Simple Cam Synchro Question

[crunchie_frog]

Jake,

The rich porter (not a remanufactured one) has ~ the same vertical play but very little horizontal wobble. The roll pin is the same as the motorcraft. I am going to try it and see how it works out. I have a spare engine in my garage...

 

[JakePSD]

Haha you'll have to report back in a few weeks. I have a spare engine in my garage but I don't think a 7.3L diesel will fit very easy...

 

[JakePSD]

Well I finally got a good one. Installed it but now I've got another problem. Its barely been driven since mayish. Her mom was pretty much the last one to drive it. She said something about it not blowing heat all the time. I just experienced it. The temp gauge climbs then moves up and down and the the heater blows cold air intermittently. What do you guys think the problem is? Based on my experience I'm thinking its a bad head gasket leaking compression into the cooling system. My dread of doing that job on one of these has me in a bit of denial and a little sliver of hope that maybe its something simpler, like a thermostat or something. What do you guys think? And besides a cooling system pressure test and a compression test, what other diagnostic ideas do you have?

 

[JakePSD]

Well... right after I made the last post I started it up again. Ran smooth as silk like always. I was looking around under the hood and started getting coolant mist in my eyes, which feels wonderful I might add. Grabbed my light to see where it was coming from. Then the flood gates opened. I shut er down real quick and looked under the hood to see coolant pissing out of the top of the water pump. Hopefully I just found the problem. Looks like I be replacing that and praying that that was the problem.

 

[JakePSD]

Upon another close inspection, the corrosion on the pump matches the corrosion on the timing cover quite closely. So I guess its entirely possible that this is the factory original water pump. If it is, it has at least 237,111 miles on it. I say at least because for a while the speedometer would cut out intermittently until I fixed it. We have no idea how long it was doing that before we got it.

 

[bobflood]

At this mileage, you might want to go ahead and keep going with the repair to include the timing cover gasket. Not much more additional work (four or six bolts on front plus two more from the bottom; pull the crank pulley). Replace the crank seal while you have the timing cover off. Good luck.