Truck down!

[f350flatbed]

Well, I was travelling down the road and I heard an awful noise from the engine and it shut off. I kicked it out of gear and rolled to a stop. I checked the oil and there was no oil on the dipstick. I do have a pretty bad oil leak from the front seal and I haven't topped it off in a while. I ran to a filling station and got four quarts of cheap oil and through that in. The starter will not budge the engine. The check engine light is on and I'm thinking about getting one of those OBD I units. I think that the engine is locked up. The oil pressure gauge never showed that it was low. Any thoughts?

pb

 

[Greenbeast6.9]

might have dropped a valve? If the starter won't move you have BIG problems, sorry to say it. where are you located?

 

[Freight_Train]

How many times does someone have to say it,The Factory Oil Pressure guage is not a guage.The sender is an on off switch only.The gauge is basically a light with a needle instead of a filliment.hate to say it,but it sounds like your engine is dead.Hope not.But won't turn over,Run VERY low on oil,Ugly racket,all signs of spun and locked up bearings if not worst.

 

[82F100SWB]

A code scanner is not going to do you any good, your truck doesn't have a computer of any sort. That check engine light is run by sensor inputs from the oil pressure and temp senders.
Sounds to me like you ran out of oil, and you probably have some severe bottom end damage.

 

[metrojd]

Codes

I dont think the older trucks would hold a code.
I was told that before.
Were are you broke down at??
Good luck.
John

 

[Mr_Roboto]

There is no computer to set a code...... An IDI with a manual trans has absolutely no ECM.

Once a motor "locks up" from no oil it generally is not going to free up, the damage has already been done.

You could be running down the highway with 10 psi of pressure and the gauge will read fine but you still do not have adequate pressure to the bearings.

If you spun a bearing you can ruin the block if you manage to run it with the spun bearing.

 

[FordGuy100]

I'm going to agree with these guys. I know this sucks to hear but more than likely your engines toast. If you do not need your truck right away (ie dont need it for work or the commute to work, ect...)I would get in there and take that engine out, tear it down and see what you find. More than likely your going to need a replacement engine, so look over your local craigslist for one or something along those lines.

 

[Diesel JD]

At minimum, it probably needs new bearings plus whatever else got damaged. Probably the crank can be salvaged, block, maybe even the rods. A drop in would be quicker and easier, probably similar in cost in the long run.

 

[f350flatbed]

Thanks guys. It's not my daily driver so I'm ok there. I won't bother with the code reader. It does has the dongle under the dash for the hook up though so there must be some purpose for it... I guess I'll be trying to find out how to do this engine repair thing. I'm in Birmingham, AL, for those who asked.

pb

 

[Diesel JD]

If its not a DD and you have the finances to do so, rebuilding the motor would be an invaluable experience. I want to tear one apart sometime...I just hope its not the one in my truck anytime in the near future.

 

[Michael Fowler]

f350,

If you need aother core, I have a late model 6.9 block, crank etc, ( almost all but the heads). If you can use that PM me.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Thanks guys. It's not my daily driver so I'm ok there. I won't bother with the code reader. It does has the dongle under the dash for the hook up though so there must be some purpose for it... I guess I'll be trying to find out how to do this engine repair thing. I'm in Birmingham, AL, for those who asked.

pb

The purpose of the "dongle" is so they do not have to have different wire harnesses for different trucks. IDI vans go so far as to have the A/C wiring in non A/C trucks to cut down on different part numbers.

 

[f350flatbed]

So what the hell is the purpose then of the oil "gauge"? Also, when I tried to add oil, I put in 4 quarts and then it read full on the dip stick. So there should still be 6 quarts in it. I'm kind of thinking that it might be a rod or a valve or something like that.

 

[RedTruck]

The "oil gauge" is really called an "oil pressure gauge". It indicates pressure of your oil system. Sometimes when you run an engine low on oil the pressure will increase. When you run low on oil you risk starving your pump. If you starve the pump that means something is going to go without oil for a period of time. Once something runs without oil it gets hot. Once something gets hot and oil hits it, the oil burns causing carbon buildup. If you have carbon buildup on a main bearing it causes friction. If friction increases enough the tab that holds the main bearing isn't strong enough to hold it anymore and the main bearing spins within the saddle.

Same type of thing can happen to the valve train.

You can get an idea of the damage if you bar over your engine with a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer nut. If you can get it to move one way but not another it's probably head (ie valve) related. If you can't bar it over at all it's probably something related to the crank.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems.

Paul

 

[Timthetoolman]

I sent you a pm, forgot to say I'm just north of Chattanooga