DirtyMax is alive!

tarheelguy

tarheelguy

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
525
Location
Rolesville
Rating - 100%
28   0   0
Finally buttoned up the Duramax Saturday. Cranked after several priming sessions.

Idled great, sounded good.

Revved it a time or two after letting it idle for a few minutes thinking I was done and and it had sprayed fuel somewhere on the PS close to the firewall. Shut it down and then it wouldn’t restart. It fires up on a little ether and I’m chasing down a couple minor injector line leaks. Idles with no leaks, once you bring engine speed up and fuel pressure goes up it starts seeping. Hopefully Elsa will be back online shortly.

Upgraded turbo inlet horn, downpipe, +20% injectors and Banks BigHead turbo actuator. Basically the minor mods short of going full boogey and having to upgrade fuel / turbo and tune.

Next up will be boost and EGT gauge tucked discreetly into the overhead console, new headliner and a thorough detail.

Nate

IMG_6325.png
 
Should be spicy. As temping as it will be don’t crank her too high. Those crankshafts like to become 2 pieces around 600hp. Keep her reigned in and she’ll live forever.
 
cubrock said:
Sometimes you don’t have a choice.
Click to expand...

If this was a clapped out dozer with low compression I’d agree.

Just sayin I’d be highly hesitant to do it in a nice truck with a known good engine. Sucks to charge battery’s multiple times to bleed off a fuel system (trust me, I been there) but it beats the hell out of damaged internals. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
I went easy on the ether.

Unfortunately I’ve got other problems. Apparently it’s still forcing fuel into the crankcase. I’ve called in a mobile diesel mechanic and I’m done screwing with it.

Had it running several times and was chasing injector hard line leaks. Thought I had them all and it’s still leaking down and won’t restart wo a whiff of ether.

Then, I was trying to bleed the lines yet again and heard a leak underneath and it’s forcing fuel out of somewhere behind the crank pulley - my guess is out the oil pan gasket. 😖. It pushed a gallon or two out before finally stopping. $&@!?

Nate
 
Broken piston? Is the oil level real high on the dipstick ? There may be a drain on the front of the valley under the high pressure pump that would keep fluid from collecting down there. Can’t remember if it’s in the front or the back.
 
Doubt it’s a piston problem. When it fires up it sounds fine and isn’t blowing smoke.

I’m going to let the professional handle it.

Nate
 
hp468 said:
Always been told that ether was bad juju in glow plug engines.
Click to expand...

if, big if, you have to use ether on the 6.0, DTR sprays through the filter minder and expressly states to wait until the glow plugs have fully cycled (which we know could be a couple of minutes after the light turns off)
 
I disabled the glow plugs and was putting just a whiff into the intake before the turbo.

I’ll let y’all know what the pro says.
 
Installed the new CP3 pump. Seems to be pushing fuel into the crank case and won’t run. Turns over fine and it’ll fire on a whiff of ether but otherwise won’t start.

I’ve posted it up for sale. Done screwing with it. It’s probably something stupid simple but I’ve got too many projects right now.

🤬😢
 
Last edited:
Sucks man. I’m still thinking it cracked a piston. Did your mobile mechanic pull the glow plugs and check compression ?
 
But before breaking into this thing in the first place I had zilch blow by - at least using the oil cap on the oil fill tube test. The cap sat still and didn’t budge.

When it was running the first time after I replaced the injectors it was smooth and sounded great. I ran it for a few minutes that time. I’ve not done anything that would cause a cracked piston - when I say a whiff of ether, I mean a whiff. I’m careful and take my time on this kind of thing.
 
tarheelguy said:
But before breaking into this thing in the first place I had zilch blow by - at least using the oil cap on the oil fill tube test. The cap sat still and didn’t budge.

When it was running the first time after I replaced the injectors it was smooth and sounded great. I ran it for a few minutes that time. I’ve not done anything that would cause a cracked piston - when I say a whiff of ether, I mean a whiff. I’m careful and take my time on this kind of thing.
Click to expand...

A stuck injector will do it. Floods cylinder and cracks the piston or bends the rod. Used to be really common when all these no-name company’s were jumping on the high flow diesel injector bandwagon.
 
Pogue said:
A stuck injector will do it. Floods cylinder and cracks the piston or bends the rod. Used to be really common when all these no-name company’s were jumping on the high flow diesel injector bandwagon.
Click to expand...
Hmm. Ok. I gotcha.

What symptoms would this cause? If it fires over, would I get significant blow by from the crank case and smoke out the tailpipe?

I’m so done with this $&@? thing. I’ve decided diesels aren’t my thing. 🤦🏼‍♂️ I don’t know whether to cry or spit.
 
Last edited:
Pogue said:
A stuck injector will do it. Floods cylinder and cracks the piston or bends the rod. Used to be really common when all these no-name company’s were jumping on the high flow diesel injector bandwagon.
Click to expand...

That would be my guess bad injector or cracked tip. Bad injectors will cause a slow hard start condition. If they were not from
Well Trusted source i would have them checked. Hopefully your early enough not to cause internal damage but wouldnt keep running it till you know forsure.
 
Last edited:
Is there any way to test this theory short of disassembling it all the way back down?

I’ve got a friend with a Tech 2 (?)…
 
DirtyMax got hauled on a trailer (behind a Ford of all things…at least it was the 7.3 and not the newer diesel) to a local shop. Really hoping they can figure it out and it’s not something else expensive…
 
Sounds like a stuck/cracked injector for sure. It will bleed fuel out causing a no start because the cylinder is full of liquid diesel not a fine mist. The starting fluid helps to get it started.

After looking at the style of injectors you have another common thing I see is a torn oring causing returning fuel to leak past...also have seen doubled up sealing washers cause return fuel to leak into the cylinder. Quick way to test that is make sure your old injectors all have sealing washers....if any are missing pull the valve cover and the tallest injector is the one with an extra washer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom