Here is a real puzzle for someone.

I searched pretty much everywhere for No compression or low compression issues and couldn't find anything with a definitive answer.

I just bought this 04 F350 from an auction place. Its got 197,000 miles. The batteries were completely dead and the guy with the jump box didn't help much. So I couldn't crank it over. Instead I inspected the oil, smelled here and there, and looked it over the best I could and decided to take a chance. I figured there was a pretty good chance that the truck would run with a good charge.

Well after charging the batteries for a day, I got in and cranked it over. The engined sounds like it free wheels past about 6 cylinders and then there are 2 that do have compression. I messed around with it for a while and found that the wire to the glow plug control was cut. Fixed that and tried again. Now it fires on the couple cylinders that do have compression, but obviously not enough to actually start and run. Got a buddy over here with his scanner and it said P0603 ICM KAM and 8 codes for each glow plug for the wire being cut. The P0603 apparently is because of the batteries being dead for so long.

Not motivated to take out the fender wells to actually do a real compression check, besides it will only **** me off to confirm what I already know. There is little to no compression in about 6 of 8 cylinders. So here I am to ask the experts.

My thoughts are:
1. Not sure how much coolant is in the radiator, maybe there is not much. Overheat and meltdown of several pistons?
2. Maybe the lifters failed and ate the camshaft to the point the valves won't open?
3. Maybe the EGR/Coolant system leaked into the engine while under load and burned a bunch of the valves?

Well that's pretty much it. Can't think of any other reasons why there might be a loss of compression in nearly all the cylinders at once.

 

Have to say, this guy can explain the sound of an engine cranking that is similar to mine.

 

I'd go for door #3, egr blowing and hydro locking/bending connecting rods to start with. Kind of strange in cutting the GP wires too?
Maybe more.

 

Pull the valve covers and look at the valvetrain. One thing that comes to mind is if the oil cooler failed and pushed a milk shake through everything. Several years ago I was replacing intake/head gaskets on a gm 3.1 which leaked a bunch of coolant into the oil. When I pulled the pushrods the lifters fully extended and it still had the milkshake in the crankcase. Upon reassembly and trying to start I had no compression in any cylinder. The lifters stayed pumped up even with the valve springs pushing against them. I had to loosen all of the rockers to get the car to start and work out the milkshake and could then retighten. I would find it hard to **** 6 rods to the point of no compression. Either major egt meltdown, pushrods not installed correctly upon head installation, missing injectors/glowplugs or the lifters are pumped up. Good luck.

 

Is the crank dampener turning? Although it would be tough to break a 6.0 crankshaft, anything is possible. Or something could have got into the crank/cam gears and sheared the cam
Can you post a video of it cranking?

*Edit* I agree with 78fordman, get those valve covers off. One hour job if you do it enough times, don't ask how I know*

 

I have heard, on gas race engines, that if you get a blown head gasket, or other means of getting coolant into the cylinders under full throttle conditions, that the coolant will turn to superheated steam and actually burn right through a valve. I've seen a valve from such a motor and it looked like someone cut the side of it off with a plasma cutter. Thats where I was leaning toward rather than the bent rod direction.

 

I have been contemplating taking a valve cover off and watching the movement of the rocker arms. Oil looks good, no water got into it at all. Now I say that like I know what I'm doing, but I don't know a thing about these diesels. Been surfing around and watching all kinds of youtube videos to see what kind of trouble I'm going to get into. If the thing drank gas I'd already know what was wrong.

 

Well here's the thing, it does fire on those 2 cylinders that do have compression, so that leads me to believe that things are still connected and rotating as they should. Crankshaft is turning and there is no nasty grinding noises coming out of the motor. Just does that flair up thing like the guy in the video talks about, only to an extreme. So imagine a gas v8 engine, take 6 spark plugs out and leave 2 in, now try to start it... Thats what it sounds like.

 

One possible cause I haven't seen mentioned and is a good possibility is the unwitting use of ether to get it to start by the previous owner, that alone can cause base engine damage.

 

If you are going to buy a non running engine at least inspect the oil and coolant and be prepared to do some work. Pull the valve covers and have a look. To burn a hole in 6 pistons would have been a great meltdown so I doubt if that is that is the case. What does the oil filter stand pipe look like?

 

get more data first, make sure injectors can pass a buzz test, check for ficm voltage, check icp when cranking things like that before you really start to tear down. get as much info as possible the easy way first.

 

I'd do a "real" compression/leak down test first. This is the only way to know what's going on. Checking the valve train isn't a bad idea either but anything else is a waste of time less pulling the motor

 

That's a good idea right there. Pull the oil filter and see if the plastic standpipe has melted. Sorta like one of those timers things on a turkey that pops out when is being baked. Real good indication if the engine has melted down. I'll repost a picture one of our Techs posted a while back.

Here is where the compression can go.

 

Check
Check
Check
Not checked
Not checked

Yes a great melt down would be an understatement. Looked everywhere on the internet and have not seen anyone with the same problem. There was one thread on one forum that was close but was never answered, no solution.

Had someone send me an email last night telling me that my EGR valve is stuck open, simple fix. Did a quick search on the internet, found nothing relating the EGR valve to compression. I was polite and said thanks, will check it out... Right after someone gives me a good explanation for no compression!

Seems like everyone who thinks they know something mentions something about the FICM or ICP or some other electronics. Well, maybe I don't know much about diesels, but I'm pretty sure that stuff doesn't have much to do with compression.

The symptoms are:
Cranks over like there is no compression in 6 of 8 cylinders and fires on the 2 that do. Black smoke comes out the exhaust pipe, especially when I push the gas pedal to the floor while cranking over the engine. Oil looks pretty good, not over filled, not runny, doesn't smell burned. Coolant is low enough not to show in the bottle, but loosened drain and some came out (is the green kind) and looked pretty clean, not sure how much coolant is in the radiator. Smell in the coolant reservoir stinks pretty bad and reminds me of really old gasoline or paint varnish or something like that.
Oh yes, and the oil pressure gauge does go up when cranking over.

During the week, I don't have a lot of time to go out and wrench on stuff, so pulling a valve cover or anything else will have to wait a bit.

Am I just the lucky guy to get the winning lotto ticket? No one out there have any symptoms like this ever? any reasonable explanations?

 

Are the glow plugs loose, you did say the wires were cut.