Hope I only lost an injector....
 

Was coming home yesterday dragging my gooseneck with a new pasture clipper. Truck started a light unusual tapping and I mentioned to my wife I would pull over at a certain spot about a mile and a half away, due to NO WHERE to pull off before then. As I topped the hill a quarter mile away of where I was going to pull over, motor went to knocking hard. Killed it and dropped in neutral and coasted to where I could pull off.

Called my uncle. Dropped gooseneck, and loud knock getting truck out from under it. Hooked his truck to trailer, took home and unloaded clipper. Got back, went to drive truck on trailer, and while running, it was putting out a huge cloud of white smoke that smelled of fuel. Got home, and pulled on a hill and let truck roll off trailer so wouldn't have to crank it.

Will start pulling injectors in the morning, but on a tight time frame, as I leave to go out of the country next weekend for over a month, so going to order new injectors Monday along with feed tubes and valve cover gasket (gasket leaking slightly anyways).

What else am I missing? Just going back with stock injectors, as truck has no mods. Truck has 138K on it, but no idea if injectors have been changed as it had around 100k on it when I bought it.

Maybe I'll get lucky and it is only injectors!

Got 6 new injectors and feed tubes ordered this morning. Should be here Wednesday so I should be able to install them before the weekend. Hope that is all of my problem.

Usually a bad injector will throw a code. How come you didn't just take the valve cover off and ohm them out? Maybe you only have to replace one....maybe it's not even an injector problem.

I'd check the compression while you're at it. That'll let you know if it's more than injectors. For me it was the number 6 rings ending up on top of the piston. Hope you get lucky.

Injectors are the likely cause... the cloud of white smoke being the clue.

That said, it is the "likely" and not necessarily the only cause.

Valve seat dropping can cause this... rod bearing shot can cause this... broken rings (as mentioned) can cause this, but would also include a lot of blue smoke.

Keep us informed as to what happens.

Good Luck!

Only if it's am electrical issue, they may ohm out and the ECM won't see a mechanical issue.

Pulled injectors to swap yesterday and the tip was damaged on #5 like something is loose in the chamber. Will pull the head when I get a chance.

All old injectors ohm'd out as good.

Wasn't just an injector...updated
 

Well, it wasn't injectors. Looks like the seat came out on one of the exhaust valves, which in turn broke a valve. I have yet to find the seat, but there are several pieces lodged in the piston. I did find most of the broke off valve head, but am missing a piece of an intake valve also. Head is TOAST.

Block has some scoring, but will have to get it out and to the machine shop to see if it can be saved.

Will post pictures when I figure out my photobucket account again.

Where is the best place to get parts for a rebuild? Just going back stock, except may put in a Hamilton 178/208 cam.

The cam is a great choice, I love mine.

QSB pistons are about 1K for all 6, plus you would need different injector tips (already spending money on injectors right?).. And are much stronger.

Got a set of new Bosch on the shelf, so don't think I will be changing tips.

Got to get it out this morning, but will be a month before I can get it to a machine shop to check the block, as I start back to work tomorrow and won't have a day off for 30 days.

If they are unopened it may be worth talking to the seller..

I just hate to see people spend money on the POS 04.5-07 pistons, easily the worst piston ever used in a Cummins 5.9.

update
 

While I am back overseas, I think I have figured out how to post pictures of the carnage.

Got a plan in the works though.

Wow, what a mess!