Troubleshooting from the road - valve/rocker noise - before you lose an engine

[OnDaRoad]

Thanks for the input & good advice

Thanks to everyone for contributing ....
Early morning here in Carlisle, PA

I am going to unhook my trailer, go a couple miles to Walmart,
pick up some oil & filter - then change it.

Right down the road as well is a car wash - got good advice
from a member to use that as a 'garage' on a rainy day

All new injector lines were replaced 3000 miles ago by me
As mentioned, all injectors supplied by Russ were replaced by
me 3500 miles ago

LCAM-01XA

I think you are on the right track, I might have a problem
with #2 injector ...
Not having done this before, can you please detail step by step
what you recommend in cracking the lines & what to look for?

Thanks,


Jim
(260) 570-7286

 

[Goofyexponent]

Start the engine up and let her get up to operating temperature.

If you suspect the #2 injetor, get a 5/8" wrench and simply back off the nut on the injector a couple of turns. Have a rag or two handy as a small amount fuel will squirt out around the nut. If this does not solve the problem, tighten the nut up and continue loostening nuts and retightening them one at a time until you have found the problem or tried all the injector lines.

The engine will develop a miss if the injector is functioning right. Listen for the change in sound and extra vibrations in the engine for each nut.

If you come across an injector line that makes NO change, that is your problem injector and can be changed out pretty easily as you have just installed them yourself 3500 miles ago. I think it is a 15/16" or 1" socket/wrench.

 

[OnDaRoad]

Changed the oil

A member made a comment about 'starting with the basics' .....
So, I warmed my engine up this morning about 15 minutes before moving
and headed down to Walmart - this time I had tapping start from the
get go.

Checked my oil - down a half quart.

Changed oil & filter - noticed very small amount of metal shavings at
the drainplug

Crap .......

Being the optimist I am - I had even bought wiper fluid

Started up the truck - no noise - let it idle 20 minutes

Drove back to the truck stop about 10 miles
Got it up to 55 nice & easy - no noise

Along the way - stopped at SHEETZ and got a $4 turkey
12 inch sub - let it idle 20 minutes there .....

So now I am thinking maybe shift my focus to a rod or
bearing coming apart

I know my truck is messing with me

 

[Goofyexponent]

The only way to know for sure is an engine oil sample analysis or an engine teardown.

I would cut open my oil filter and see what is in there. See if it is ferrous or non ferrous metal.

 

[BigRigTech]

Cutting the filter open would be a good start, no metal in it and I would turn my attention to the fuel system, how is the oil pressure? A dribbling injector with a bad tip can sound like an engine is coming apart when it get's hot....Been there and done that recently with a 466E at work - the tip had split and an to hear it you would think the crank was coming to come right out of it.

 

[typ4]

There was no metal when we changed the oil and did the cooler. Something is not happy.

I have your old injectors also so if you need them shipped let me know where ,today as I Will be working without comp access all week.

 

[THECACKLER]

First, I'm no expert in these things, just a good amount of experience. I believe shavings in the oil are generally piston ring debris and are normal to find in a high mile engine. Typically they look like fuzz on the magnet. Flakes are the result of metal to metal contact where the two items actually weld together then break back apart by flaking off the weld hardened surface. Many times these are from the sides of the rods where they are paired on the crank pin. Rod and Main bearings are a steel backing or shell which is plated with copper and a zinc like material and are non-magnetic until you go through the copper. How is the oil pressure?
My attack would be to do the injector check by cracking the lines open at the inlet to the injector one by one to see if you can isolate the cylinder that is causing the noise. If that narrows it down I would do a "lube shot" as described earlier by filling the fuel filter with straight ATF, 2-Stroke oil or Diesel Fuel Treatment and running it through the injectors to see if they can be freed up.
Next step would be to take off the oil fill cap while the truck is running and check for "wind" out of the filler neck.
For what its worth I pray for you. I pull 3500 miles round trip about twice a month for personal reasons and on the next to last trip I had a catastrophic failure of the Oil Cooler big o-ring. I lost 2 gallons of oil in an instant and by Gods Grace and good fortune I was able to swap out coolers to get back home. When I changed my oil I found flakes and I know they don't heal themselves. My oil pressure has dropped and I am now building another engine. Not cheap. And "Good" and "Used" don't seem to go together when looking for a used IDI engine.
BTW the injectors are a 1" hex. The crank bolt at the HB is the 15/16" one.

