Newbie with '84 6.9 IDI with issues

Grad-uated

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That'll be fun with the Phillips screws on there.... Passenger side can be tight. I glued the gasket into the valve cover to hold it in place while getting it back on.

You might try snugging up your valve cover screws. They only take 6 foot pounds of torque.

Somebody installed a later model GP controller and glow plugs on your engine. If you need a new controller or glow plugs, you'll need to ask at the parts store for them off an 87+

You can buy qty 16 -111 o rings instead of a kit. I use diesel rated hose from Napa. I think the cloth covered stuff that comes with the kits is crap. You'll need larger spring clamps which are cheap from Amazon.

The fuel lines feeding the injection pump and returning to the tank use 5/16 and 3/8 olives aka vibralok. You can get them from a tractor store or from McMaster, https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/125/207 Good idea to have some on hand before you pull either of those hard lines.

Once you get it clean, you can assess it.

Thank you dgr.

I was easily able to pull the drivers side valve cover. I have a package that came with the truck with 1/2 gaskets-- looking at the pulled valve cover I think one of the new ones was put on this leaking drivers side. The good news is that it looks good under the valve cover, everything is tight, and I briefly ran the engine and it sounded and looked lovely.
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The gasket itself looked almost brand new, so I (plan A) tried to clean things up then re-use it and tighten things down.

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However, it was leaking after this and I saw the smoke drifting up from where oil dripped from near the #1 cylinder valves onto the exhaust.

So... (plan B) I went to an auto parts store who recommended 1 inch hex bolts for the valve cover. I got these and then tried again to tighten things (not too much) -- still leaking.

I'm on to plan C. I looked online and ordered 5/8-18- 3/4 bolts which are apparently the right size.

I am going to try to use the bolts and ordered a torque wrench. After reading the forums, I am ordering new gaskets (I am going to do the passenger side too) and also going to try to clean the surfaces and permatex the gasket on first.

I was thinking on things and I am also going to check to see if I can visualize an oil return hole. Where are the located at? Maybe one of these is plugged and this is why the oil is pooling there and leaking.

Plan D (if needed) will add permatex copper to above.

dgr, can you give me a little more direction on which olive I need to order for my possibly bad #7 injector connection? Also, what gauge fuel line or is this just a standard size that napa will know?
 

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I'd clean it up and assess. Hard to believe all of those things are leaking. Starter is the drain point for the hold down on the valley pan up top. Anything coming from on top of the engine is going to run down the rear passenger side of the engine/transmission. Spray down the valley pan with carb or brake cleaner and see where it comes out underneath.

Transmission lines have been spliced with soft hose. Replace that with new hose.

Oil cooler can be disassembled in frame or the motor mount can be removed and engine jacked up to pull it.

Someone cared about that truck enough to put in a newer gp controller and it looks like they put a block drain at the oil cooler, have had the valve covers off and rebuilt the transmission.

These engines shouldn't have an oil pan gasket installed on them although you can buy one. That's the only thing you'd need to pull the engine to reseal.

If you've got the time, pull the motor. But you won't know exactly what is leaking so you'll need to reseal everything whether or not it's leaking. Good time to massage the body seam for the turbo you're going to install LOL

If it was mine and I pulled the engine, it would get studs, new head gaskets and valve seals at a minimum. You may want to check the rockers and update them if they're original when you pull the valve covers. It sure is easy to spend someone else's money.

What do you mean by the flywheel screeching? Are there some chewed up teeth on the ring gear?


Thanks for feedback dgr. Your positivity is helpful. I did above with brake cleaner. Couldn't tell too much from where it dripped.

After thinking on what your wrote I am going to do the valve covers and then the oil pan gasket (no gasket) and then see if it's still leaking oil.

The flywheel does have some chewed up teeth.
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If you don't want to reuse these screws, you can buy some regular hex headed bolts to use instead.

Although you'll have yo drop the transmission to replace the rear seal, you wouldn't have to pull the engine in order to fix the rest. It would bee easier replacing all of them if the engine's out. Now the oil pan on the other hand. By the time that you have the engine raised high enough to drop it, you may just as well pull the engine out. Again, it will be easier plus you won't have to reach your hand inside the small gap between the pan and block to drop the oil pump pick up. With all that you're wanting to replace, my advice is to pull the engine. Just remember, despite the fact that complete gasket kits come with an oil pan gasket, you don't want to use it. Only use a bead of RTV. No gasket was used there from the factory and using one will cause a leak sooner or later.

The starter doesn't go to any place that has oil in it. The drips on your starter could be from the valve cover leaking or from a leak in the intake valley. The design of these engines is such that any leaks from above will drain out the back of the intake gasket and run down the passenger's side of the back of the engine, leaking onto or around the starter.

