95 Ford Power Stroke Heads Are Coming OFF

I have procrastinated enoufh had to do a few paying jobs today while fiddling with my truck. Pulled it in Monday afternoon draind the oil pumped the radiator up to 16 PSI came in this morning its still at 16 PSI no coolant in oil drain pan. Started my journey going after the glow plugs pulled a valve cover and this is what I found.


Knowing I am gonna get deep into it I pulled all the rockers then went after the glow plugs. #8 tip on a glow plug MIA lower right one.


Used shop air to apply air pressure to each glow plug hole #8 is the leakier no glow plug tip to be found. I removed the injectors and have the rad pumped up no leak so far looks like injector cups are good. Going to pull heads tomorrow are thanks giving day.

How many miles are on it? Just curious.

Glenn F.

124K Low mileage I am chalking it up to age. I know the truck and the owner he would have never sold it to me knowing it had a issue like this... I am into it deep gonna keep on trucking even if I have to pull the engine call Jasper and tell them to pick it up and fix it...

Picture #2 show 9 cylinders, is that correct?

Only if you counting Muff'N's

Glow plugs are laying in a muff'n tray does look like cylinders tho.
Lets try lower right glow plug..

Go ahead and put injector cups in the heads while they are off. Cheap insurance. Rosewood Diesel in Chardon OH makes the best cup
tool set. If you were close I'd loan you mine.

Hobo yours is not the 1st to have the heads pulled at that milage, my ford 7.3 specialist had many of them off
around that milage. If he was still around I would show him these pictures he would be able to tell you where
to start fixing. Unfortunately when I sold the tire shop he went back to Colorado. Good luck with her.

Well Hobo, I hope once you have it apart,
you find a dead indication of what you're
looking for. Especially if you aren't
showing any leakdown. Problem is, if you
don't have the right stuff, checking the
oil cooler can be a pain. And, if you
didn't see fuel in the coolant, you're
injector cups are "probably" ok, but
sometimes leaks don't show up until warm.
If you have the heads gone over, and you
should, it'd be a good idea to have the
cups changed while the heads are off. As
for the melted glow plug, I wonder where
that went? I hope you don't find out once
the head is off... Be sure to replace them
with Motorcraft glow plugs, they aren't any
more money than the autolite ones. Good
luck with your project

The construction company I worked for had 1995, and up 7.3 power strokes. Even at 250,000 miles the only real problems we had were the dual mass flywheels. Best thing they ever did was to make regular flywheel to replace the dual mass flywheels. These were single wheel crew cab F350's pulling gooseneck's with a Caterpillar 416B or newer backhoe on them (plus all the tools, and other things they needed) for repairing underground utilities.

Wow, I didn't have to replace glow plugs till around 250,000 miles. Under the valve covers were spotless.
4 dead glow plugs but they all came right out. Around 240,000 did a 4-wheel brake job, new frt rotors,
pads, rear shoes, rear drums still looked new. New LUK clutch and flywheel installed around 250,000 miles
too, straight piped the exhaust.
I need to replace injector o-rings, and oil cooler tubes and o-rings. And probably have to do a water
pump and fan clutch soon.

By the looks of that sludge, coolant is getting in crankcase somewhere. Could be oil cooler, injector o-
rings, or injector cups in heads.

Had to laugh about 15 years ago, I suscribed to the Turbo Diesel Register so I could post on their website.
Yeah, very biased to the Cummins 5.9/6.7. Some guy that probably has the dealer service his truck went On
and On about how much better the Cummins was than the 7.3. Bragged about never hearing of the Cummins
breaking an oil pump drive shaft and that the 7.3 couldn't make that claim. He actually apologised for his
stupidity after I informed him the low pressure oil pump on the 7.3 was driven by the crankshaft, pump
actual in the timing cover. Heard of several guys loose oil pressure for one reason or another on a 7.3
and the engine just shuts itself off from lack of oil operating the injectors. Yep, Dual Mass flywheel not
the best feature of a manual trans old body style truck. I love my ZF-5 speed. Best manual trans I've ever
had.

