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Looks like its time to consider an engine build...

tanman_2006

tanman_2006

Just a farm kid...
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Seiling, Oklahoma
Ok, now that I have both my 95&93 on the way to being up and running for a summer of work Chit has hit the fan it seems.

My 95 is loosing coolant and the oil level keeps going up. :( It still sounds and runs great after the smoke show on start up goes away. It is a 506 block (not sure if it is navistar yet), installed by GM in 01 or 02, and has ~170,000 on it. Doesnt tow very often at the moment but does have a chip from buddy i enjoy using. Has 42psi warm oil press at 2000 rpm uses maybe 1qt of oil/5000 miles and gets 16-17 in town and 19 highway.

IF it is a simple as a head gasket I will get a thicker gasket and studs which means I will need to pull the engine to get the studs in easier (i know it is possible to do it w/o pulling the engine but my my tranny is slipping and the firewall mat needs replaced).

So while I have it out my thoughts are I might as well build the engine to my liking which isn't gonna be cheap.

If I have a cracked block then??? Sleeve it if it is a radius crack in #8 and trash it if the mains are cracked through.

I have a block that siezed from lack of oil sitting at the farm that i might check the mains on and rebuild if it is ok but it is a GM 506 block from a 99 3500hd.

If i decide to build an engine it will get:
Splayed mains
18:1 slugs (kennedy)
possible Penninsular roller rockers
VGT 351 or HX40
and all other basic replacement parts for an engine build

Keep in mind the final goal is a SAS lifted mud and trail truck not a DD. There aren't many 6.5's in the offroad world so I want to be different. I know that it is going against the purpose of a diesel truck.

Hope you all can sort your way through my post. Any thoughts are welcome!
 
Have you considered a ted? The overhaul kit and machine work costs more than a ted engine. A GEP block and heads are tough to top.
 
Would it be worth 2,000 if i plan to install 18:1 pistons and splayed mains? (i dont trust the optimiser when pushing the limits still) Wouldn't I have to get machine work done anyways, besides the new holes drilled and tapped?

If it is just a head gasket do i have to get the heads and bock decked/resurfaced?
 
If the oil level is going up and the coolant down;


YOU NEED TO STOP RUNNING THAT ENGINE RIGHT BLOODY NOW!!!!!!!


Don't even turn it over again!

Coolant in the pan will roach a set of mains and rods faster than you can look at it sideways. Wipe out hte crank with them.

Seriously, if the rotating assembly is still good, it won't be for long with coolant in the oil.

I'm talking minutes here, not even miles....

I'd like to say the Navistar blocks are good castings, but I've already seen one with the Navistar diamonds in the valley and a crack in the number 6 cylinder wall. 2006 engine with 77500
km on it. The guy pulled the head and pan off for me. There was a crack at the number two cap register also. Small, but there.

Maybe be an anomaly, maybe not.....
 
I have the 93 apart but it should be back together 2mro morning and be tagged 2mro afternoon. Its turbo seals are bad and the WG is stuck open but it runs. It is getting the IP turned up, new LP, and OPS to get it on the road. It still has bad motor mounts and needs a new harmonic balancer. I am kinda "in a Pickle" so to speak. I am going to be installing an HX35 (10-12psi), guages, and 4in exhaust soon too.

I have an oil test kit on the way and will be draining the oil on the 95 before it gets started again just so i dont have to worry when i load it up to get in to a place for tear down.
 
Just try taking the drain plug loose. after not running for a while. The anti-freeze separates some, It will start running out long before the drain plug is out. Guess how I know that:yikes::WTF::mad2: The rest of the oil will be the thickest sludge you ever saw. It can take days to run out of the pan:nonod:
 
When I checked the oil it looked good and black not like the some of the greyish brown sludge I have seen and I had been driving it for awhile. I am ordering an oil sample to check the metal content and see if i have another potential problem. I have ~10,000 on this oil change (amsoil 30,000 kit) last time I went to 15K before the oil needed changed according to samples every 3K.

I am going to drain the oil and take the amsoil kit off and install a wix filter later today so I can drive the truck and park it out of the way.
 
Can I just pull the heads, slide a new gasket in, and drop in some studs or is it going to take machine work?

Also I have a compression tester and was wanting to try and see what I am looking at. Do I just hook it up and turn it over with a break over or?

Thanks,
Tanner
 
to get an accurate compression test you should pull all the glows and then turn the engine over at cranking speed. good #s should be around 400. You should use a roloc pad or something similar to prep the head and block before you put on a new gasket.
 
Compression test sounds easy enough. No problem there.

Roloc? Is this a prep pad that just creates a good binding surface or ??? I came up with sand paper on a google search but I doubt I want sand grains falling in my bores.

I am just trying to prepare myself with options. Thanks for the help.
 
An AMG engine may actually be stronger than the older blocks with the splayed mains. The splayed mains will run you quite a bit of money with machining, but should help, at least in my mind. Lots of Chevys ran lots of power even with only 2 bolt mains though, but I suppose these cheap diesels got cast cheaply for its design. AMG has better castings. Just getting main cap studs may be the most beneficial to the lower end.

I am not a big fan of low compression, as I think these can run 20psi of boost with near stock compression. If its something thats going to run high RPM a lot of time then there is good reasons to lower it. Thats why the marine engines are that way, and if its going to be sliding through mud or sand then higher reving may be the norm. I would normally just recommend the +.01" head gasket and head studs, along with larger precups for the early engines that could benefit from the larger mouths on the diamond cups and the lower compression it gives.
 
buddy said:
An AMG engine may actually be stronger than the older blocks with the splayed mains. The splayed mains will run you quite a bit of money with machining, but should help, at least in my mind. Lots of Chevys ran lots of power even with only 2 bolt mains though, but I suppose these cheap diesels got cast cheaply for its design. AMG has better castings. Just getting main cap studs may be the most beneficial to the lower end.

I am not a big fan of low compression, as I think these can run 20psi of boost with near stock compression. If its something thats going to run high RPM a lot of time then there is good reasons to lower it. Thats why the marine engines are that way, and if its going to be sliding through mud or sand then higher reving may be the norm. I would normally just recommend the +.01" head gasket and head studs, along with larger precups for the early engines that could benefit from the larger mouths on the diamond cups and the lower compression it gives.
Click to expand...

If it is just a head gasket then I plan on a thicker HG and studs but its worse then I am only building the engine once and it will be the one I want to thrash and rev to the moon. If i end up building a custom engine then SOMEONE will be getting a call for some hotter tuning.
 
View attachment Oil analysis 4 11 10.pdf

Just for reference this is my oil test before after I changed the oil at 30,000 miles. It wasn't pretty and I probably have some noticable bearing wear looking at the metal flakes.

I used another local sampler at a big rig shop for a few oil samples prior to that one. Either my oil went south quickly or they weren't doing something right.

I should get my new sample with 6,000 miles back this week to see if that is where my coolant is hiding, I hope I am over reacting and added oil and forgot which is likely with how busy I have been lately. I don't add oil until it is at the fill line but the oil was over the full line when I checked which isn't normal for my truck. Maybe my injectors are bleeding down and I am full of diesely oil (injectors have 20K on them from Accurate).

Nervously awaiting results.... :(
 
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