y I have a question or two. Thursday I was returning home and I sprung an oil leak from the oil dipstick tube adapter on the pan and either through the valve cover or the valve cover gasket. What was crazy, I had just looked at the oil pressure just as this happened - my truck had bellowing smoke from under the truck and hood and huge amounts of black smoke out of the pipe. My truck now runs like total crap.

Once I return home next week, I need to do a compression check. From there, where should i focus on to see if the engine is toast or if I can fix it? also, if I recall, the valve covers are hard plastic. Is there a manufacturer that makes metal valve covers for these engines that are affordable? Additionally, we are some suggestions to do to this engine if i have to rebuild? In other words, can the block be bored larger and have increased compression...stuff like that. I want to get more power out of this engine.

Thank you for your consideration here.

drpaul311

 

Valve covers are metal.yes bored.more comp...buy a bigger turbo..you need to pull vcs and comp check.otherwise just look around for clues.check oil pan for dents

 

Did you blow your turbo? Boring motors doesn't give much power, unless you start talking boring quite a ways, and that can't be done on these. You need no more compression, these have plenty. VC's are a hard plastic, but I don't know of any replacements.

 

I do not know if my turbo blew. It started running really badly all the while my oil pressure read normal with the major smoke issue. For the compression, on gas engines one could get domed pistons to get an increase in compression. Do these diesels do the same or I am just waisting my money?

At this point I am only speculating the disaster! I haven't done the comp check or checked to see if there is a bent pushrod or nothing. As for the VCs, there is a manufacturer that makes aluminum but they are $750. That is ridiculous if you ask me! I want to get rid of the hard plastic for metal but I don't want to pay a bazillion dollars doing it. Just thinking, gas engines, one could also install a
Cam with more lift...does that apply with these diesels?

 

No dents in the pan. What sucks I recently recently replaced that oil pan adapter and went through that whole hassle. It stopped leaking until the other day. No thrown rod. Starting runnin bad so I shut it down.

 

If the vcs are plastic then how did i strIghten one with a dent?

 

Ya my vc are metal. If you lost alot of oil your truck wont run right, and if you lost enough it wont run. Where exactly is it leaking? At the dip stick adaptor on the pan?

 

I am aware of having insufficient oil and running poorly. I learned that the hard way. That is why when it started running bad, I checked the oil pressure. The leak is from the oil dipstick adapter and the valve cover or hte valve cover gasket. Additionally, as the truck idles, oil is puddling on top of the passenger valve cover. That is why I think the VC is hard plastic that has a crack.

 

I think I'm wrong on the vc's, they seem like plastic, but I think Aaron and Gabe are right. Heck, I just cleaned mine up and painted them, I should have known..

DIesel motor is a lot different than gas. IIRC, these are already like 17:1 compression. Lots different buiding a gas motor than a diesel. You can get a different cam, but then again, there is a lot more to be done before you'd even need a cam upgrade. You dont even need to touch the inner parts of the motor and you can get pretty reliable 500+hp out of these. But, your checkbook better be ready. It costs a lot to make big hp out of any motor, gas or diesel.

 

They are weird.there is some sort of tough black coating on the metal.its sheds oil well though.
the head on these is flat and the piston cup is the combustion chamber.its different than gassers for sure...