Repair 7

How to Take the Cylinder Head Off a 7 3 Ford Diesel

International Harvester manufactured the 7.3-liter diesel engines that appear in Ford trucks from 1988 to 1992. This engine is most common in Ford trucks with a rated carrying capacity of at least 1/2 ton. The 7.3-liter Ford diesel engine uses a single cylinder head for all eight cylinders in the engine. The cylinder head is on top of the engine block and is part of the combustion chamber. The procedure for removing the cylinder head from a 7.3-liter engine is the same for all Ford trucks.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cables from the negative terminals of both batteries with a socket wrench. This prevents anyone from starting the engine while removing the cylinder head.

2

Put a drain pan under the radiator. Remove the drain plug with a socket wrench and allow the coolant in the radiator to drain into the pan. Store the coolant for later use.

3

Detach the shrouds for the radiator fan with a socket wrench. Disconnect the fan and clutch for the radiator as an assembly by using tools T83T-6312-A and T83T-6312-B. The mounting nut for the radiator fan and clutch has a left-hand thread, so you must turn it clockwise to remove the nut.

4

Label the electrical wiring on the alternator so you can connect it correctly later and detach the wiring from the alternator. Disconnect the bolts for the alternator and vacuum pump with a socket wrench. Remove these components from the engine block.

5

Disconnect the coolant hose from the cylinder head with a socket wrench. Remove the fuel injection pump from the engine block. Disconnect the intake manifold and valley cover from the engine block.

6

Raise the vehicle with a floor jack and support it with jack stands. Remove the exhaust pipes from the exhaust manifolds with a socket wrench. Disconnect the clamp and mounting bolt for the oil dipstick tube. Detach the oil dipstick tube from the cylinder head and lower the vehicle.

7

Disconnect the valve covers with a socket wrench and remove the rocker arms from the engine block. Record the position of each push rod, so you can re-install them correctly later. Remove the push rods from the engine block.

8

Remove the fuel injector nozzles and glow plugs from the engine block with a socket wrench. Disconnect the mounting bolts for the cylinder head with a socket wrench. Install lifting eyes on each end of the cylinder block with tool T70P-6000.

9

Lift the cylinder head from the engine block with the lifting eyes. Use caution to prevent the pre-chambers of the cylinder head from falling onto the engine when you remove the cylinder head.