Ok ARF diesel gurus, I need help. My 7.3 PSD is sick. *Update, truck is fixed and the diagnosis*

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ok ARF diesel gurus, I need help. My 7.3 PSD is sick. *Update, truck is fixed and the diagnosis*

Posted: 8/23/2017 10:56:02 AM EST

Started the truck this morning and it started blowing huge clouds of white smoke. It's got an acrid smell so I'm guessing it's either oil or fuel. The idle is very rough, and it it's acting like it's very difficult to turn over. I thought the motor was seized when I went to restart it. From my cursory research, sounds like it could be a bad injector or blown turbo?

It's got 360K and has run like a freaking top since I got it. It never showed any signs of compression issues, started in -17 weather unplugged overnight, so I don't think it is a ring issue. Motor ran great, no smoke except a tiny blue/black puff on cold start up which I took as normal for an older motor. Since I've had it I've run Delo 5/40 full synthetic and Motorcraft oil and fuel filters.

It was perfectly fine when I parked it Sunday night. Now it's doing this. Thanks.

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:00:29 AM EST

[#1]

When is the last time you had injectors/orings replaced..... that is the issue. Way more fuel than it can burn.
And i wasted post #87 on a powerstroke..... LOL

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:02:23 AM EST

[#2]

Looks like a stuck injector.

@spartandieseltech

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:08:25 AM EST

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
When is the last time you had injectors/orings replaced..... that is the issue. Way more fuel than it can burn.
And i wasted post #87 on a powerstroke..... LOL

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I don't know, I bought it used so I have no idea the last time they were replaced. Do they go bad that fast, like over night go to shit? I've ran a little bit of 2 stroke oil and Diesel Kleen to help lube the injectors a bit since I've had it.

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:08:28 AM EST

[#4]

Looks like more than 1 injector shit the bed.

Eta: when i blew the turbo on my 5.9 i blew smoke like that too. Turbo sounded like a leaf blower with a hint of a grinding sound.

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:10:33 AM EST

[#5]

Cracked injector tip. Check for water in fuel

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:36:26 AM EST

[#6]

Injector(s) most likely. Any smoke puffing out of the oil tube? Compression check? Might as well replace all 8 if you find a bad one. Probably should do glow plugs and ICP while you are at it. Figure $2000 unless you are handy at turning wrenches. Hopefully its not a blown head gasket. Any smell in the smoke or residue on the exhaust tip?

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:55:59 AM EST

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Injector(s) most likely. Any smoke puffing out of the oil tube? Compression check? Might as well replace all 8 if you find a bad one. Probably should do glow plugs and ICP while you are at it. Figure $2000 unless you are handy at turning wrenches. Hopefully its not a blown head gasket. Any smell in the smoke or residue on the exhaust tip?

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No puffing out of the oil tube. No coolant smell or residue. Blown head gaskets are pretty rare on these from what I've read.

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:56:56 AM EST

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Looks like more than 1 injector shit the bed.

Eta: when i blew the turbo on my 5.9 i blew smoke like that too. Turbo sounded like a leaf blower with a hint of a grinding sound.

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Did it idle weird when you blew the turbo?

Posted: 8/23/2017 11:57:54 AM EST

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Cracked injector tip. Check for water in fuel

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Fuuuuck, hopefully it didn't break a tip off.

Posted: 8/23/2017 3:13:58 PM EST

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Did it idle weird when you blew the turbo?

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Looks like more than 1 injector shit the bed.

Eta: when i blew the turbo on my 5.9 i blew smoke like that too. Turbo sounded like a leaf blower with a hint of a grinding sound.

Did it idle weird when you blew the turbo?

It was rougher but not struggling to run, but when my turbo went, it was while I was driving. Sounded like a gun shot, followed by the aforementioned sound. I had thick white smoke like that, and was burning oil because the shaft had so much play in it I was pumping oil directly into the turbo housing, and thus the intercooler, and finally consuming it.

Take your inlet hose off your turbo, and grab the shaft. IF you can move it more than a hair your turbo is shot. There should be no play in it going back and forth, but just a little play in it going up,down,left,right.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:14:48 PM EST

[#11]

Glow plug relay? Fuel injector wiring harness?

