Brad Clayton

I have been trying to bring my dealership managers and higher ups around to the reality of what's involved with todays auto repairs. I must say that this has been dificult to say the least. I think that the whole lot of them live in fantasy land. Some of the managers are ex techs and they relate every job in the shop to a broken down Ford Tempo. Jeez, I'll here them say to someone, did you check this? And I'm thinking, they quit making "this", that you want checked, 10 years ago. Well, the opportunity finally came up and it could not have worked out any better. I guess the only thing that would have made it perfect is if I was a fly on the wall to witness the preceeding events. I currently have a cab off 6.4 short block in my bay and it looks like a train wreck to say the least. The powers that be see this as a quick job and always take the attitude of what's taking so long. The DP was driving a used 6.4 and brought it in Saturday to get the fuel filters replaced. They truck was worked on beside my bay and when the job was completed, it would not start. It was the end of the day and the tech working on it needed to get out of there. The DP was ok with it after all it was just a used vehicle and he would jump in another one. So now the truck is dead in the water and the service manager is thinking he can get it running. He fricks with it with no luck. The head service advisor comes out and puts his two cents in <rolls eyes>. They call our third string diesel tech over, and he is clueless when they actually run, nevermind a no start. The DP comes back in and jumps on also. So now we have 4 equally clueless guys huddled around a 14,000 dollar engine trying to get it to run. Now keep in mind it came in for a fuel filter replacement. What's the best idea they came up with? Let's put the old filters back in it and see what happens. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? By now the filters have been stewing in the garbage and are grimey. They put the old filters in and it still wont start. I found out about this today and went off on the whole lot. I have never seen so much finger pointing in my entire life. It was "he did not me, no it was his idea not mine" and so on and on. Mike pulled the old filters out and there was some nasty dirt in the housings. He put the new filters back in and then we found out that the truck is actually broken and when the filters were removed, it allowed the fuel system to lose what little "prime" it had to begin with. It's outside now and waiting to be looked at. I sincerely hope that these fellows that think they run the show have a small inkling as to what we deal with now. I think they will probably forget very quickly, but I will be there to remind them in a heartbeat. You can bet your boots on that partner.

Very good point sir.

Quote: I seem to recall the one for the 6.4L haveing an offset bend to it You are correct in that. But that bracket is used for cab on engine removal. It is used with the fork lift style picker that slides into your cherry picker and really is only good for the threaded rod deal that goes to the back for stability.

I read a post that asked what the deal was with cab off and got some thoughts together. I know this is sometimes talked to death and repetitive, but.... To cab off or not to cab off, that is the question! I am a cab off kind of guy. I have been pulling cabs every since Ford redesigned the F-150 in 1997. This is when the idea of tucking the motor under the cowl took off like wild fire. If you like to pull cabs and have never done a 150, then wait til you get one with a stick shift and a popped motor, it will convince you. Also, Ford’s modular motors are very susceptible to heat. Down South, these engines bake themselves to death. The first thing to go is the valve stem seals. There again think about the last time you did a valve cover gasket or even tried to rethread the number 4 spark plug hole. Cab off is enough said when resealing valves comes up. When I talk to people about the decision of removing a cab or not, I mention the idea of pros and cons. I personally like to explore all the options that are out there. This helps me make a decision on the best option that is available to me on future jobs. I have removed every diesel engine available to current in a light duty Ford pickup, out of the chassis the old fashioned way. I have removed all configurable cabs from Fords current chassis’. The 6.4 is like building a pyramid. If you forget a building block on the bottom and get to the top……..well you know. By removing the cab on a 6.4, you cut down on the chances of build up mistakes. Now that I know what is involved, I can make an informed decision when a truck comes in with special circumstances. Let’s look at a 6.0L. Vehicle comes in and needs a bedplate reseal. Let’s say the motor is in mint shape and has every possible updated part available. Now let’s say that you have the Ford engine stand with the gear reduction crank handle and the works. My first option would be to pull the cab. With the cab out of the way, I can leave the engine completely intact. I have a spreader bar set up and can lift the motor out of the chassis and onto the stand in one fail swoop. This would allow me to flip the engine over do what I got to do, flip it back over and put it back in the chassis. Now let’s say there is some wiring running out of the cab, or worse, hydraulic hoses. This will complicate things to say the least. It is a major deterrent on my end and I usually opt to leave the cab on. If it’s head gaskets, I think on it a little more. Unfortunately, cab on engine removal still requires a lot of body removal parts, and you have to disturb the engine. The turbo and y-pipe have to come off. So now you’re still in the same spot with the engine on the stand. The decision has to be made on how you got there and what you’re willing to put up with. If you have ever pulled 7.3l engines, then you are quite comfortable with taking the front of the cab apart, pulling parts off the motor to clear removal, ect. If you like to leave the motor and radiator and all that intact, then you have to be comfortable dealing with power steering lines and possible brakes lines opened up, and realigning the cab into its correct position when done. Basically, it all boils down to a matter of preference. I like to do what I am comfortable with, and what I can do the fastest. I can have a super cab 6.0l off in just at an hour. That leaves plenty of time to monkey with the motor. 6.4l is even faster, once you figure out how to beat the cage nuts. I actually like the new setup because you never have to open a door to get the body off. One factor I did not mention is space. I only have one bay. If a cab is off a truck and then down for parts, guess what? I am out of a bay to work in. This has also swayed my decision process. Is it better to remove with cab on and push the truck out, or is it better to cab off and then sit the cab back on and push the truck out. Jeesh, what a horrible thought to have to do that.