Applying shop air pressure to #8 cylinder the same one the tip of the glow plug is MIA I get bubbles out the radiator fill neck. (just encase you missed that) No leakage on any of the other cylinders.

I have read deep into this on the net and sourced several different repair information procedures no were has anyone recommended removing the fender wells. It must be a given cuzz its EZ and gives you access to the back of the heads and the exhaust manifolds.

I had already received OEM glow plugs and valve cover gaskets I know the gaskets are re-usable I want new ones. A couple months ago ordered all OEM coolant hoses/thermostat I have never got them I hope they are still available. The heads will be sent off and reworked.

Wow. It's getting in there somehow. Good luck with it.

When you get done, can you make me some muffins. I like blueberry.

Dean

I wonder if its a cavitation issue, sure hope not though.

I got a LUK replacement one at a decent price for my cousin because I worked with someone who's son worked at LUK and could get so many ( maybe one ) a year at a good price.

That is high mileage compared to mine at 30,000.

Looks like I am going DEEP #8 piston...

It took me a haft a day are more to get the exhaust manifolds and turbo off about every bolt put up a good fight. A guy on another site recommended a used engine I never thought about it so went looking they are cheap plenty with low mileage. I found 4 from a place I have dealt with for over 40 years they have always done me right if things went bad somewhere down the line they made it up with a free part are parts on another job. From what I can find there price is higher will have to call tomorrow and see what they have. Engine is out and bolted up on a engine stand that's as far as I could get over the holidays.

I hope this is a happy ending to this issue.

I found a used engine advertised with 85K it was in a ambulance. What I could see on the ambulance was rust free but every thing on the engine was stuck are suffering from rust. I chalked it up to the environment the engine was in.

I did some modifications, rebuilt the turbo, put my injectors in with new o-rings, pulled the oil pan re-sealed it and took care of a common oil leak were the dipstick tube passes thru the pan, re-worked the fuel canister and pressure regulator, did a EBPV delete, replaced the rear main seal, put a 3" exhaust down pipe and a few other things. Replaced all the coolant parts including radiator replaced both fuel tanks and re-worked the fuel pic-up's. I am into it now a little over 3K in parts It fired right up no problems it ran better than it ever has and strong

I moved on to little nic-knacks not engine related got them repaired then went for a ride thru town truck running GOOD THEN it cut off WTF! Towed it in and spent several hours scanning and googling. I went after the IPR on back of the HPOP my engine is a 95 the replacement a 96 the IPR is different so I made one out of the two using my 95 and the end off the IPR off the 96. I think the IPR just stuck and needed cleaning move forward it fired right up and ran strong I have drove the pizz out of it so far so good...

This is my first rodeo with a 7.3 it was a bear the most aggravating SOB I have ever worked on all in said and done they are not that bad. The first thing you need is about 3000 dollars when that's spent 3000 more so have a good cosigner lined up. Once you have used up your cosigner money refinance you house you are all in are junk it and move on with life.

If I had to do it again the engine is coming out to begin with no way I am pulling the heads with the engine in the chassis again. I would pop the cab off it can not be that bad and it would eliminate the bad. The turbo is just a plain MF'er to remove once you remove it and do a EBPV elimination deal along with relieving some clearance issues its not that bad. The 3" down pipe deal go ahead and cut the body seams at the pinch welds bending them over does not give you the clearance (BTDT) you need to fit the pipe from the top EZ. I took a die grinder and made quick work out of it then pumped the seam full of red high temp RTV....

Anyone want a 95 F250 rust free with 124K I will take 17K for it if it sales that's OK no love lost. If it don't I will just drive it for another 20 years its fixed the way I would want it down to a new spare tire...

Next project those P.O.S. stock mirrors have got to go...