Thanks IDI. I took your advice (see above)
 

dgr

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You don't need olives to repair the fuel return lines. The olives are on the low pressure metal fuel lines. In your first pic, at the rear of the injection pump, in that brass fitting, there is a 5/16” olive on that line where it connects to the injection pump and also where that line connects to the filter head.

In the same pic, top right there is a brass T where the fuel returns back to the tanks. I'm pretty sure there is a 3/8" olive hidden in there.

The fuel line from the lift pump at the bottom passenger side of the engine has a hard metal line to the filter head. That also uses 3/8" olives.

111 is the oring size. McMaster is a good source. You have 6.9 style return caps. I think I used 9/32” fuel hose on mine. It was off the shelf at Napa. I had to match it up as they don't know the size.

You can buy a return line kit at the parts store. It might be called an injector install kit. It will come with hose, clamps, new caps and new copper washers for the injectors. I don't much care for the hose that's included. It seems to get brittle but does work. Some suppliers, like @typ4 may include the olives with the kit. He probably has the viton o rings too.

You pull the caps and the o rings. Cut your new line to match and put it on the caps. Install the top o ring on the injector then roll the second o ring over it. Lube them well and press your assembled caps back on. Save your copper washers. Reuse your caps if they're good. Check the new caps for any mold flashing if you use them.

There are drains in the head for the oil. Oil should not be pooled up to the lip when you remove the valve covers. I think they are at the front and rear but someone who's had a cover off recently will need to help you there.

Looks like you have updated rockers.
 

IDIBRONCO

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I am going to try to use the bolts and ordered a torque wrench. After reading the forums, I am ordering new gaskets (I am going to do the passenger side too) and also going to try to clean the surfaces and permatex the gasket on first.
Your picture shows that it has the good rubber gaskets. I don't follow the crowd with these. I don't use any RTV on them and I also tighten the bolts way tighter than the 6 or 7 lb/ft that the spec calls for. I use my 1/4" drive air ratchet that's rated at 30 lb/ft and tighten them as tight as it will get them (let the hate talk begin).
I was thinking on things and I am also going to check to see if I can visualize an oil return hole. Where are the located at? Maybe one of these is plugged and this is why the oil is pooling there and leaking.
Looking at your engine with the valve covers removed, they are at the lower part of the head that's under the valve cover, at the front and back. While your valve cover is off, look at the front part of the head right in front of the front rocker arm. You'll see a hole there. That's one. The rear ones are in a similar location at the back, by the rear most rocker arm. I can't be more specific than that without a head to look at.
The flywheel does have some chewed up teeth.
My advice would be to start thinking about replacing it. If you're going to reseal the oil pan, that would be the time.
 

pastorjeep

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Spend a little quality tie at a car wash or with a pressure washer and degrease the whole engine compartment and engine two or three times over th course of a week or two. You will identify all the leaks and tackle them one by one. Before long you will be surprised how well things look and how much nicer it is to work on when needed. I like to do this with any used vehicle I buy. You will also be amazed at how few leaks can make a mess of everything!
 

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Today I completed the passenger side valve gasket. I thought I'd share some thoughts.

After I had posted this I realized the 1" bolts recommended by the local parts store were too long! They were bottoming out without tightening down the gasket. Fortunately, the 3/4 inch bolts arrived today and I switched over the screws on the drivers side.

The passenger side... (I have A/C)... had a screw in the far back that appeared literally impossible for several days. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get a screwdriver in the right spot (since I had screw there). I tried several things but finally had the brainstorm to buy an extra small socket screwdriver from the parts store.


This was able to loosen the screw up.
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Next I took off my fuel filter and remove my dipstick. I was able to get the other screws off again fairly easily. The gasket was stiff and rotten and it was clear it had been leaking. I carefully cleaned up the mating surface for the gasket on both sides. I applied copper RTV to both sides and put the gasket back on. I used hex nuts to reattach the valve cover. In case this might help someone in the future, here's the socket I used to tighten the back passenger bolt--
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[Note- if I were to do this again I would not use RTV on the engine side of the gasket for this side. It's too messy trying to get the valve cover and gasket back in place and I think I would just try to really tighten it down instead.]

Anyway, here's hoping that I don't have to go back to this again anytime soon. That was hours.

On a completely unrelated (and unsponsored) note, I bought a Harbor Freight light on sale that ends up being perfect for under the hood. Can't recommend it highly enough.
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-ft-led-hanging-shop-light-64410.html
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dgr

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I thought it would be fun with those Phillips screws in there. Even with the bolts in there I was cursing the AC box. It looks like we have the same mini ratchet.
 

IDIBRONCO

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With the same set up besides a longer extension, you can get to all of the bolts. Even those by the heater box.
 

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