 

[OnDaRoad]

A simple solution ....

Again - lots of THANKS to all who called me, sent me PM's,
posted on this Thread

I have just driven 150 plus miles on I-76 and am outside
Wheeling, WV ...

I drove a 55 m.p.h. in 4th gear, climbed hills, went thru
(4) tunnels - no noise whatsoever

Reviewing the past months' events - here is my conclusion:

I had a badly leaking oil cooler

I bought a used one from a member on another forum
That member kindly replaced the o-rings & furnished mounting gaskets

Another member here installed it

Unknown to the installer - me - or the guy I
bought it from ...... there was a stuck relief valve
I blew two oil filters at start up on two consecutive
morning starts in mild Portland, OR

The member used my original filter end and installed it

Problem solved ......

We put the oil & filter back on - I had changed it
for a second time 50 miles from his shop

BAD IDEA

I have never put drained oil back into an engine or
used a filter taken off before & I will never do it again

My theory is - 3500 miles down the road was enough travel
to circulate whatever debris might have come loose when the
two filters blew combined with whatever contaminents
might have been present in the oil cooler tube after the
second service - let alone what might have been in
the pan it was drained into

The minor tiny metallic dust I noticed on the magnetic
drain plug was a sign of what have been blocking the filter
and probably the oil galley & passageways to some extent

I might have been hearing a lifter rattling because of
resulting low oil pressure

Again - just a theory - but it makes sense

Another 500 miles to go before I get home

I will change the oil & filter again once I arrive
and check for more signs of contaminants

I am never to old to learn, to take advice, to express
genuine gratitude for the kindness of strangers

I have learned some more lessons here - hopefully
I will continue safely down the road


Jim

 

[typ4]

The oil wasnt drained when the filter head was changed, just the coolant, we loosened the plug to check for coolant in the oil, there was none. So any debris would have come from the cooler. The bottom line is , even if something like a cooler comes to you assembled ,take it apart and inspect it before installing. Also I have looked at Jims old cooler and the engine rebuilder did not reseal the cooler upon overhaul which makes me suspicious of the quality of the rebuild.
The o-rings were original black ones and they were cooked.
glad you are back moving and we will talk soon.

 

[BigRigTech]

It's nice to see things like this, not for the broken parts but for the help offered to a stranger in need....Being a mechanic I stop when I see someone in need when I can.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Hot damn Jim. Looks like your going to make it home after all. Got the trailer ready just in case you don't. Best of luck.

Bill

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Whew, glad to hear you dodge the bullet! I pull long hauls too and I know how frustrating issues like that can be, on my last trip down south in the fall I started losing fluid from the PS pump pressure fitting, normally I won't worry much as these thing can be steered manually if needed but I run hydroboost too so I'd be losing brake assist as well - good thing I always carry two toolboxes with me, so I was able to tighten the snot out of that fitting and it hasn't given me grief ever since... Sure got me spooked tho, lol.

Have a safe and uneventful trip home!

 

[starmilt]

Just a suggestion, you might have an oil analasist run on your oil when you change it.

 

[icanfixall]

Testing the oil is the best way to know whats going on inside your motor...

 

[THECACKLER]

What's the cost of an oil sample analysis? Is there an approved method of gathering a sample. Who should I contact for the service? I recently went through a similar fire drill and slapped a used cooler on to get home and then found metal flake in the oil. "Paranoia Strikes Deep" but if I can avoid or delay the inevitable it would be so nice. I just can't bear the thought of ventilating a good block.