I know, pull the engine. Well a few years ago I did that on a auction purchased 98 12V club cab 4x4. Lots of work what with pulling everything north of the block including bumper, grill, radiator, inter-cooler, condenser and so-on and then sliding engine out the front. But obviously it's just work.

Now the wife's 200k mile 98 12v is smoking like a freight train, oil drips out the exhaust and #3 is dead, started all at once pulling a loaded horse trailer in the Arkansas Ozarks. I'm working 1500 miles away on a pipeline project so nephew inlaw (diesel mechanic) pulled #3 injector, looked in with a bore scope and saw no hole. However he's convinced there's a hole in the piston that he can't see or ring lands broke or something along those lines due to engine oil running out the exhaust. Wants to pull engine and do a proper rebuild. Me...... since the truck only pulls the occasional horse trailer (as mentioned was doing same when it started smoking like it was on fire) I don't want or need to spend that kind of money. She can use my 95. But it does need to be back on the road. So I'm considering seeing if he'll pull the head, remove the motor mounts, raise the engine, pull the pan, check the bores and probably pull #3 out the top. Repair as needed and reverse procedure, crank up and drive on.

Anyone gone this route, if so any comments or suggestions.

Thanks,

RR

 

I dont got a 2nd gen so dont really know of much slide forward room you have or not have.

But ive used excavators and or tall rolling gantry cranes to R&R motors out of boats.

 

hi

run a compression test on that cyl before you tear it down to be sure it is broke .!
might just be a bad injector !

 

A person can do just about anything and make a success of it if they want to bad enough. If your nephew wants to do it, and you know he's competent, go for it.