Made it to Colorado, almost, now I think I blew the motor

[RLDSL]

Oil pressure looks good, so that's a relief .
Now, when was the last time you cleaned the CDR? Any idea how old it is and if it still functions? If questionable, best to get a new one and eliminate the doubt

 

[Agnem]

Drop your Y pipe or turbo up pipes, and see if you can tell which bank the smoke is coming out of. You might just have a simple injector problem. They can tick if they stick open. Check the paint on your injector lines and see if any has burned off, or if you have a melted return cap.

 

[fsr7]

I don't know where you are at in the mountains of colorado, but I'm in boulder and would be glad to help you out with the thing if need be... I've got a compression tester and lots of spare idi parts... nvcustoms.com has the number you need to get ahold of me.

 

[TWeatherford]

Thanks very much for the suggestions and offer for help.

I removed the CDR and ran the motor for a few minutes without it, no change. Although, there isn't a speck of rubber left in it, so I definitely need to replace it and it may have contributed to my current problems.

The smoke is coming out of the drivers side. I swapped the four drivers side injectors for the passenger side injectors and it still comes out the drivers side so I don't think it can be injectors.

I have a compression tester ordered, after I do the test I think I will pull that head and hopefully find a blown head gasket and not cavitation or a ring missing or something. Time will tell... I can't wait to get this thing back on the road. I'm driving a gasser dodge for a work truck and its junk, always falling outta 4x4 or something.

 

[TWeatherford]

Finally got the compression tester. I was a bit dissappointed to see that it is a Harbor Freight/US General but it has lots of adapters, a nice case, and looks well made. The adapter which was provided for our motors was wrong, but with a hacksaw and grinder I made it work.

So for the results... The back passenger cylinder had 310, everything else was 210-220. From what I was reading that is getting towards needing a rebuild but probably serviceable for the Kentucky winter. The 310 is high, but I was thinking maybe that cylinder had problems so they redid it, either way its higher not lower.

With numbers like that I'm having trouble tearing this motor down. Unless anyone has anything to suggest I think I'll just run it. I am thinking that a lost ring, blown head gaskets, cracked head, or cavitation would all cause no or at least very low compressoin. I'll definitely watch my fluids close. If this motor does need rebuilt I would probably just but a parts truck with a good one or swap in a cummins or 360 or 466 anyway so I'm not terribly concerned at the thought of blowing this motor up.

Any advice would be appreciated. I think I should send Heath money for a round of beer for everyone at the rally. You guys are great.

 

[towcat]

here's my concern.
there's something wrong with your readings. "technically" less than 300 psi, your truck should not be running. but since you are, your readings are suspect. at least there are no dead holes.
I'd do some more homework at the minmum but do change out the CDR.

 

[TWeatherford]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried to get the truck running again to just run it till it blows and the glowplug controller fried on me, as well as a return line breaking (my fault). In reality the engine I want is sitting in an old Dodge I hope I can get pretty cheap so I am going to go for it. I simply can't trust this motor (no idea what its history is or anything) for the kind of trips (horse hauling and cross country road trips) I want to be able to do. I know these are good motors I just think that the cummins is better, so I am going to go for it.

 

[BigRigTech]

The worst you can do now is pull the head gaskets and take a look....Is the cooling system pressurizing? My IDI has 430,000KM's - 25psi at idle hot and 40psi at 2000rpm cruising, goes to about 50psi on a hard pull with the rev's up. I burn nothing but Rotella and I've never seen an issue. If Rotella burned off in IDI's at the rate described above then it would burn off like crazy in a rig hauling b-train tankers or similar....I have yet to see a trucker complain about Rotella around here....They will leave your shop if you don't have any and get their service some where else....Just my experience....Oil brand nothing to do with this IMHO - the noise is gone but the smoke is still present...1500 miles on a hard pull and no oil used - hard to fathom in my experience. I suspect you are going to find coolant or fuel in the oil, just enough to thin it out but not enough to see with the naked eye and it's keeping the level where you normally see it.

 

[dyoung14]

it is a little funny that it dont use any, im really ******* my engine i work it very hard and sometimes i do stick my foot into it i only use rotella 15-40 but mine also like the taste of oil for some reason, it uses more the harder i work the engine

 

[BigRigTech]

It is pefectly normal and healthy for an engine to use some oil when it's being worked hard, it's a sign that everything is getting lubrication and protection. Look at the little Brigg's engines for example. Right from new Brigg's say's 1oz per hour is normal and acceptable. All makes are different, some use oil and some don't...It's just the way it is.

 

[Diesel JD]

I have to say I think BigRigTech is 100% correct. Right from the factory the valve stem seals and oil scraper rings didn't seal that great on the 6.9s so 1 quart burned every 500-1000 miles was considered normal and natural. I've seen very well running IDIs inhale oil at an alarming rate, not to say these were good or healthy engines but they were tired but still running pretty decent. I have to say though it seems to be a consensus around here that rotella burns off a bit faster in IDIs than do some other oils. I won't say that makes it a bad oil. I always had good oil sample results with Rotella. I only went shopping because I thought with the changeover to CJ-4 and running the Auto-RX treatments now was as good a time as any to switch to synthetic. I'm just now on the last phase of the rinse cycle. I still seem to have a fair amount of blowby but my oil consumption seems to have slowed and this is with oils that are further down in the pecking order than Rotella. It will be interesting to see if the synthetic makes the oil consumption better, worse or the same. I'm not expecting anything good or bad just doing an experiment.