Well... The brown truck is done, DONE DONE.

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

No more driving it. Started it after school today, it was warm enough to have the windows down today, and heard a sound like an intake valve lifter had collapsed. Didn't really bother me, these engines are tough, and they will run a long time on a failing lifter. Figured it would clear up after a minute or two of running. It didnt. I got to work and it sounded worse. Opened the hood and heard a very distinct THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK sound coming from the air cleaner opening. I was like crap, thats a valve. Called Calvin and he confirmed that it was a valve getting ready to take a leave of absence. At that point I wasnt worried about it enough to not atleast limp it home.
Well I had to go pick up my brother from school and brought him to work about an hour later and by the time we got to work again it was REAL bad. A THUFINK THUFINK THUFINK sound was now coming from the intake, and I was like man that doesnt sound right, coming from the back of the truck. I walk back to the tail pipe and I kid you not it sounded like Lou Ferrigno was beating two 20lb sledge hammers together in there!
At that point I called it, the brown truck died at 2:30pm Central time. I left the corpse there and we're getting the rollback this weekend to go pick it up and bring it home.

Dont get me wrong, even though this engine has 90k original miles on it I knew it had issues from being used as a hay hauler for its entire life. Never did I think I would have serious engine problems like that though.

 

[Russ]

That sucks especially with only 90K. Doesn't sound terminal though. Maybe a new set of heads, but if the valve hasn't dropped. the bottom end should still be ok.

 

[Truck#3]

yeah my truck crapped out too because the valvetrain

 

[69dieselfreak]

well im sorry to here that but think of it this way now is the time to put head studs in and do some head work and get ready for that moose pump you have

 

[Cat_Rebel]

As long as you didn't throw a rod out the side of the block I'd throw another set of heads on it & try again.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Oh yea, Im definitely not giving up on it. Just really disappointing this happened. Right when we were already using it as a backup vehicle. Now we're down to driving the Eclipse, the Mustang or the 79 Z. And I bet we're not even close to being finished with snow yet.
To think I almost rearended a ******* kid this morning with it too. The kid was TRYING to get me to hit him, pulled out with less than 4 car lengths distance and I was doing almost 50mph, then he didnt even try to accelerate. I kid you not I had that truck turned completely sideways down both lanes sliding from trying to stop so hard. Then the ******* laughs about it. I shifted it down really hard trying to stop from hitting that kid, I wonder if i screwed it doing that.

 

[Agnem]

Tough break, but hopefully you saved it. A few have been down this path, and emerged stronger. If it had 90K on it, and never had head gaskets, you were due to pull them soon anyway. Look at it as an opportunity to renew. I'd blame bad oil for the problem.

 

[pafixitman]

Ahhh....I know those sounds ... push rods hitting the rocker arm cover, valves kissing the top of pistons......what a symphony!

 

[towcat]

........At that point I called it, the brown truck died at 2:30pm Central time. I left the corpse there and we're getting the rollback this weekend to go pick it up and bring it home.........

chicken
mind you, I was contemplating on my choice as I was rolling through the AZ/NM desert.....
just for the curious, mime started making the chuff-chuff sound that went to clank-clank in half a day of driving.......

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

chicken

Haha, yea I know. I figured if it went from the simple chuff-click sound in the intake to an all out exhaust metal on metal valve/piston make out session all in less than a mile of driving I would be pushing it to get it home 40 miles.

 

[david85]

Wouldn't a bad lifter or rocker increase valve to piston running clearance? The only reason I can think of for the valve to hit the piston is a bad valve spring or keepers that shifted in the spring retainer.

It would be interesting to see what is going on in there.

 

[opusd2]

Now the fun begins! Don't worry, those engines are tough and will take one hell of a beating before you can't even rebuild them anymore.

Not to compare apples to umm, other apples but I am working on a couple of International tractor engines right now. One just needs a clutch, and the other a headgasket and IP pump. I love working on International engines, as well as other components. They are so heavy duty and forgiving of poor maintenance (as anything that is operated by my brother will attest to). The truck engines are just as tough.

I can't even be 100% sure of how many my 86 has in it since the speedo didn't work when I took possession of it. But it's been beat by my folks (and brother) on the farm, and by the previous owner before we got it. It's not exactly a quiet engine even by diesel standards, but it powers through whatever hauling or towing job we give it.

A little bit of work, some mystery parts found floating in the innards removed, some replacement parts, and your engine will be back threatening punks who pull out in front of you in no time.

 

[Chevyboy_0]

Something like this happened to my Chevelle a few years back, it was making a ticking noise which I thought was just a really bad exhaust leak so I replace the gakets but it still made the noise, and a few days after I got my DL and had the car roadworthy that nosie went from tick-tick to a boom-clank-clank.... Then it proceeded to smoke black the whole way home which was only a few blocks, but upon removal of the valve cover I noticed good sized metal chunks in the valve train and one of the retainers had completely disinegrated and the engine sucked a valve... So I pulledthe motor and replaced it cause the motor was dead.

Sorry for the book just thought I'd share a similar experience

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Just got thinking, there goes the before/after dyno of a 6.9 IDI with a moose pump and turbo....

 

[hesutton]

That really stinks. But, at least you didn't grenade the motor. Jaybee had a similar problem and had great photos in THIS THREAD. But the photos are not there anymore.

Anywho.....share what you find once you get it home and opened up.

Heath