Valve Seals? Let me know what you think

[Banks7.3IDI]

Hey, so as said below I have a 90' 7.3idi 5 speed 4x4 with a Banks Turbo, straight piped, propane, tweaked pump, and so on...this morning I turned it on and it sounded like something got screwed up for a second then it idled normal...but there was ticking..a louuuudd ticking, and I drove it to school then got out, popped the hood, and pinpointed it to the passenger valve train and then heard the intake buffetting so it must be an intake valve that has something screwed up.

It sounds like an incredibly loud lifter tick, but obviously that's not what it is, same idea though....gets faster with the RPM's, and so on. Brought it to a local greaseball shop of whom I know everyone there and they said it's an intake seal that went out but while replacing that I'd have to replace the head and head gasket too...which horrified me. Is this true??

I'm a pretty poor high schooler about to graduate to college, and the truck is my baby. I don't want to sell it but if the expense and my own labor get too ridiculous I'll have to, but it is a rareish truck that I won't be finding for cheap anytime soon and I have this one exactly how I want it so I didn't plan on selling it soon either.

Please give me some advice! I'm freaking out here...I have so much money into this truck I don't feel like it'd be worth selling at this point
-Ciaran

 

[Hydro-idi]

Everything will be alright. Always remember, things could be worse in life.
Now for the questions. It has been raining in California these past couple of days. Did you by any chance have water on top of the air cleaner if it did rain in your area???
Specifically, what did it sound like when you started it up this morning? And is their any evident smoke or chuffing/ticking from the exhaust?
To start with, I would try cracking each injector line one at a time and see if the ticking goes away and maybe even post a video of the engine noise your truck is experiencing. These are my questions. I'm sure there will be more from others so be prepared

 

[Banks7.3IDI]

Hmm...it was raining, but I don't have the standard air cleaner, I have a banks airbox with a hold air intake going to the slit between the hood and grill. I've had it for a year and water's never been an issue. It is not smoking or doing anything abnormal like that, no exhaust ticking in chuffing, only from the intake.

I couldn't tell you exactly what the sound was when I first started it up, because I just played it down, forgot for a minute, then realized all the ticking while driving. All I can remember was a split second rough idle that made me look to my gauges but by the time I had it had gone back to normal high-idle.

I'll do a video as soon as I can, possibly tonight

Thanks!!

 

[RLDSL]

I hate to be the bringer of bad news but if you were getting a chuffing from the intake, thats a tad more than a failed valve stem seal. Thats more like a worn valve guide or leaking valve , to allow that kind of pressure past a valve back up into the intake on the compression or combustion strokes. IF ifn fact that is what it was, unless you have extreme blowby presenting itself through the breather tube due to sticky rings ( very possible)

You could * try* running a treatment or two of auto Rx through the thing and see if it cleans it out anr helps out any seals enough to do you any good, and if not, at least it will be nice and clean when you have to yank the heads off, because its really sounding like you may have some guides in your future. If you do end up having to pull the heads , find a shop that specializes in HEAVY diesels and ask if they are too far gone for false guide inserts. THese are a fraction of teh price of having full guides pressed in.

 

[NO_SPRK]

How much you want for it? :-D

 

[Banks7.3IDI]

Could it happen all at once though? A valve guide going bad? Because I drove it yesterday and it was just as good as always then started it today and this happened. I just don't see how that's possible but if you could explain how it'd be nice to know hah. The engine has to have only 127 or 227,000 on it...(can't ever tell because of the horrible 5 digit odometer) especially since it's running with most of it's power and still has a good amount of stock stuff...uses no oil...never is low between 4,000 mile changes; could the guides already be bad? I never run it above 2500 rpm, and always replace with Delo 400. It'll keep up with 7-3 strokers that are stock..which is fastish for an IDI? Idk...just hoping for the best but let me know!

The blowby is not bad...or wasn't last time I checked...but I'll check again tomorrow morning when I won't awaken the whole neighborhood for a one minute test

I do run a half quart of Marvels Mystery Oil through it before every change, and put the other half in with the new oil...if that could take place of doing the Rx..?

 

[Banks7.3IDI]

Hah, trying to troubleshoot rather than advertise sale...