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:30:17 PM EST

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:

No puffing out of the oil tube. No coolant smell or residue. Blown head gaskets are pretty rare on these from what I've read.

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Those are positive signs, means you didnt lose a cylinder and you are probably looking at a bad injector(3). Could be broken tip or just a leaky o-ring.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:39:27 PM EST

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

It was rougher but not struggling to run, but when my turbo went, it was while I was driving. Sounded like a gun shot, followed by the aforementioned sound. I had thick white smoke like that, and was burning oil because the shaft had so much play in it I was pumping oil directly into the turbo housing, and thus the intercooler, and finally consuming it.

Take your inlet hose off your turbo, and grab the shaft. IF you can move it more than a hair your turbo is shot. There should be no play in it going back and forth, but just a little play in it going up,down,left,right.

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Damn, you're lucky it didn't take the bit in it's teeth and runaway.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:42:18 PM EST

[#14]

My 7.3 (E-350) did that when the oil pump went bad -- the sintered bronze impeller disintegrrated and spread powdered bronze throughout the injectors --was told by Ford that the injectors run off oil pressure(?) and that was why it became hard to start, all of the injectors had to be replaced and the oil system flushed out. --not a fun week but they did cover it under warranty, they had to take most of the upper half of the engine apart to get it all fixed..
Good luck with it --my 7.3 was the best PS of the three I used to have it could out run just about anything even with a jetting trailer with a full water tank hooked up! other than the oil pump fiasco I never had an issue with it.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:50:47 PM EST

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Damn, you're lucky it didn't take the bit in it's teeth and runaway.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

It was rougher but not struggling to run, but when my turbo went, it was while I was driving. Sounded like a gun shot, followed by the aforementioned sound. I had thick white smoke like that, and was burning oil because the shaft had so much play in it I was pumping oil directly into the turbo housing, and thus the intercooler, and finally consuming it.

Take your inlet hose off your turbo, and grab the shaft. IF you can move it more than a hair your turbo is shot. There should be no play in it going back and forth, but just a little play in it going up,down,left,right.

Damn, you're lucky it didn't take the bit in it's teeth and runaway.

I wish I had some pictures, the compressor looked like a pitbull chewed on it, the shaft was nice and loose, like a hot dog down a hallway loose. Lost one tooth completely on the compressor wheel, and several behind it were marred up really badly. Luckily the tooth that broke off completely never made it past the intercooler. Fell right the fuck out after a nice steam bath at my uncle's engine shop

I had oil sitting in the bottom of the compressor housing, the intercooler was dripping oil when I took it out, it was a fuckin mess. Thought for sure my engine was toast. But I put in a new turbo, and the damn thing runs like a raped ape.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:58:03 PM EST

[#16]

Sell it to some knucklehead that thinks the 7.3 is the best engine ever, and go buy a newer one.

Or tear into the injectors and see what happens.

Posted: 8/23/2017 4:59:24 PM EST

[#17]

The contribution test can sometimes isolate which hole. Sometimes a buzz test can also isolate.

Saw one stick open about 10 years ago that maked smoke similar to that.

Posted: 8/23/2017 5:20:16 PM EST

[#18]

Looks like oil in the fuel to me. Easy way to check, is to see how much oil is in the truck. If you've lost a lot, that's more than likely the issue. The injector o-rings would need to be replaced.

Posted: 8/23/2017 5:37:27 PM EST

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Looks like oil in the fuel to me. Easy way to check, is to see how much oil is in the truck. If you've lost a lot, that's more than likely the issue. The injector o-rings would need to be replaced.

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Very real possibility too

Posted: 9/22/2017 2:21:52 PM EST

[#20]

Update! Truck is fixed. Ended up being a bad injector, cracked injector tip specifically. @ChargedFormula

Also had one cracked injector cup.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll spare you the details but the motor ended up hydrolocked, thankfully no apparent damage from this.

Got a little bit of diesel in my coolant now from the cup, so gotta flush and refill now unfortunately. Hurray. Am I ok driving it for a day or two like that or should I just park it until the flush and fill are done? Oil is already changed with new OF and new fuel filter in.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ok ARF diesel gurus, I need help. My 7.3 PSD is sick. *Update, truck is fixed and the diagnosis*

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