will know. Thirty pounds low on compression in nothing to get excited about, you talking less than a 10 % difference

dragon71 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-11-2011, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAS

Do another oil change, and use a quality 15W 40. Then you will know. Thirty pounds low on compression in nothing to get excited about, you talking less than a 10 % difference

That's what I thought. The Ford dealer had a hard time getting the light to stay off and kept telling me the engine was shot. I said. OK so you put in a new engine the light will still be on if you don't find the electrical problem.
they did eventually get it fixed, but they didn't like it to go out that way.
I've been an ag diesel mechanic for 31 years, and IH always allowed 10% like you said. It just is annoying to see the blue haze out the exhaust. Can't be the turbo, could it? It's not loose and I see no external leaks, has good power. I'll go another 1000 miles or so and give it an oil change.
Are any of these oil additives any good? I have a 92 Chevy 3500 with the 6.5 diesel and I've been running 1 quart of Lucas Oil Stabilizer since I got the truck. I got over 300000 on the first engine, truck has 476000 on it now. I've never been a fan of the fix in a bottle, but that stuff seems pretty good.
Thanks for the reply!

lariat 7.3 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-12-2011, 11:58 AM

run a good 15-40 diesel oil like rotella. i wouldnt run the oil additives in it. if it has stuck rings id try running it hard for a few miles. if the turbo seal was leaking you'd see oil dripping out the exhaust and white smoke. it could be burning oil because the viscosity is lower?

dragon71 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lariat 7.3

run a good 15-40 diesel oil like rotella. i wouldnt run the oil additives in it. if it has stuck rings id try running it hard for a few miles. if the turbo seal was leaking you'd see oil dripping out the exhaust and white smoke. it could be burning oil because the viscosity is lower?

If it wasn't so cold up here in Iowa I'd put in some SAE 30 oil. I previously had a 99 F25o diesel and I ran Northland 15W40 in it. Also have 15W40 CaseIH oil in all my diesel farm tractors.
I did have it on my car trailer last weekend to haul a fertilizer tank home, about 160 mile round trip. Not a hard pull, though. But I did notice some oil on the right side of the trailer that came out of the exhaust. I should put it on my gooseneck flatbed and haul one of my tractors around for 100 miles or so, that ought to get it loosened up.

dragon71 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 06:30 PM

What are most of you guys running for oil? When I worked for the CaseIH dealer they didn't think much of Shell Rotella, but I know it's pretty popular with big trucks.