c/diesel-mechanics

My uncle said to always use a torque wrench on injector hold-downs, but the old head at my shop swears by 'feel'.

I snapped a bolt on a Duramax following the 'feel' method after my uncle warned me. Who's right here, the manual spec or the experienced hand?

2 comments

lilyb27•1d ago

Tried a different way to clean a stuck EGR valve on a 6.7 Powerstroke

I used a mix of brake cleaner and a soft brass brush after the usual soak didn't work, and it actually came out way cleaner than I expected. I mean, I thought for sure I was gonna have to pull the whole cooler, but it freed up and passed the vacuum test. Anyone have a go-to method for really stubborn carbon on these, or was I just lucky this time?

2 comments

park.tessa•2d ago

Showerthought: I spent $150 on a cheap scan tool and it actually saved my bacon

I was working on a 2015 Duramax that had a weird intermittent power loss. The owner said it felt like it was being held back, but no check engine light. My old scanner couldn't see anything, so I was about to start throwing parts at it. On a whim, I grabbed a $150 Autel scanner from the parts store, figuring it was a gamble. Hooked it up and found a stored code for a turbocharger vane position sensor that wasn't triggering the light. The data stream showed it was sticking. I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but I would have spent way more than that on a turbo or an EGR valve trying to guess. That little tool paid for itself in one afternoon. Has anyone else had a surprisingly good experience with a budget diagnostic tool?

2 comments

wren978•3d ago

Unpopular opinion: a dab of anti-seize on injector threads is a game changer for old farm equipment

Working on a 30 year old John Deere tractor last month, the guy said he'd had three mechanics walk away from the stuck injectors. I was about to do the same after snapping a socket extension. Out of pure frustration, I heated the area with a torch for about 90 seconds, let it cool, then put a tiny bit of copper anti-seize on the threads of a new injector before gently working it in and out. It acted like a cutting paste and cleaned the threads enough to get the old one out. Saved a full day of drilling. Anyone else have a weird trick for seized parts in aluminum heads?

2 comments

the_dylan•4d ago

Unpopular opinion: I ran a 6.7 Powerstroke on straight 5W-30 for 500 miles and it didn't blow up

We had a real mess with a 2019 F-250 in the shop. The owner had put some weird aftermarket oil in it and it turned to sludge. I had to flush the whole system three times. I was out of our normal 15W-40 fleet oil and needed to get it running for a test. All I had on hand was a case of full synthetic 5W-30 meant for gas pickups. I figured, what's the worst that could happen for a short drive? I put it in, ran it hard on the highway for about 500 miles over a week, and checked the oil pressure the whole time. It held perfect pressure, even pulling a load. The oil looked clean when I drained it. I'm not saying to do this, but it made me question how picky these new engines really are about weight. Has anyone else pushed the limits on oil specs and been surprised?

2 comments

wesley205•4d ago

My apprentice called my fuel line routing 'spaghetti from a horror movie'

He was right, it was a mess behind the injection pump on a 6.7 Powerstroke. I started using zip ties and labeling every line, which saved me 15 minutes on the next one. How do you guys keep your engine bays tidy?

2 comments

gray117•4d ago

Appreciation post: my $300 pressure washer paid for itself in one afternoon

I was working on a 6.7 Powerstroke with a clogged EGR cooler. The old cooler was caked with soot and I knew cleaning it by hand would take hours. I bought a small electric pressure washer for about $300 last month, thinking it might help with general shop cleanup. I hooked it up with a degreaser mix and blasted that cooler clean in maybe 20 minutes. It came out looking almost new, and I saved the customer the cost of a whole new part. I'm finding more uses for it every week, like cleaning oil pans and engine blocks. What other shop tools have you guys bought that ended up being way more useful than you thought?

2 comments

the_gray•4d ago

Just blew $400 on a 'universal' turbo rebuild kit that didn't fit a single thing in my bay

Ordered it online from a place with good reviews, said it covered 6.7 Powerstrokes from 2011 to 2019. Got it in, the gasket shapes were wrong, the v-band clamp was a different size, and the cartridge had the wrong bolt pattern. Spent half a day trying to make it work before I had to eat the cost and overnight the right parts from the dealer. Now I'm out the kit money and the rush shipping. Anyone have a supplier they actually trust for this stuff, or is it dealer-only for turbos now?

