Help!!!! 6.9 won't start!!

Dirtydiesel21

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I will let yall know what I find here shortly before I did wash it, it had run, like I said ran the whole time I washed the thing valve lash should be correct as I followed a forum on here for rocker arm torques, and head bolt torque specs, before I even pulled anything apart on the truck I had Grey/white smoke out of the intake but nothing out of the exhaust except when using ether now I have nothing at all out of the exhaust. The mechanical pump is pushing a ton of fuel as I removed the feed line to the injector pump and cranked, all the caps on the the injector returns are brand new, I will try a few other things today and keep yall posted last time I ended up having this same issue with a 6.9 it was just tired and wiped out I ended up rebuilding it and had no issues out of it afterwards but I'm going to run a compression test and let yall know what I find Thanks!
 

Big Bart

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As you know that is never a good sign. Let us know about your compression.

Upside is if the engine is rebuildable, you do it right (Sounds like you have been there done that.), and now you have +100,000 miles of trouble free engine internals. (Plus little to no blow by.)
 

Dirtydiesel21

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Will let yall know here in a few, yes iv had quite a few of these trucks over the years that iv built this one I was trying to hold off a bit on having to do a rebuild but compression test will definitely answer my question for sure will keep yall posted!
 

Dirtydiesel21

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Well results are in compression reads zero on whole passenger side of the head and the right side of the head has nothing
 

Big Bart

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Occording to Ford you should be good, no one cylinder is more than 20% plus or minus than the other! :)

Thoughts -

1) Did your cam break or cam gear/chain break? Not sure how it ran on zero compression and now does not. So sounds like something gave out.
2) Sure your compression gauge is working?

Let us know.
 
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Dirtydiesel21

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Compression Guage is brand new put of the box used it on all cylinders and had the same reading across the board on everyone, as far as I know nothing else is broke internally my thoughts exactly how it ran before it was washed and parked and now all the sudden does not run is not making no sense ro me either, I have nothing coming put of the exhaust, all out of the intake I have grey/ white smoke while cranking out the intake nothing put of the exhaust I have had many of these trucks like stated before and not seen this all rocker arms were torqued to 22 ft lbs as per the article I read on here from Brian all my glow plugs work, have power to the IP pump I am getting fuel to the injectors Schrader valve is free and clear pushing fuel I am at a total loss at this point iv been doing this over 12 years now and have had about 20 of these trucks this is the first one that's giving a he'll of a fight
 

hacked89

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Not much to say you don't know since you said you had 20 of these trucks working on them for 12 years and occupational diesel mech.

My only comment would be I'm not surprised there's no compression because you prob know when there's compression these things start within a whiff of ether.

My only guess from what you said is that the intake valves aren't closing cause you know they need to be closed on the compression stroke. Also think around lifters cause they play their role in that and you mentioned it's exhausting out the intake.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

IDIBRONCO

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It's hard for me to believe that this engine was running and now, all of a sudden, you have no compression in any cylinder. I think that you had better try another compression test with a different gauge. One more thing: you only had one head off so you could have only messed up 4 cylinders from that. The other 4 should show compression.
 

Big Bart

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Per IDIBronco replace or test your gauge.

1) Use a air compressor air blow nozzle with a rubber tip, use the compression tester with the glow plug fitting on. Shoot air into the glow plug adaptor end. Should take the air, hold the air, and read +/- 5psi of your compressor. Maybe the connector, hose, valve, or guage is blocked/broken. Maybe not.
2) Could try on a working diesel if have or friend has one.

If working re-test compression and watch the guage, to confirm 0 in a couple left and right bank cylinders. If no compression the cam broke, gear broke, or something jumped the cam timing. Maybe with the new valve adjustment of the rockers it was a little more resistance and something gave it up and jumped cam timing or broke.

Next take off the valve covers and watch to see if valves move. Then put #1 to TDC of the compression stroke and see what your valves are doing. If both closed you and zero compression do a leak down test to confirm piston rings are shot.

My guess is you have a camshaft timing issue if you truly have zero compression across the board. As it makes no sense we why it came in running, after a head gasket it did not.

Just remember you said last time you pull started and popped the clutch to start. That may have created much more compression than a weak starter. But it would not start if you had 8 holes doing less than 80psi.

Let us know, bad compression guage or bad compression?
 

Dirtydiesel21

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Okay went and grabbed a buddies compression tester and also had another one of my buddies come over who also has the same truck to give me a hand he checked the Guage as well as I and his Guage was a snap on tested right side bank with his had 0 compression still on all cylinders only thing I can assume now is cam is broken or I washed the cylinders when washing it not knowing the I take was not tightened down with missing bolts I have sourced a couple engines and will be picking one up today once I have this one out I am going to disassemble and try to locate the issue as of now truck is getting another engine as it's my daily and need it back together asap, I'm starting to lean towards a camshaft due to the fact the ip while cranking was hardly putting any fuel out at the Injectors drop here and a drop there which to me is not much for pressure, and a new ip will keep the post updated as I pull the engine apart.
 

Jl elevatorman

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OK, you put 7.3 rockers in , push rods same length? With valve cover off make sure that there is some clearance in the valve. If it's puffing out of the intake, intake valves not closing or timing out. If all the intakes all leaking, even a little, it won't develop enough pressure/heat to fire. My brother got me on that one. Changed cam in his 250 gas, and cam had a larger base circle and needed shorter pushrods. UFB
 

645E3B

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If it was running be for you did all of the work that tells you that there was a change made that is causing the problem, start with the basic things pull out the GP’s and remove the valve covers, check that valves are closing and watch for bent push rods and listen to the blow out of the glow plug holes and see if you able to match it to air blowing out of the intake manifold. You can also watch the movement of your valve train to see if you have a problem there. It’s a simple engine keep your search simple and then move on to the more complex items
 

Knuckledragger

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Even with broken rings these trucks will make some kind of compression. If the cam is not broken, it may be out of time by a couple of teeth. Even then, one might get a couple of bent valves. This is a conundrum. Zero compression is almost not possible. Holes in all 8 pistons? Not likely. Cam 180 degrees off? then the compression stroke will still happen, but it would not fire. White smoke? maybe unburned fuel coming out as a mist? Or water coming out as steam. Check the blinker fluid level and muffler bearings.
 

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