I am having a problem that seems to me like a seize. I started my truck this morning, commuted to work, ran some errands, seemed to be running ok. As I leave one of my stops, about a 1/4 mile down the road the truck stalls and comes to a quick rumbling stop. All of the gauges read normal, so I tried to start it back up and it runs VERY rough for a couple seconds then dies again. I wait a couple seconds and try again, this time its more of a scraping sound coming from the engine trying to turn over. No hope of starting it there.
I got it towed home to look at it. I checked the oil and it showed just a bit on the tip of the dipstick, way lower than it should be. I'm not sure how the oil got so low because I stay on top of oil changes and notice when things are leaking under the truck. Adding less than a gallon got it back the mark on the dipstick. After reading some online I attempted to try and turn the crankshaft pulley with a socket and breaker bar with little luck. I removed two glow plugs from each side to relieve compression resistance, tried again with still no luck.

Should I remove all the glow plugs for that to be effective? What are some possibilities that could cause these symptoms besides block seizure? What sort of things can I look for to help diagnose the problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm not really sure where to go from here and I need my truck all day everyday.


Just to be clear the batteries are good and fully charged and within the last year I did a bunch of work to include: installing electric fuel pump, IP pump, injectors, glow plugs and controller, starter, alternator and battery cables

 

That sounds bad. You're probably going to have to play with it and see if you can get it to move again; I can't tell you anything beyond that.
I do think that lack of oil is probably not the problem here -- I've managed to run it that low without losing pressure, and ran it even lower for a trip or two without seizing anything.
On the other hand, it might be a symptom of some other, major problem which could have caused it.

Do note that a 7.3, not seized, can be turned with a good breaker bar on the crank; a small ratchet, however, wouldn't do it.

Is this a manual?
If it is, you could try pulling all the GPs, spraying WD-40 down each to make sure you've got some lubrication, and then just have someone push you in OD/4th, see if you can make it turn that way.
If you can, and it just got stuck(overheated or something? Was there coolant?), then you can start going over it, seeing if you can get it to work without a major rebuild.
If not... you're going to have to pull it and replace/do a teardown.

 

Check your A/C compressor. It may be seized. Take your belt off and try to turn the engine over.

 

Thanks for the reply. To clarify a bit, my water pump has been leaking and so my coolant sometimes gets low. In the past couple weeks I have noticed the temperature go up to H (twice maybe) and quickly pulled over and got more fluid in it. Also since I've had the new IP the truck blows white smoke at startup and until it gets warm then goes away.
Does anybody have any good tips or tricks on trying to free up the engine? It is a manual and I like the idea of dragging it but I am working alone. Also, sense I have been having coolant issues I also worry about cavitation is there away to test for that? Antifreeze coming out of glow plug holes? What sort of thing can stop the engine from turning easily? I've read to take out glow plugs and starter, anything else? At what point should I call it dead try to remove the engine?

 

So I just noticed an oil leak that looks like its coming from around the top of the oil pan next to the starter (possible higher). I know that this is new and there was no oil here before. Right where the oil has appeared the oil pan seems to be protruding a bit, enough to block one of the pan bolts. It's this normal? If not, what is in there that could have caused this? Oil cooler maybe? I would post a picture but I'm not sure how...this?https://flic.kr/p/owoxix

 

Development:
So I removed the glow plugs and turned the engine by hand. I got a couple rotations (still hard to turn) then I put the glow plugs back in and tried to start it again. The starter can turn the engine over very slowly but has a real hard time. There is a sound when the engine is trying to start that sounds like metal friction, similar to a squeaky hinge.
I'm sorry if all this is too much information, I'm just apprehensive of trying to turn over the engine too much and risk damaging it further. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

Put some oil down each GP, let it settle into the cyl... might help?

edit: also, if you can get a video for us...

 

So it's been getting slightly better as the day has gone on. the engine is turning over more rapidly. Although it is still having a hard time. I've been keeping a battery charger on slow charge during this process because it takes a lot of juice to crank it still. it seems at first like it's going to be able to start and then the longer it tries the harder it gets. When it's moving slowly that is when there is a grinding sound.
I poured a bit of new oil into each glow plug hole and then put it back together. I took a video and <a href="http://youtu.be/lOiTJp1CDBE">here it is. </a> Note that the clicking sound is the electric fuel pump and normal

 

I tried again and took video just in case something else happened and it started! It ran very rough though, it sounds worse in person than on video. I still feel like there is excess friction or resistance somewhere in the system. Tell me what you think. <a href="http://youtu.be/rRYLh1AoAsU"> Life in her yet</a>

 

Is the oil pump working? Are you getting oil pressure when it's running?


Also, I'm thinking at least one injector totally failed, or at least you've got a loose line -- that's a lot of diesel around the driver's side rear injector there, and it's definitely not running on all 8 cyls.

 

So I decided that since I got the truck to consistently start that it's obviously not seized and so I've started a clean thread. I'd like to note that the #8 injector was leaking from dislodging the plastic return line cap from taking the glowplugs in and out. It's not leaking anymore. Thanks for all the help Macrobb, I hope to get some more advice soon in This New Thread. Just to let everyone know, pouring a bit of oil down the glowplug holes is what got me turning again.