Hey guys. A bit of background on my situation. Truck is now back to stock motor but otherwise same as in my sig. Beautiful Laramine, sharp, clean truck, but had the 53 block. It cracked on me about 18 months ago and I lock n stitched it myself. Cracked again about 6 months ago, further back in the block. Parked it and eventually found a used 5.9 to swap out. Did the swap a few weeks back and all went well except the new (used) motor has a knock. Its not the injectors or valves out of adjustment, and not the rod bearings, although a few were bad, changed all that out and it still knocks. I've got $3,000 wrapped up in this engine swap after everything and it still knocks. The knock is constant and rises with throttle, but it gets really quiet on the freeway, but really loud on deceleration with the TC locked. I'd love to be able to get $12,000 for the truck if it was running perfect but with this knock not sure what I'd be looking at. I'm asking for advise on what to do.

I'd like to sell it and get a nice reliable 3rd gen, but what do you guys think, what would you do if it were your truck? Sell it as is and cut my losses? Try and fix it and sell it as a good solid truck for full price?? I have my old motor still which ran great other than the crack, maybe swap heads and see if its a problem with a piston or in the valvetrain? I'd rather just be done with the thing, what do you think something with a knock like this would go for? All advise is appreciated! Scratching my head on this one.... just finishing college, I don't want a money pit... Thanks guys
TNutcher

 

sounds like, wrist pin. If you replaced all the rod bearings.

 

can the pistons be pulled in frame? from the bottom? My next thought was to try swapping the heads but I don't have much experience with diagnosing this sort of thing... Thanks for the reply
TNutcher

 

No pistons will not come out the bottom. but well I suppose its not nessicarrily wrist pins. They would tend to knock more on deceleration, and tend not make any noise under load.

 

Well that sounds like it might be... knocks at idle and decel, but loaded it doesn't as much.

Any opinions on worth as is? blue books at $10K for a solid truck i'd hate to take much less than that for this thing....
TNutcher

 

You think it'd be worth it to try something else to fix the knock or try another motor out of a salvaged truck? I've done the swap once, it'd just take time to do it again... still don't want to put too much more into this money pit. Throw some ideas at me, what would you do if it were your truck? Thanks
TNutcher

 

Used motor come with any kinda warranty?

 

No it was a cheap motor bought as is. Looking back now it was stupid to throw it in without checking it out farther but I guess it is what it is. Not sure if I should pull the trigger and buy another motor and throw it in and sell off everything or just try to sell the truck as is. $5000 (my $3k + $2000 for another motor) and the trucks only worth $10 or 11k? I'd be essentially breaking even. Course now if I can get $7k for it and I already have $3k in on this motor set I'm not doing much better.
TNutcher

 

Most engines I have replaced because the #6 piston J nozzle getting plugged from using cheap oil filters. Try doing injector kill on each cylinders to locate piston causing knock. DRB is required dealership scan tool. Otherwise you have to pull the head to check.

 

you can crack the injector line nut at the head to do injector cut outs. you don't need a computer.

 

You are correct but a little messy with diesel fuel spraying out all over the place. I guess I have been working on common rail diesels for too long.

 

its doesn't spray out. you don't pull the nut all the way off. crack it 1 turn 2 at the most.

Now identifying the bad hole is fine. but at the end of the day 1 is still hooped. and its up to you what you want to do with it. sell it fix it, your call.