Used to work on equipment for a dealer.
Been about 6 years since I switched jobs. I
don't like working on vehicles much, but my
old 96 F250 had been getting engine oil in
the fuel bowl for quite a while, so it was
time for new injector o rings. So last
night after work, I put in new injector O-
rings, new glow plugs, and changed the
engine oil. The 7.3 has 300,000 miles on
it, and this is the first set of injector
O-rings, so I'd say they did their job.
While I was hoping it will run for a long
time to come, I'm afraid it isn't so. I
found a torn intake boot at the turbo on
the bottom side where you couldn't see it,
and it's been ingesting dirt for a while
now it looks. The compressor wheel on the
turbo is pretty rough as well. I'm gonna
fix the intake boot, replace the turbo, and
get whatever miles she has left out of her.
Still runs very well, even better with the
new injector O-rings, but I'm sure it
didn't do it any favors. Took me about 6
hours total, the worst was getting
everything cleaned up. My back and knees
sure were sore from bending and leaning
over it for that long.
Apparently I didn't have enough though,
tonight after work I went and replaced the
engine oil cooler on a Cat 320B excavator
for a buddy. More leaning, and kneeling on
hard surfaces. The bolts on the cooler
cover behind the injection pump are really
hard to get to and very trying on your
patience. They of course go directly into
the water jacket, and I had to heat quite a
few of them to get them out. I did break
one off in the block though, so I had to
take that out. After some cleaning,
reassembly, got it fired back up and ready
to dig for this weekend. I know I'm gonna
feel it tomorrow, bent over, and kneeling
for the last 2 evenings. I still work in my
shop each night, but mostly on tractors and
farm equipment, stuff that doesn't require
hours of straining yourself. After working
for the dealer for almost 10 years, I gave
it up. That heavy equipment wrenching makes
an old man out of a boy. Kudos to you guys
that still do it, my knees are shot, and so
are my shoulders.
Been about 6 years since I switched jobs. I
don't like working on vehicles much, but my
old 96 F250 had been getting engine oil in
the fuel bowl for quite a while, so it was
time for new injector o rings. So last
night after work, I put in new injector O-
rings, new glow plugs, and changed the
engine oil. The 7.3 has 300,000 miles on
it, and this is the first set of injector
O-rings, so I'd say they did their job.
While I was hoping it will run for a long
time to come, I'm afraid it isn't so. I
found a torn intake boot at the turbo on
the bottom side where you couldn't see it,
and it's been ingesting dirt for a while
now it looks. The compressor wheel on the
turbo is pretty rough as well. I'm gonna
fix the intake boot, replace the turbo, and
get whatever miles she has left out of her.
Still runs very well, even better with the
new injector O-rings, but I'm sure it
didn't do it any favors. Took me about 6
hours total, the worst was getting
everything cleaned up. My back and knees
sure were sore from bending and leaning
over it for that long.
Apparently I didn't have enough though,
tonight after work I went and replaced the
engine oil cooler on a Cat 320B excavator
for a buddy. More leaning, and kneeling on
hard surfaces. The bolts on the cooler
cover behind the injection pump are really
hard to get to and very trying on your
patience. They of course go directly into
the water jacket, and I had to heat quite a
few of them to get them out. I did break
one off in the block though, so I had to
take that out. After some cleaning,
reassembly, got it fired back up and ready
to dig for this weekend. I know I'm gonna
feel it tomorrow, bent over, and kneeling
for the last 2 evenings. I still work in my
shop each night, but mostly on tractors and
farm equipment, stuff that doesn't require
hours of straining yourself. After working
for the dealer for almost 10 years, I gave
it up. That heavy equipment wrenching makes
an old man out of a boy. Kudos to you guys
that still do it, my knees are shot, and so
are my shoulders.