Dude, that rocks, I'd give you a five head banger salute but I am using the quick reply and computer is too slow to switch to reg reply.

Give it another couple of days.

You can't deny the power of the REFLASH.

Just did a short block and the friggin stand they shipped it on was frickin insanely overbuilt. I assembled the whole engine minus the front/rear covers and pans, right on the shipping crate. It worked out great!

Quote: 3023 - 6.0L IPR SCREEN - PART AVAILABILITY 6.0L DIESEL ENGINE EQUIPPED VEHICLES THAT PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED INJECTION CONTROL PRESSURE REGULATOR (IPR) VALVE REPLACEMENT DUE TO DEBRIS OR DAMAGE TO THE IPR SCREEN, CAN NOW BE SERVICED AT A LOWER PART LEVEL. THE IPR SCREEN CAN BE SERVICED WITH PART # 3C3Z-9H529-A AND DOES 'NOT' REQUIRE THE ENTIRE IPR VALVE TO BE REPLACED. REFER TO THE SERVICE PROCEDURES IN THE WORKSHOP MANUAL SECTION 303-04C, IPR VALVE SCREEN REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

Shit, in South Carolina, if we had the original pan off to get in the bottom end, the pan got the goo cleaned off it and spackled with new goop and put right back on. One of the perks of working in Vermont now, I dont have to clean the pan off. It gets tossed in the garbage and a new one put on.

Quote: I see alot that are "weaping" as you say Sounds like a Friday at my dealer, when they hand out our paychecks.

At the moment, my dealer is having trouble holding the parts personnel accountable for their screw ups. It is costing the techs big time and the customers even more. Looks like they are setting up an account to charge them for every wrong part that is handed out with a smile and shoulder shrugged off when told it is wrong!

A really bad, I mean really bad STC fitting can if you run it up fast and slam the throttle shut.

OKAYYYYY, forgot you had mentioned the oil gage not moving til it started. SOOOOOO, gonna have to go with the majority on this one as well and chase the oil system. But as far as things go here in the state of Vermont, I have never had a 6.0L set a cam/crank code with a mechanical problem. I still don't trust penguins.

Oh and don't listen to Aaron, besides what the hell do penguins know?

E-boxes are bad for the wiring harness to be pulled kinda tight. If you grab the harness right near the pcm and kinda where it goes down before it loops over to the engine and give it a good tug, you may be able to reproduce your concern. If so the sheilding cuts into the harness, and advise replacing the harness alltogther. Done quite a few of them and the codes you have are a good indication.

Quote: .(Apparently so will Brad's store, HA! )

Parts rant: First I must say that I hope the rest of you guys parts departments aren’t run as bad as mine. This week alone, I was handed two parts that were used and pawned off on me as brand new. If they are doing that to me, what the hell is the poor customer on the retail end of the counter getting? The first one was a dipstick tube for a 7.3L. It was painted black and had a green “o”-ring on it, two things that Ford never does. I looked at it and said this thing is used and bent all to hell. The parts guy ignored me. I needed some more stuff that wasn’t here yet so I took it and what I had. When it came time to put the dipstick tube on, it obviously didn’t fit. So I went back to the parts counter and said this one is no good and I need a new one. The parts guy said yeah we have one and it’s 40 dollars or so. I said this is the “new” one you just gave me and I told you it was used. I had to fight with him to change it out, and I told him to throw that one away before some other poor sucker ends up with it. The next one is just great. I mean you can’t make this kinda stuff up. I needed an outer belt tensioner for a 6.4L. They don’t have one and order it. When I get it, there is tape on the box instead of a staple. This raises a red flag right away. I take it over to my bench and open it and the friggin thing is broken. I look closer at the box and it has a warranty return R.O. number written on it. The boneheads put the warranty return part back in stock instead of the junk shelf. So I get another new one and go to put it on the truck and the idiots ordered me an inner tensioner. And last but not least, I got a quote on a PTU for an Escape. The parts guy brings it up on the pricing screen and it’s $999.00. He looks at it, and not knowing I am looking, bumps it to $1499.00. Just like it was nothing, can you say lost sale? There are many more horror stories that I can share with you, but this is enough of a rant for the moment.

Started snowing today after 10 am. Put new sneakers on my wifes rig today, just in time. Got the Exploder up to 50 mph on the interstate on the way home. You guessed it, I'm the "asshole with the SUV who thinks he is invincible when there is snow on the ground"!

Holy cow, look at all that stuff.

Anyone can buy the Ford publications we use, theres a form to order them in the back of most of the paper manuals.

Anytime I run into that on one of the oldys with the cam driven lift pump, I remove the fuel pressure test plug in the head, left or right. Spin er over and it's just like bleeding a brake caliper, spits and sputters air and fuel and away she goes. (on edit) The statement above actually applies to Gen II units. If someone runs them low enough on fuel the heads can get air bound. I can't recal ever having a problem with Gen I units.

For a throw back in time, see this oldie but goldie: http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/forums/ubb...r=7869#Post7869

Quote: How would we diag it? With a 5/8 wrench.