Go Back   The Supercar Registry > General Discussion > Lounge


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-26-2013, 11:50 AM
njsteve's Avatar
njsteve njsteve is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NJUSA
Posts: 8,235
Thanks: 7
Thanked 2,377 Times in 752 Posts
Default My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

I bought this baby brand new back in 1995. K2500 6.5 diesel, 3/4 ton 4x4. Atlantic Blue and silver. 123,000 miles. Still has original paint and a perfect body. We were attempting to tow my 24 foot trailer from NJ to a car show out west. I got 130 miles into PA and pulled into a rest stop to use the facilities. She was running smooth as silk (always a bad sign!)

I then noticed whitish smoke puffing out the exhaust when idling. Almost like what you see on start up on a cold day. Only it was after 130 miles. When I stepped on the pedal, the white smoke was much more evident. Since I didn't like the looks of that we turned around and headed home slowly.

I got within 30 miles of home when the mushroom cloud of white smoke came out the exhaust and the coolant blew out of the bypass hose off the reservoir. The truck's coolant temp was only running 185 degrees at the time (verified by infra-red heat gun on the hoses, the block and the radiator). Looks like a blown head gasket.

I was able to limp the truck off the exit and only travel another 1/4 mile to a safe parking spot which just so happens to be only 2.9 miles from my co-driver's home (This becomes a rather important fact next...).

I then call the wife and ask her if she renewed the AAA like I asked her to a couple dozen times before. She of course says, "Oh, I was going to do that later today." I then tell her to do it now. She gets on the AAA web site, and it crashes. So she drives into town and renews. (all while I am sitting with broken truck and trailer).

She then calls me back and gives me the Good News/Bad News. Good news, we are members again...bad news; they only tow 3 miles during the initial 7 day waiting period. Jeez - isn't the national gun buying waiting period shorter than that?

Luckily the destination is just under 3 miles and we get the truck towed by AAA to a safe spot. Once there I check to see if the truck will start. The engine starts right up and immediately smokes again. So I shut it down after only a couple seconds.

I call to a buddy (I'll call him "Joe" since that is his real name) who then loans me his brand new Dodge Cummins 2500 HD. (Now THAT's a friend!) and we make the trip up and back to the show.

So, here we are a week later. I just got back from the trip and checked the truck. It does crank slowly- no hydro lock. I checked the oil and there is no water in it. It is still black and not milkshake. But, the oil level is about 2 inches above the fill line! Did the non-firing cylinder(s) filled the crank case with diesel from a damaged injector? I will note that immediately after the initial brake down I checked the oil and it was at its normal level, so this must have happened over the week of sitting?

I know the truck isn't worth much on the open market but we have owned it since new and it is a member of the family - you know the drill: this truck brought pregnant wife to delivery room, carried the kids home from the hospital when they were born, took us on family vacations, dropped kids off at college 18 years later, over the years carried several of my dogs home for burial when they passed away...

So, I could use recommendations on replacing the 6.5 or repairing this engine. I have heard about the AM General replacement engine but I would like some advice from those of you who have more experience with 6.5 diesel engine replacements and/or repairs.

Sadly, the book value of truck is around $4,500 and a new engine is almost double that price.

Who do you recommend?

Thanks, NJSteve

P.S. Buying a new truck is out of the question with current economic conditions and daughter in college, etc.

If only I had a penny for every viewing of my old '72 T/A restoration thread on here and on the PerformanceYears site...104,814 + 1,990,194 pennies = $1,048.14 + $19,901.94 = $20,950.08 [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...ject#Post99416


Oh, and I only have two more days of my mandatory waiting period before I can get my truck towed back here from my buddies house 30 miles away... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Reply With Quote
Click here to view all the pictures posted in this thread...
  #2  
Old 11-26-2013, 12:41 PM
Smokey Smokey is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest usa
Posts: 379
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

You could feel worse...like walking into the dealer for a $7500 bill for set injectors like on a Duramax. Tear it down and see what you have. It could be something simple. Your a fairly smart guy who can take care of it.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-26-2013, 01:29 PM
markjohnson's Avatar
markjohnson markjohnson is online now
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: STL, MO.
Posts: 2,422
Thanks: 193
Thanked 412 Times in 189 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

