O/T: Farm truck project

Hey all,

I started a "new" project today..



It's a 1995 F-250 w/ the power stroke diesel.. I bought it the way I buy pretty much everything it seems.. a true mechanics special. I picked it up cheap and have been kicking around getting it going for a while now.. Today was that day..

It did/does run, but smokes like a freight train, and has a MAJOR oil dilution issue (it has added about a gallon of fuel to the oil in roughly 30 minutes of idling/ 2-3 miles driving).. I bought it knowing of this issue, and did some homework on possible causes.

I have popped 2 of 8 injectors, and this is what I found already



The injector with the rough looking end had NO copper "crush" washer on it that I can tell. I have cleaned up the injector cup and a little on the end of the injector, and it shows no sign of a washer ever being in there.. The bottom of the injector cup was carboned up as much as the injector, and has the lower O-ring hard and brittle, and has a lot of cracks. I'm not positive, but I think I have found the fuel in oil problem..

The truck come from the original owner (who I work with) and has about 183,000 on the clock.. I called him and asked if it has ever had injector work done and he said not to the best of his recollection.. Seems like if the washer has been missing since new the problem would have surfaced long ago..

I'll continue to offer updates on progress, if anyone is interested in hearing/seeing it as it unfolds.

Brad

Brad, I'm not real familiar with that motor but would those bad o-ring and missing copper crush washer not cause it to leak back out of where they are installed into block. I would think for diesel to get into oil it would have to get by the piston rings or through the head gasket some where if its coming from the injectors. Or am I missing something. You done the research, explain it to me. Rocko.

Rocko,

I'm new to the Powerstroke engines (as far as fixing on them anyhow)..

I'll try to explain it as it was to me.. Simply.. LOL.. (and to those that know much more than I do, I'm sure I'm not precisely correct)

The injectors are basically a "common rail", although, the fuel rail itself is cast into the head. They don't have individual lines to them. The fuel is delivered to the injectors around 50psi.

The injectors are told that it's their turn by the truck's computer.

The part I'm not totally clear on is the high pressure oil system.. To my understanding it works like this: It has a high pressure pump that delivers oil to the injectors, and oil works similar to a hydraulic system.. The high pressure oil pushes a piston in the injector, which then pressurizes the fuel further, and pops the injector off.

I believe the fuel is between the lower and middle o-ring, and the oil is between the upper and middle o-ring.

From everything I seem to read, usually instead of pushing fuel into the oil, it will push oil into the fuel and burn it. However, I was told it could be possible to get fuel past the o-rings and into the oil.. But, after seeing the shape of the one injector, the bad lower o-ring, and missing copper washer, I suppose it is possible it is "dumping" fuel into that cylinder and in turn, allowing the fuel to get past the rings.

Brad

OK makes a little more sence to me. I'm not up on all this NEW FANGELED TECHNOLOGY. Wow, Calling 1995 new fangeled. Much easier to understand old, old tractors. Rocko.

LOL!! Well, you can see the front clip of the current farm truck in the picture.. It's a 86 that has been re-powered with a 7.3 from a slightly newer truck, but, FAR FAR easier to repair than the 95..

However, the 86 gets crap for fuel mileage with the 3 speed auto, has some electrical issues, and is underpowered when it comes to trying to pull a trailer with any kind of weight on it (but I can't scream, I have put 30k on it, and have just over $1200 in it, and it has a nice flatbed that will be swapped onto the blue truck).. But, it's going to be a future project.. I'm thinking it needs a 4-53 2-stroke Detroit put under the hood.. LOL!!

Brad

Gosh! that is new. I have two 77's

Gene

Had a neighbor that bought a new 1956 Ford V8 that didn't run right. When the dealer tore down the engine; one piston only had 1 ring on it and another piston did not have any rings on it at all.

You have a bad fuel supply pump most likely, leaking
fuel into the crankcase. It is in the valley under
the turbo. The missing copper washer will leak
combustion gases back up past the injector. I would
pull the fuel rail plugs and drain the rails and
spin the engine over to clear the cylinders. Just
pulling the injectors without draining the rail will
put oil and fuel in the cylinders. It may run away
when started if not cleared.

sprint6 is correct, change your lift pump. google for the procedure, you don't want to drop the plunger down into the valley.

The smoking could be another issue, really need to check the function of the glow plugs (including the harness and relay), the EBP flapper valve (if equipped), and do a buzz test on the injectors. Would not be a bad idea to check the turbo for endplay too.

Being that the miles are that low, I'm betting on bad injectors causing the smoking.