When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The return lines on the right bank are leaking pretty bad. Also my truck is doing this crazy idle thing. It starts out smooth then shoots right up to 4 grand!!!! Is this caused by the return lines? Also on the 5 mile trip home it had a knock sound, it wasn't consistent, it would come and go, is this an ignition knock or a bearing thing, please tell me its the former. I'm freaking out right now, I need this truck an I cant afford to replace it or an engine rebuild. Please give me some advice. Thank you.
Return leaks will cause hard starting, usually. You just need to replace the O-rings. Get yourself a 50-pack of '111' size code Viton O-rings from Mcmaster-carr, because it's cheaper than buying a few elsewhere(<$10 including shipping). And you'll end up needing them.
I'm going to suggest the others are fuel/injector issues. You probably want to try the ATF trick first -- pull the fuel/water seperator, empty it. Refill with ATF. Reinstall, and start the vehicle. Let it idle for 45 seconds and shut it off. let it sit over night. Start it and run it hard.
That will clean up a lot of deposits. and stickyness
edit:
Beyond that, give it a new oil filter(Get the oil filter for the next generation 7.3 Powerstroke -- it fits the same, but is 1qt larger and lasts longer) and some good clean oil and call it good.
These engines are remarkably robust, and chances are it'll just keep running for another 100K+, even if it is a problem. I've seen too many people on here turn what was a workable(if worn) engine into a costly project; if you don't have the money to fix it, just keep an eye on it to see if it gets worst, put some cleaner through the various bits, and she'll probably stay together, though I'd expect it might well use oil and/or not get good fuel economy(14-16 instead of 17-19).
The truck starts pretty darn good. About 4 years ago I did injectors, IP pump, return lines, glow plugs (the beru ones), and a bunch of other stuff. the truck sits a lot and doesn't get a lot of miles. could the injectors have gone bad already?
The truck starts pretty darn good. About 4 years ago I did injectors, IP pump, return lines, glow plugs (the beru ones), and a bunch of other stuff. the truck sits a lot and doesn't get a lot of miles. could the injectors have gone bad already?
No, but things might get sticky. Your injectors won't wear out under 100K or so(at least new ones; used/"remanufactured" ones are a crapshoot -- I have had one die completely at 10K)
The o-rings, however... are finicky. You touch them and they leak. This is why you keep a large pack of them around; easy/cheap replacements. I also cover them with wheel-bearing grease when installing them; it seems to help.
Originally Posted by beersy50
I will try the ATF thing tomorrow.
What do you think about the knonking sound?
Either injectors or something more serious. But it might go away with cleaning, in which case it wasn't serious.
And if it is serious, just drive it, because you can't rebuild the engine; unless it gets /really/ bad, you're probably fine. Though we'd need a video or something to see more.
One thing to add to what Mac has already told you. You can pull the filter and dump the oil out and inspect it. If the oil is "sparkly" then it has metal in it which is indicative of a bearing issue. Usually, if its a bearing, the knock is constant.
RC31080, that's news I wanted to hear. Ill try that when I do the ATF thing.
Also, I just went out to start it so I can take a video and the batteries are dead, so video tomorrow then.
I really appreciate the advice, I'm quickly losing confidence in this truck and just want to set it on fire. The advice gives me an place to start, thank you.
Have you done the ATF treatment and looked at your oil?
The knock is hard to tell from the video. If your oil doesn't look like it's got metal in it, then i'd do the following.
Get a new fuel filter, fill it with ATF and let it sit for a good 24 hrs. and then fire it up and drive it hard.