How can Pushrods just vanish!?

[mrnecsteve]

If your theory one was correct...I would suspect that a cyllinder was filling with fuel and you were getting near hydrolock.Shutting the engine down would allow the fuel to drain into the oil pan.

[Dirk]

If you've already driven that many miles with that damage, any pieces that the LPOP would have picked up, has already done so.

Unplug batteries
Drain the coolant.
Remove fuel bowl.
Remove intake spider
Remove turbo\exhaust up pipes.
Remove intake plenum off the head
Disconnect the HPOP line.
Remove alt
Remove power steering pump bracket (leave pump on)
Remove the rockers\push rods. Keep in order in inspect later for damage
Remove lower retainer bolts from the injectors, leave top bolts
Remove oil deflectors from injectors
Remove injectors. Top bolts will stay in. Retainer piece will slide around them.
Remove exhaust manifold.
Remove the head bolts from the inside working outward. You will not be able to get the rear bolt out, leave it with the head and pull it when the head is out.
Clean up the mess.
Take lots of pictures.
Remove head gasket if it didn't come off with the head, usually does.
Take pictures of the cylinders and lifter valleys/retainers.
Remove lifter retainers.
Remove lifters and KEEP IN ORDER.
Take DETAILED photos of the lifters. Take shots of the roller assembly and body.
Take DETAILED shots of the cam through the lift bores as BEST as you can.


Read this post again.
Read this post again.
Print this post and have it with you as a guide.

Post all pics WITH descriptions if detail isn't showing up in the pics. I want it like I was there.

And then we can go from there. The 7.3 is AMAZINGLY tough. It may not be *that* bad. Taking everything apart will go fast, just pay attention to keep everything in order. Putting it all back together will take time. Attention to detail is critical.

Tools you will need (may need more, this will get you pretty far)

Assortment of flat head screwdrivers for prying.
8mm short socket
10mm short socket/deep set
12mm short socket
13mm short socket/deep set
15mm short socket
wrenches of the same sizes
Pliers
vise grips
dead blow rubber hammer

[builtnotbought]

Does anybody ever did a valve adjustent on their truck ? i'm working for a transport fleet and we do tune-up (valve adjusment) every now and then, would it be good to do this to a 99 7.3L, i was thinking for is rods to pop out like that it could have got out of adjusment ??? if so does anybody have the complete step for doing this ?

[CSIPSD]

There is not really any adjustment on a 7.3 valve job.


To the OP... If you truly drove it for that amount of time with no push rods in that cylinder, pull the motor. I can say with 99% certainty you have bent that rod, if you don't replace it, it will go on a vacation out the side of the block.

You can do all that was mentioned above, throw new push rods in it, and 30 miles down the road you will have a block for a new boat anchor.

[Dirk]

Originally Posted by builtnotbought

Does anybody ever did a valve adjustent on their truck ? i'm working for a transport fleet and we do tune-up (valve adjusment) every now and then, would it be good to do this to a 99 7.3L, i was thinking for is rods to pop out like that it could have got out of adjusment ??? if so does anybody have the complete step for doing this ?

There is no adjustment.

To set the rockers...

Remove glow plug.
Insert wire hanger into cylinder through the glow plug hole.
Turn engine over by HAND until the cylinder is the very bottom of the stroke.
Line up push rod with rocker.
Hand tighten the 2 rocker bolts making sure the push rod is aligned, fulcrum is aligned, and rocker is somewhat centered on the valve stem.
Tighten rocker bolts to 20ft pounds.
Install glow plug.

repeat on other cylinders.

[fire370]

You need to go straight down to your local convenience store and buy a freaking lottery ticket.......................

[C-Power]

Originally Posted by CSIPSD

There is not really any adjustment on a 7.3 valve job.


To the OP... If you truly drove it for that amount of time with no push rods in that cylinder, pull the motor. I can say with 99% certainty you have bent that rod, if you don't replace it, it will go on a vacation out the side of the block.

You can do all that was mentioned above, throw new push rods in it, and 30 miles down the road you will have a block for a new boat anchor.

i agree....tear it down....look everything over....could be nothin and you would have taken time to make sure and put your new rods in and drive it happy ever after...or you could just drop the pan not clean your engine and pop in new rods drive it awhile and possibly give your self a peep hole into your engine....if you busted it then there is probly pieces all over there was on my buddies pulling tractor.....and my old truck....

[MattMose]

Originally Posted by C-Power

i agree....tear it down....look everything over....could be nothin and you would have taken time to make sure and put your new rods in and drive it happy ever after...or you could just drop the pan not clean your engine and pop in new rods drive it awhile and possibly give your self a peep hole into your engine....if you busted it then there is probly pieces all over there was on my buddies pulling tractor.....and my old truck....

C-power, are you saying that this happened to you and your buddy before? Pushrods that got eaten up and dispersed inside the engine? If so you're the first to jump in and say you've actually seen this happen before.

[Dirk]

Just pull the head and see what damage is there. You may find the push rod(s) bunched up in the lifter valley. Yes, I've bent my share of push rods and I've recently had to fish a few out from down in the head.

There are a few people that are jumping to conclusions that isn't necessary.

[MattMose]

Dirk, Thanks for your detailed post! I've already gotten as far as

Unplug batteries
Drain the coolant.
Remove fuel bowl.
Remove intake spider
Remove turbo\exhaust up pipes.
Remove intake plenum off the head
Disconnect the HPOP line.
Remove alt

also:
Removed AC compressor Pump
Removed AC Compressor Pump Pedestal/Bracket
"Tilted" Vacuum Pump (had to slide it an inch to the side)

I had to do all this to get as far as I am and get the driver side valve cover off. (Damn it's cramped in there!)

And I've watched/read Maintain's posts on removing the injectors- I'm confident I could continue on to

Remove power steering pump bracket (leave pump on)
Remove the rockers\push rods. Keep in order in inspect later for damage
Remove lower retainer bolts from the injectors, leave top bolts
Remove oil deflectors from injectors
Remove injectors. Top bolts will stay in. Retainer piece will slide around them.

But after that I'm not confident I have the tools/space to work with. If I could get the engine out, I'd take this whole thing apart... but it's so cramped, I don't know if I can troubleshoot all this with it in there still.

Also, I'm not sure I have the tools/knowledge/experience to put this a;; back together to spec. And if I do find a deeper problem (bent rod?) I think that would almost certainly be beyond my means.

I feel like anyway I look at it, it's going to have to get to a guy with bigger guns to tear into this. I'm from Philadelphia, but like I said above, I'm near Atlanta now and fortunately enough, I had some work done down here with a place in Dec...

Sikes Fleet Service, Marietta GA

I'm thinking about taking it in to them and letting them take a crack at it since we're dealing with a potentially catastrophic situation here. Not that I really have the money to be paying for this.

With the vast body of knowledge out there, can anyone give me a ballpark range on best/worst case scenario repairs? This talk of buying lottery tickets and Julian's $9500 bill from the dealership when he had a similar problem is raising my pulse.

Thanks!