Installing used engine-What gaskets to change?

[giannid]

I'm installing a good running low mileage 444e International and am wondering what gaskets and seals I should change out while I'm doing the swap. Gaskets aren't very expensive and I figure I may as well do them while it's easy. So far I'm doing the oil pan sea, oil cooler, exhaust manifolds, injector orings, uvc harness, and valve cover gaskets. Anything else you guys could think of I should do while it's out? Was thinking may the rear main seal and possibly head gaskets. Haven't wrenched on the 7.3 much so I'm not really familiar with the engine. Any recomendations would be appreciated.

 

[vcassens]

The seal/o ring for the dip stock tube at the oil pan is good for leaking and is a pain to get to when the engine is in the bay on an obs not sure about the superduty. Might also want to do a water pump while it's easy to get to

 

[Chvyrkr]

Do the water pump.

Put a new oil pan an associated o-rings on it.

Rear main. Just do it.

Head gaskets depend on what YM the engine is. Later model is a thinner gasket. I'd have to go dig on PSN to find the thread to see exactly what was different. I can't remember.

FWIW though, I had a later model 444 with the thinner gaskets, and I'm not convinced they were an issue.

 

[Arisley]

Personally, I would not do the rear main, they are not on issue on the 7.3.
I would also not do the head gaskets, that old original seal is not worth breaking unless you have to.

I agree with the oil pan and dip stick. Probably the valve cover gaskets also. And the water pump. While you have the oil pan off, check to make sure all the oil cooling jets are OK. Might want to swap out the oil pump also.

 

[Chvyrkr]

Personally, I would not do the rear main, they are not on issue on the 7.3.
I would also not do the head gaskets, that old original seal is not worth breaking unless you have to.

I agree with the oil pan and dip stick. Probably the valve cover gaskets also. And the water pump. While you have the oil pan off, check to make sure all the oil cooling jets are OK. Might want to swap out the oil pump also.

I swapped an engine, went and did burnouts to "break it in."

Woke up the next morning and there was oil everywhere. No idea why it went, but when the engine is on a stand already...

 

[Arisley]

Good point.

 

[bruce]

Dip stick, valve cover and uvch, rebuild the fuel bowl, and new turbo pedestal o-rings.

 

[Chvyrkr]

Went back to PSN and looked up the threads I had on the thinner gaskets in the '98 444 I had...

Stock head gaskets crush to about 0.060 +/- 0.002.

The '98 444 I had, measured with a feeler gauge, was 0.050 average around the heads.

Several people that know far more than I ever will assured me this would not be a problem, so I ran the engine. Never got that many miles on that engine, but it did see high RPM's with no obvious issues because of the slimmer gaskets so... YMMV.

However... In diggin through those old threads, I was reminded that I changed the cam from the 444 cam to an OBS cam I had. The power peak on the 444's is much much lower than 7.3's.

Someone over there told me that was because of the cam. Even though all of us know you can affect HP peak on a 7.3 with tuning, to a great degree.

But, since I had the other cam. I swapped it too.

To do that, I removed rockers and pushrods, and rolled the engine upside down on the stand.

(You're going to have to do that anyway, because you have to remove the front cover to mess with the cam, and the pan has to come off to free the oil pickup from the front cover. And the engine manual tells you to apply RTV to the pan, and install it with the engine upside down, not torquing the bolts until RTV sets.)

Anyway, with the engine upside down on the stand, and rockers and pushrods removed, the lifters will fall against their retainers and you can remove the cam with them (and the heads) still installed.

 

[giannid]

Chvyrkr, I didn't plan on changing the cam and from everything I've read and hear it was the same other than having an extra lobe for the mechanical fuel pump. Seems like everyone I've asked has used the 444e cam with no problems and planned to do so. They're are a few threads I posted on this board and other powerstroke forums that I used to find info out. I'm also using a newer engine than you 1999-2000. Are you sure the cam is different or did you just hear that? Seems like a lot of people have a different opinion. Does anyone know what gaskets are associated with the front cover? I'll be changing that out as its different on the 444e as the water pump.

 

[bruce]

Since you're in chardon, I'd take rosewood a set of injectors to be made into somethin like a 160/30 and install them. Also 910 valve springs are pretty cheap and they're a lot easier to install on the stand than in the truck

 

[giannid]

Jim at Rosewood will be helping me with the conversion and I'll be having him go through a set of injectors for me. I'm fortunate enough to have someone that knowledgeable close to me. I'm leaving the engine stock as it's a work truck and mileage and reliability are most important to me. The truck has an ais intake and walker straight through muffler on it and it makes good power for it's application. It's 550 so it has the gears to pull. Also have a chip from Powerstruck I'll be putting in

 

[bruce]

910's are less than 100 bucks. Stock valve springs on have like 75 pounds of seat pressure. Unshimmed 910's have like 99 pounds IIRC. Cheap insurance if you ask me, since you already have it out, especially if you ever plan on gettin an exhaust brake or using the ebpv as an exhaust brake