SterlingCharles
Registered User
Some thoughts -
1) A common issue not often brought up on this site is if you pull the lifters and let them drain they easily collapse and prevent good compression. (Don’t open the valves all the way.) They may work when rotating the crank by hand, but not during the cranking of the starter. I have seen this on a few threads over the last two years. You said you cleaned them, the oil may be out of them or partially out of them, this may be adding to your low compression. (Or causing artificially low compression.) I don’t recall what folks did to fix, as I recall some got the engine running and higher oil pressure fixed it. If you pull the heads I would soak them in oil for 24/48 hours. If the fill up they should not leak down easily.
2) You replaced the CAM, just make sure it is timed right.
3) You mentioned you have diesel mist coming out of the crankcase, sounds like a ring issue. (Could also be a intake valve not shutting or seating.) Seafoam makes something called deep creep. I would put some in each cylinder for 48 hours to help clean and perhaps break loose the rings. If you pull the heads it is easy to soak and clean/wipeout. If not pulling the heads then pull the glow plugs and soak. The turn the motor by hand a 4 revolutions to get most of it out. Then run the starter and blow out the rest. I would then repeat with a teaspoon of Delo oil in each cylinder. So when it starts the cylinders are lubed.
4) You need to find out why you have compression coming into your cooling system. You mentioned cavitation holes, did you sleeve that piston? If you have a pinhole or two on a cylinder it could be pushing air into your cooling system. But more likely it is one or two head gaskets if you damaged them. So you should pull the heads, look carefully for pin holes in the cylinder walls, often some discoloration around and below the pin hole.(I am not saying you do, but you mentioned above.)
5) You put on a new IP, I would move it one dimes width towards the passenger fender.
Deep creep the cylinders, get some oil in the rings, and put the heads back on. Check your compression again and see if it’s at least 300psi.(I would expect it could start and after running it will increase to 350psi or better.
You started with a non-runner, you did a lot of work, put on a lot of parts, and you just need to be patient and recheck your work. Go step by step and review your work. Think about other potential issues like is your IP solenoid getting power and working. Is the fuel line from the tank to the lift pump working or is it clogged. Are the glow plugs working correctly. Since your pistons did not get water in them you should have a decent bottom end and something else is causing the low compression.
Let us know how you plan to attack and what results you are getting. We can help guide you from there.
What I did was soak the lifters and pushrods in mineral spirits for several days. Then I blew them out with
with compressed air…saw milky oil shoot out. Then I soaked them
In oil for several days then threw them straight in their bores during installation.
Prior to installing I noticed many of them were very hard to compress. I was suspected that they wer seized. I know lifters can be hard to compress but I thought it should have some type of play.
Then there were some lifters that I could push down easily with my finger. Those were the ones that I thought were normal.
You know what I was thinking the same exact thing that oh yeah I’ll be fine to throw these lifters in and they will get filled with oil while cranking to open and close the valves of any lifters that are empty.
Are you suspecting that I replace the lifters??