Steve, I've been hearing about several different companies that sell conversion kits to swap newer Cummins diesels into older Chevy trucks like yours. Apparently, it's become a pretty popular thing to do lately. Here's something from a quick Google search:

http://dieselconversion.com//knowled...999-Diesel-Gas
__________________
1962 Biscayne O-21669 MKIV/M-22
1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe 409/1,000
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-26-2013, 03:58 PM
Chevy454 Chevy454 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Alton, MO, USA
Posts: 11,923
Thanks: 0
Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Smokey</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You could feel worse...like walking into the dealer for a $7500 bill for set injectors like on a Duramax. Tear it down and see what you have. It could be something simple. Your a fairly smart guy who can take care of it.
</div></div>
That's a tad high, even for a dealer, lol...I wanna say GM books 10 hours, I'm thinking the tab for replacing all 8 on LB7 was just shy of $4500. Still not cheap, though... [Edit: it could be more I suppose if it was a new Dmax, but they don't have the catastrophic injector failures the LB7s had.]

Swapping a Cummins in those early c/k's is fairly common it seems, but the best bang for the buck would be to simply drop a 454 in it.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-26-2013, 05:40 PM
njsteve's Avatar
njsteve njsteve is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NJUSA
Posts: 8,235
Thanks: 7
Thanked 2,377 Times in 752 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

She is home now.




Of course the local NJ AAA started balking at the tow saying that it they only allow one tow per breakdown incident but the PA AAA lady (Mary) who I dealt with last week, was very forceful and worked on my behalf reminding them that they previously stated that the vehicle would be towed the full distance after the waiting period expired.

While I was on hold with the Mary, I drove right down to the local NJ AAA office where my wife signed up and was sitting outside with my headlights pointed inward at the front desk and looking very much like &quot;Heisenberg&quot; of <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">Breaking Bad </span></span>fame, especially after having not shaved for a week and wearing my black hat. Maybe that convinced them to OK the 30 mile tow home.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-26-2013, 06:08 PM
njsteve's Avatar
njsteve njsteve is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NJUSA
Posts: 8,235
Thanks: 7
Thanked 2,377 Times in 752 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: markjohnson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Steve, I've been hearing about several different companies that sell conversion kits to swap newer Cummins diesels into older Chevy trucks like yours. Apparently, it's become a pretty popular thing to do lately. Here's something from a quick Google search:

http://dieselconversion.com//knowled...999-Diesel-Gas </div></div>

That looks like a job for Kwhizz-Man...well beyond my abilities (and back muscles)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-26-2013, 07:28 PM
Craig_Maiorana's Avatar
Craig_Maiorana Craig_Maiorana is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Disneyland via Lakewood N.J
Posts: 784
Thanks: 176
Thanked 89 Times in 51 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

what part of NJ steve? .... I may still have a few connections
__________________
I like cars more than I like people .....
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-26-2013, 07:44 PM
njsteve's Avatar
njsteve njsteve is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NJUSA
Posts: 8,235
Thanks: 7
Thanked 2,377 Times in 752 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

Hunterdon County (Central Jersey)
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-26-2013, 08:32 PM
Craig_Maiorana's Avatar
Craig_Maiorana Craig_Maiorana is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Disneyland via Lakewood N.J
Posts: 784
Thanks: 176
Thanked 89 Times in 51 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

Let me ask around... a few of my buddies are diesel mechanics. I'm originaly from ocean county
__________________
I like cars more than I like people .....
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-26-2013, 09:24 PM
njsteve's Avatar
njsteve njsteve is offline
Yenko Contributing Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: NJUSA
Posts: 8,235
Thanks: 7
Thanked 2,377 Times in 752 Posts
Default Re: My Truck's engine blew on the way to MCACN...

I was originally trained as a diesel mechanic...but as they say, &quot;A man's got to know his limitations&quot;

And working on one of these modern contraptions is beyond mine.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

O Garage vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.