2 comments

wade_stone•6d ago

Just realized my shop's fuel economy fix for a 6.7 Powerstroke was all wrong for a year

We had a 2019 F-250 in the bay for months with owners complaining it lost 3 miles per gallon. Kept chasing injectors and the turbo. Finally, a tech from a Ford dealer in Boise told us to check the damn DEF doser heater circuit. It was shorted, making the truck run in a permanent rich regen mode. Fixed that one $180 part and the mileage came right back in two days. How many other shops are wasting time because they don't have the right scanner to see that live data?

3 comments

nora184•6d ago

PSA: Bought a $50 'universal' EGR delete kit online and it was a box of random bolts and a gasket

Tried to install it on a 6.7 Powerstroke and the fit was so bad I had to order the OEM part anyway. Anyone else get burned by a 'one size fits all' diesel part that fits nothing?

2 comments

blake_williams•7d ago

Why does nobody talk about the weeks lost waiting for backordered gaskets?

I just spent three weeks waiting on a head gasket for a common 6.6L diesel, and the customer was calling me all the time. The delay messed up my whole schedule because I couldn't work on other trucks. Always check if your parts place has the gasket before you start. This tip saved me from more trouble later.

2 comments

perry.skyler•8d ago

Unpopular opinion: This custom turbo setup on my pickup is driving me nuts

I decided to add a custom turbo to my old diesel pickup as a side project, thinking it would be a cool way to get more power. But man, getting the exhaust manifold to line up right has been a total pain. I had to weld new brackets, and my first try cracked after just a few heat cycles (should have used thicker steel, I guess). Now I'm dealing with boost leaks that I can't seem to find, and the engine keeps running rough under load. My buddy said it was a bad idea from the start, and I'm starting to think he was right. I've got oil stains all over my driveway from checking connections over and over. Part of me wants to scrap the whole thing and go back to stock, but I've put too much time into it already. Sometimes these creative fixes just aren't worth the hassle.

2 comments

seandavis•9d ago

Contrary to common advice, I keep my diesel tools on wall hooks.

Many swear by locked cabinets. Hooks let me grab what I need in seconds. No fumbling during jobs.

2 comments

parkerl33•9d ago

Appreciation post: The diesel shop on my mail route fixed my van fast

Honestly, it was blowing black smoke every time I accelerated. They cleaned the EGR valve and it's like new now.

2 comments

murphy.keith•11d ago

Hot take: Lifting heavy parts solo builds character, but my doc says team lifts save backs.

Some mechanics push through alone for pride, but others insist on help to avoid injury, where do you stand?

2 comments

jana_miller31•13d ago

Hot take: My best fix happened when I went against standard diagnostic flow

I mean, maybe it's just me but I had this old Duramax come in with a weird rough idle that no scanner could pin down. Everyone kept telling me to run the full computer test sequence first, but I skipped it and just listened to the engine with a stethoscope. I heard a faint tick near the number three injector, so I pulled it and found the copper washer was barely cracked. Replaced it and the thing purred like new. Idk, I think sometimes we rely too much on tech and forget basic skills like listening and feeling. This was a small win for me because it took half the time the book said it should. Sure, some guys might say I got lucky or took a shortcut, but it worked. After fifteen years, I trust my ears more than a code reader on simple stuff. That job just felt good, you know?

3 comments

riverl75•13d ago

Stranded with a dead engine, I now blame diesel filters for more harm than good

I think diesel particulate filters cause more problems than they solve. From what I've seen, they clog up all the time and the fixes are too expensive for most owners.

3 comments

the_terry•16d ago

DAE torque every bolt now after a costly mistake?

I skipped torque specs on small bolts for years to save time. Then an over-tightened bolt cracked a cylinder head on a Duramax rebuild. Now I torque EVERY bolt, no matter how small. My comeback jobs dropped like a rock. Guys who skip this are playing with fire. That little extra care saves BIG headaches down the road. Just do it.

3 comments

martinez.reese•17d ago

Why does nobody talk about diesel fuel filters failing without a sound?

Mine plugged up last Tuesday and almost wrecked my motor while I was driving home.

3 comments

brookeh43•18d ago

Warning: My old-school distrust of scan tools is gone after a tricky injector issue

For a long time, I thought fixing diesels was all about feel and experience, no need for fancy computers. But when I faced a weird injector problem that had me stumped, hooking up a good scan tool showed the fault clear as day, saving hours of guesswork. Do you guys still fight the digital shift, or have you come around to it?

3 comments

leemason•18d ago

More diesel trucks in my area are failing emissions tests this year.

Shops are backed up with DPF cleans and sensor swaps.

3 comments