Alex Bruene

Nothing stinkier than a non-refrigerated fish truck... especially when it's an Econoline with a walk through door. Next worst thing I find are ice-cream trucks. Gotta like stale milk at 100 degrees.

If you make a mistake, it's a comeback, and you do it for nothing. If Ford makes a mistake, it's a recall, and you do if for next to nothing...

I'm pretty sure the Focus used them from day one... I don't know if the new Focus still uses them... I'll have to take a trip to the car shop one day to have a looksie...

I am certainly not a fan of working on 6.0 ambulances... but is this really a wise business decision? And do they mean that there will NEVER be another diesel E-box? Or just until it's redesigned?

Hey Jim, is that your Yugo parked at the first intersection? Nice to see there's lots of Fords in town!

I've had to replace one FICM for what I seem to remember an issue with the fuse blowing. This one however had been super-duper overheated by exhaust blowing on it from a terribly leaking Y-pipe.

I just came by this broadcast message... Quote: 1999-2008 F-SUPER DUTY / 2004-2007 E-SERIES - LACK OF POWER DUE TO LOW FUEL PRESSURE - FUEL TANK LINER SEPARATION SOME 1999-2008 F-SUPER DUTY 350 CHASSIS CABS,450/550,AND 2004-2007 E-SERIES 350/450 VAN/WAGON (35GAL MID SHIP TANK) VEHICLES WITH A DIESEL ENGINE, MAY EXHIBIT A LACK OF POWER CAUSED BY LOW FUEL PRESSURE. IF NORMAL DIAGNOSTICS LEAD TO A RESTRICTED FUEL FILTER OR FUEL LINES, BE AWARE THAT FLAKING OR SEPARATION OF THE FUEL TANK LINER FROM THE STEEL FUEL TANKS MAY OCCUR DUE TO THE USE OF FUELS CONTAINING CONCENTRATIONS OF BIO-DIESEL GREATER THAN RECOMMENDED BY FORD (5%). IF FLAKING/SEPARATION HAS OCCURRED, THE FUEL TANK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH FORD CONTINUES TO ALLOW A MAXIMUM BIO-DIESEL CONCENTRATION OF 5%, A NEW FUEL TANK HAS BEEN RELEASED WITH A GREATER ROBUSTNESS TO BIO-DIESEL 6C3Z-9002-E (AFT TANK) FOR 1999-2008 F-SUPER DUTY DIESEL, AND 7C2Z-9002-D FOR 2004-2007 E-SERIES DIESEL VAN/WAGON MIDSHIP TANK.

Bruce, it is illegal to disconnect emissions items up here as it is down there... I don't know how severe the fines are though.

Bio-diesel has been known to cause this issue. That or other fuel quality issues. I would not suspect the tank to be the problem.

Some of the early Powerstrokes were EEC IV.

I wonder if it's something like the "code of the day" menu on WDS. I don't use PDS, so I'm just guessing...

I don't know about 1996, but 1994 and some early 1995 were still EEC IV... NGS or SuperStar II work just fine on those.

We have a local builer that is quite helpful on the phone when needed... but I do still prefer to send the job out if it is an electrical issue.

I remember them from my days as a tune-up tech. Just about every 5.0 that came in for an emissions test would fail HC. On the bright side, I have yet to see any PowerStroke fail an emissions test.

No kidding... I was 12 when that beast was built!

Well, today I replaced a leaking radiator in a Ryder truck with about 130 km on it. While bleeding the cooling system, it started to regenerate. The mud-flap was actually smoking on the back-side. I measured the temperature of the mud-flap at around 360 deg. F. I imagine that I would have been able to push a pick through the flap like knife through hot butter. Keep in mind, this is likely the trucks first regen, so I wonder how many regenerations that it will last through...

It's very likely that there have not yet been too many repairs perfomed on 6.4L trucks. That being said, there are also not very many SLTs, so we will be using a fair bit of M-time for now. It is also very likely that the M-times that we are charging will help to make the SLTs of the future as far as the 6.4L is concerned... so take the extra time to get your torque wrench out, follow the WSM, don't take short-cuts (for now)... you know what I'm getting at...

I do recall alot of guys changing valve seals for this condition, but if my memory serves me correctly, I'd check for a restricted screen under the PCV valve before going too much further.

One of the guys I work with ALWAYS uses the IPR test harness when he does his air tests, where I ALWAYS use IDS. We don't see any trend in IPR failures on his jobs compared to mine.

I recall our diesel instructor recommending that we put a fuel pressure tester on the schrader valve at the fuel cooler and leave the valve open while cycling the key a few times, untill fuel with no bubbles comes out after low pressure fuel system service. It was something about the fuel system not self-bleeding quite as it is "supposed" to...

I have found that in most cases, police vehicles have a circuit breaker that will interrupt current flow to the police service items. I like to do my testing with it powered up, then disconnect it and test again to rule out the accessories... which it seems to be way more than half the time.

That, and it's against the employment standards act... at least in Ontario it is...

Ryder has been building them with the flaps about 2 inches behind the pipe. I had one come in that had a hole burned through it at around 200 km. Mind you, this was pre-07S49... but I don't know if it went 'flame-thrower' or not. But I still think it will be an issue either way.

Well Jim, I would lean towards lack of experience here, unless of course this is not the first time to have an issue like this. As far as I am concerned, an apprentice should ask, ask, ask and ask again if not 100% sure on how to do something, and not be too proud to ask someone to check his or her work. Did I mention they should not feel afraid to ask (the right person) for help or advice? I think perhaps a good talking to about the current situation might be a good start. Remember, if he does not like to read or train, the future does not look too bright. And... being the shop foreman (or chopped foreskin as my wife likes to call it), I would think that you should have the same STARS2 access as your training co-ordinator...

Sorry sir, you're gonna have to call back on the 1-900 number if you want advice...