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White smoke at start up....

I'm glad to know there are at least 2 forum members within a hour or so from me. I live in Laurens county. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck on the heads
 
WarWagon said:
How long did it sit outside before it went back in?

I would spin it over with the glow plugs out and see if any holes shoot coolant out. The engine coming to a stop while cranking is a bad starter/battery/cable connection or indeed rod bending hydro lock. Seen some places like a (now closed) mine back east that just insisted on throwing the jumper cables on to crank the engine making a cracked head require a new rod and starters on yellow iron. (Yes, the electric drive mine haul truck engines in question had more than one starter. No, stupid stuff like this means unprofitable and justly put the morons out of work all the way up to the CEO as the company folded.)

I don't recommend starting this engine till you eliminate the hydro lock question. You are better off with a cooling system pressure tester than risk starting an engine that wants to hydrolock. Next to double check the pressure tester's negative results (if it shows a leak fix it without further testing) of a coolant leak is removing the T-Stat crossover and fan belt to see if and what side produces bubbles from combustion.

It's possible cranking slow can wet stack the engine till it lights off and then smokes out the unburned fuel.

IMO an injector stuck wide open will not hydro lock this engine due to the distributor design of the injection pump. It will ruin the overun clutch in the starter as compression forces the IP to reprime the system and the engine hits, stalls, hits, stalls while cranking. Low mile Chinese knock off injectors here were all sticking:

Click to expand...

Geez, Patch looks like a lesson in diversity.
 
Big T said:
Geez, Patch looks like a lesson in diversity.
Click to expand...

It's a Rat Rod and known to be a sleeper that takes people by surprise. Paint doesn't make it go faster although it gets a name brand rattle can applied now and then to stop rust from the 90's era EPA primer problem like top of the cab and hood. It would ruin it's charter and the conversation starter it is to paint it now. It does have more Elk than most hunter's Guns... and a salvage title from that. (It also has a, FUBARED, Chevy Cavalier trophy that proved it could stop, well it tried to stop anyway, faster than a old 3/4 ton. Yeah, check your review mirror before you dynamite your brakes on a fresh yellow light because there are things bigger than patch on the road made of real metal...) "Been there - run that over!" GMC and Chevy parts mixed up to bring it back from the dead. Pop the hood and it's not any better for looks with the only clean or fresh paint being the oil filter. The A Team Turbo looms over things of course. The out of sight Stall with the 4.10's combined with a brake stand give you a good two strip burn out on take off leaving the line at 2200 RPM when the tires break loose the second the ATT lights off at that RPM. Without the brake stand it's quick off the line.
 
Just got word that my parts engine head was cracked too. I think I will go with new at this point. I would like to save money but I really can't gamble any more time on trying to get a good head. (living without a vehicle (borrowing a friends) is not much fun) Dover wants $500 for a bare head (my parts installed on it) Or I could get Rockauto's Engine tech bare head for $250 shipping included. What are yall's thoughts on quality?
 
How do the valves look? Not only do the stems wear, but, the springs get weak as well as valve seat wear. Last engine I changed most of the exhaust valves and the parts engine was sketchy for valve quality. Rocker wear? And new buttons.

My friend just had his 3.9 Dodge rebuilt with the new Rockauto heads. 600 miles isn't enough to say...

You might ask Leroy @Burning oil what brand he carries as his prices are in the ballpark.

http://leroydiesel.com/product-category/engine-products/
 
Just got the valves out... they look pretty good for the most part. A few are slightly dished on the face, where it contacts the seat so they may need to ground a bit.

Any one have the specs on the valve spring hight?
 
1994ch said:
Just got word that my parts engine head was cracked too. I think I will go with new at this point. I would like to save money but I really can't gamble any more time on trying to get a good head. (living without a vehicle (borrowing a friends) is not much fun) Dover wants $500 for a bare head (my parts installed on it) Or I could get Rockauto's Engine tech bare head for $250 shipping included. What are yall's thoughts on quality?
Click to expand...

Getting good head is a lifelong quest.
 
Just checked, and clearwater cylinder head is $300 a piece for new truck heads fully assembled($325 a piece for the van/hummer turbo heads).
 
Well I got it all back together with new heads. But am still having problems. Yesterday it died once on me and this morning it died 4 times. Also there are a few air bubbles that show up in the return line after shut down (bubble comes from the return line side, not the IP) ...and a diesel smell under the hood so I think I need to get new return lines for the injectors, but I don't see how a leaking return line could make it die. It did not quite seem like the typical PMD failure that I have experienced because when restarting it would not always fire right back up but kinda fire here and there and stumble along. For me a PMD failure will usually either crank right up or not fire at all till it sits long enough to restart. I still suspect the IP because it is still smoking and missing some right after start up. Any thoughts or insight would be greatly appreciated...
 
Start over.

You smell fuel: it's leaking fuel somewhere and that fuel leak leaks air back in when things get shut off. You literally have to reprime the system (get the compressible air out that leaked in) on startup with smoke resulting. IMO Fuel return lines are a source of air when sitting. I run the PIA return line clamps for this reason alone. The Dorman return line kits IMO are better than the German made push on Krap. (Heat kills the push on stuff for me.)

What was the result of the injector tests?

By the way it's starting I suggest you have a fuel starvation or restriction/vapor lock problem.

Other things to double check:

Any codes?

Check Lift pump PSI. Look for restrictions like a kinked hose behind the FFM.

Check grounds.

Check glow plugs are all connected and getting 12v.

Wiggle test PMD cable.
 
I hope I found it...... Forgot to put the nut on the right rear stud with all the grounds on it. I also fixed the leaking return line. The fuel injectors all tested good. I have a permanent fuel pressure gauge and it has been reading a solid 8-9. The only thing lift pump related I could think of is if there is a bad connection for lift pump power....but when it dies it shuts off clean not like it starved. Just when restarting after it died it does not start cleanly...kinda stumbles along on the starter and dies again as soon as I let off, then after a try or two it will fire right up. When starting it after shutting it down normally it jumps to life (although it runs rough for a second or two if it sat for a while)

I really hope that the stalling was the ground and the stumble after starting was the return leak..........time will tell.... kinda scary to think about trying to drive home through rush hour traffic though cause I still don't trust it....

Thanks WarWagon
 
That ground is for the ECM. A Bulb Check after 30 seconds of ignition off (to reset and cold boot the ECM) looking for STS and SES lights would confirm if the ECM had power. The ground bouncing loose would be all kinds of stall, misfire, etc...
 
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