Topper

Hey guys,
Well this one hurt big time!!! As I'm sure some of you remember I rebuilt my engine about 3 weeks ago. Complete rebuild new head, pistons, cam and all the rest of the needed pcs to make a strong long running engine... So I thought! I must have said to myself and out loud I should send my injectors to Don to have them checked over. After a couple phone calls I decided it was going take to long to get them back so I skipped that very important step. Anyway got the truck up and running and I have to say I was thrilled the truck was running awesome! smooth as silk and strong. I must have checked the oil level 30 times in the 1st 500 miles always right where it needed to be. I changed the oil at 500 miles, sent a sample out and and was very happy with the new engine. After the 1st 500 miles were in the book I decided to haul a load for a customer. It was a 600 mile haul not heavy about 8500 lbs. The truck ran great but just before I got home the engine sounded different. Anyway when I checked the oil in the morning it was about 2" high! I pulled the oil plug and drained about 6 galls of oil/fuel out of the pan. I grabbed a 1/2 soda bottle of oil when it was draining and poured it through a paint filter and sure enough bearing material! Pulled the pan and #3 rod and main bearing were damaged. Well, pulled the engine and completely rebuilt it again. This time I sent the crank out for grinding and balancing and sent the injectors to Don and sure enough 2 cracked housings... Man I have to tell ya this sucks! What a huge waste of money. I'm not 100% sure if the injectors were cracked when they went into the new engine or not. Like I said the oil was checked many times and by the way, the sample came back with a small amout less the .2% fuel. On a good note and I'm not going into details but Don came through for me BIG time! 6 new injectors with my tips installed in less then a week. Don has had and will continue to have all my injector work. He really helped me out on this one. Anyway the new engine is in and running great. Hooking to a heavy trailer today so I gotta go...i will be posting pics later today.
Take care guys,
Topper

Mexstan

Ouch! I can relate to your pain. Hope from now on you will have a trouble free, great running engine. Nice mods to your truck.

Your problems took me back about 15 years ago when I overhauled a high mileage engine in my car. To this day I don't know how I did it, but I installed one crank bearing half backwards and blocked off the oil passage. Needless to say the engine lasted about 30 miles before starting to rattle. Had to remove it and get the crank ground down. I have overhauled engines in the past, including light aircraft engines, so knew what I was doing, but sure blew it that time. An expensive lesson to learn.

1985cucv

that really really sucks

nelrod

Sorry to hear your lamentations Topper. What bad luck. Could be any of us HPCR drivers next. Just not near as reliable and long lasting as a mechanical diesel. Hope it wears the body out for you now.

megacabdad

Cheers to some good luck for 'ya, Topper!

southpawslingr1

Good lord buddy! I stopped by the shop the other day to see if you where there didnt see the truck though. This was prob why. Im thinking about springs studs injectors and a big ole' turbo but you are scaring me here! Hopefully nothing like this happens again!

Topper

Hey guys,
Thanks for the good words! Ya know it wasn't bad luck that got me it was foolishness! I ran the snot out of my truck for about 80,000 miles lucky it made it as long as it did! I ran my Smarty as high as I could and twisted the **** on my MP8 alot. Ran my little silver 62 at 60 lbs of boost all the time. I hooked to the heaviest trailers I could find and smoked every powerjoke and durrasmack I could find. All with stock filtering and no head studs. Talk about durability this Cummins engine is pretty tough. Now as far as the cracked injectors that does suck but what can I do. It gave me time to build it even better. I just got home from delivering a load of concrete blocks (11,000 lbs on the trailer)and I have to say the truck ran FANTASTIC. I kinda miss my little silver 62 turbo. This 64 should be on my wifes short box not my dually. I maybe going to twins or back to a 62 someday soon. Not that the 64 is terrible just a little more laggy then the 62.
Southpaw good to hear from ya! I would highly recommend those mods especially the studs. My truck has spent the last month over the pit in bay #3...Stop by sometime. It will be in the shop again at the end of next week so if the lead sled isnt in my parking spot don't worry about it it's just going in for ball joints.
See ya,
Topper

1985cucv

for you i would build a set of twins definitly since you tow often and heavy!