Tapping noise and white smoke Thinking fuel system

[junk]

On the way to work the 89 started ticking and blowing white smoke out the exhaust. At idle it's running rough also. So based on the white smoke and running rough I'm thinking fuel system. Bad injector probably? I'm not thinking valve train because it isn't running consistently rough. It kind of comes and goes.

So on the way home I noticed this.
-Gages were in typical ranges
-Oil level is good and typical color
-Truck ran Ok, but you could tell not right
-white haze from exhaust that would come and go
-Starts great still.

I cracked the injector lines right after work and didn't necessarily see a difference between them, but I'm going to do it gain once I pull the intake stuff off and get into work clothes.

Am I on the right track for trying to diagnose a fuel system issue? What rules in or out valve train also?

 

[laserjock]

Sounds like it could be a leaker. I think you are on the right track. Not loosing water are you? Bubbles in the coolant tank? Does it smell like fuel? White is usually un burnt fuel.

 

[junk]

Oil looked fine. Didn't actually pop the radiator cap yet. Will tomorrow. Changed the fuel filter tonight, it had all sorts of crap in it. Absolutely crazy the amount of crap in that filter. So I've got a internal tank rust issue it looks like.

I can't get the pig fired back up. Just won't go. My lift pump is working, but seems anemic? I'm wondering if pumping rust chunk filled fuel ruined the pump. It's a mechanical pump. I've not cracked any of the fuel injector lines, but probably will tomorrow. I'm wondering about hooking a vacuum source the return line fitting on the pump to get fluid in it.

Anyway tomorrow I'll get back after it and hopefully get it fired up.

 

[laserjock]

If you've got a tank rust issue it's conceivable you've got crud in an injector.

 

[junk]

Well it runs again. Still not right, but finally got it to start. Ended up putting a new lift pump on it. Ran some fuel out of the fuel lines under the cab. Fuel looked absolutely clean. Don't remember when I put the filter on. I'm guessing all the crap was when the tanks were put back into service.

Anyway still doesn't run right. Fuel system is from 1998 or 99 so it owes me nothing.

 

[laserjock]

So did you ever isolate it to a cylinder? Might be worth giving it the old ATF in the filter treatment.

 

[junk]

Intake noise. When I run it up you can here a light tick
https://flic.kr/p/L5kzkQ

Exhaust at idle. It gets a deep tone that comes and goes.
https://flic.kr/p/Kbu5x1

I did pop cylinders and couldn't really isolate a cylinder. Truthfully I'm just happy it runs again at this point.

I'm still leaning towards fuel. when I was cranking it before it finally started the engine sounded the same as always.

 

[laserjock]

I don't hear much in the exhaust. I hear the tick in the top. Hate to say it but it may be time for a compression/leak down test. What's the story on the engine? You didn't do much to it when you rebuilt the truck right?

 

[junk]

Engine was a drop in Reman back in 1998 or 1999. So it's got probably 100K on it, but sat for a while when I rebuilt the truck. Fuel systems that old also. Always ran so good hated to mess with it.

I may take this one to the local diesel shop. They're pretty good.

 

[laserjock]

Hope so. Fuel system is easy to fix. If you could isolate it to a cylinder you could do the old swap injector trick.

I wish you luck man.

 

[junk]

Sometimes I'm glad to be lucky vs good.

Well I ran it down the road quite spirited and it cleaned up. So yeah definitely a fuel system issue. Glad I replaced the filter. Glad I figured out the lift pump was bad. I drove this truck for 10 years with no lift pump issues before tear down. Since it's been back on the road I've put 3 pumps on it now. 1 right away, one a couple years ago, one this weekend. I'm wondering if something is taking them out. Probably all the grit they were getting. Maybe too much pressure from a jacked up filter? My other truck has no issues there runs great. Not sure what to think. Priming this time was a pain in my ass. This is the first time I've wondered about electric fuel. Probably going to put a fuel pressure gage on the filter head.

- Jeremy