A while back, I got a spare 7.3 IDI engine out of a 1994 U-haul van.\u00a0 It was a really good deal, because the PO had a shop pull the engine, determine the problem, and get a repair estimate.\u00a0 The problem for him, the estimate was in the thousands of dollars.\u00a0 He needed the van, engine, and tranny gone ASAP, so he sold the pieces for whatever he could get, because the shop didn’t have space for his oversized paperweight.<\/p>\n
I bought the engine without knowing the origin of the problem.\u00a0 All the mechanics told me was the 7th piston was delayed when he turned the flexplate.\u00a0 I got the beast home, along with various other IDI parts (always be scavenging!), and put the block on a spare engine stand.\u00a0 I needed a decent block, because my original 1988 7.3 IDI had some kind of crack in the block that was pushing oil in the coolant.\u00a0 My plan was to combine all the “good” parts from both engines and make one rebuilt IDI for the van.<\/p>\n
Investigation:<\/em><\/p>\n Eventually, I got a moment to extract the oil pan and investigate the source.\u00a0 Here’s a video of the clunking:<\/p>\n