 

[Agnem]

Have you checked your oil? Oil dilution from a leaking fuel pump or IP will cause the symptom you speak of.

 

[hesutton]

The chuffing in the intake is a bad sign. Commonly seen with a bad intake valve. The guides wear with time and allow too much side play in the valve. This can allow the valve not to contact the seat properly or even close completely. If the valve doesn't close completely, it can contact the piston. When that happens....... the engine will die quickly. 7.3's are more likely to do this than the 6.9. I'd pull the valve cover and start looking for problems and try and isolate the valve that is causing the problem. Once you find the valve, bring that cylinder to TDC and pull the rockers and the valve spring. If the valve moves quite a bit in the guide....... it's time to pull the heads for a rebuild.


Heath

 

[Banks7.3IDI]

Alright....thank you! Sounds like I have some work ahead of me, but once again, can this happen in a split second? because that's what happened..

 

[hesutton]

The guide wear takes many many miles, but yes, once the valve has enough room to move off the seat........ it can happen quickly. Some have had valve drop without warning. The chuffing intake is the about the only warning you get.


Heath

 

[riotwarrior]

Sounds like a nice truck and that you have this just as you like it great!

Being in high school and a tight budget many here can relate, I know for me how it was 30 years ago when I was in your shoes....

Now, guys, come on this kid is in high school...lets get to what he may be able to USE there!!

First do you take auto shop? If so fantastic, if not do you have any friends who do?

If so (both counts) can you check and see if they have a DIESEL compression tester? Also look for a LEAK DOWN tester while at it.

This should provide you an opportunity to inspect GLOW plugs too... as it would suck if a tip Broke off, slipped down got caught by a valve when open and smacked a piston and bent....calamity of horrors YES, but still within reason.

Anyway if the school has one or the other, use it/them and start checking for what your compression is in each cyl or % of leakage in each cyl. If it was me and I had the opportunity I would do both myself!!!

Now if you don't have access to shop, or those tools; are you in an area where there is a RENTAL store that may rent those tools? What about a parts supply? I know here in Canada Canadian Tire rents some tools...don't know for your area as I'm not there!

BTW, how is your coolant for SCA while we are at it? If your not sure what that is, check out the FAQ and tech sections...there is tons of info in there.

For all intents and purposes it does sound like a valve/guide issue going on however there could be underlying issues masked by the sounds.

Well good luck in the search...

Al

 

[icanfixall]

If the injecters are old with 127 or 227 thousand miles on them that could be the problem. Feel all the hard lines near the injecters. Be careful because they might be hot from a leky injecter blowing compression back up the lines. It can be so bad that the plastic caps get a hole burned in them from the hot gas blowing back. If the lines are all about the same temp try cracking open the lines at the injecters till you find the bad cylinder that huffing. You can switch around injecters and see if the bad cylinder is now a good cylinder but the problem went to another cylinder. At any case it might be time for a set of injecters.

 

[Banks7.3IDI]

Thanks a ton! No autoshop, but mechancs, which has some auto diagnostic tools in it. I can work my way around my engine better than my friends so I'll try to take a crack at it. SCA is not a problem, I drained and flushed the radiator and engine then filled with Red diesel coolant. I'm planning on ripping the valve cover off later today and inspecting everything, then going from there..would a stethescope give me the ability to pinpoint which intake valve has an issue? Or would I even be able to tell without that?

 

[riotwarrior]

Thanks a ton! No autoshop, but mechancs, which has some auto diagnostic tools in it. I can work my way around my engine better than my friends so I'll try to take a crack at it. SCA is not a problem, I drained and flushed the radiator and engine then filled with Red diesel coolant. I'm planning on ripping the valve cover off later today and inspecting everything, then going from there..would a stethescope give me the ability to pinpoint which intake valve has an issue? Or would I even be able to tell without that?

Excellent, indeed a stethescope would be great to pinpoint a noise....I've used everything from a long screw driver to a long extension for sockets to listen to engines in the past.

Sounds like you have a grasp on what you are doing so keep us informed of your findings and we will attempt to assist as best we can.

BTW Autoshop/mechanics class...same thing just different name

Al