I have a 99 F250 4x4 V-10. Only 51,000 miles. I am the original owner. The truck has been stored in a heated garage for the last six months. I went to start it yesterday, and the battery was completely dead, even though I had a battery tender on it. I put a charger on overnight, and tried to start it this morning. It started immediately, but with a terrible knocking. I shut it off right away, of course. Looked underneath, and there was a fresh puddle of oil on the floor. After cleaning up the oil, I started looking for the source of the oil. There is a hole in the block, on the right side, near the front, just above the oil pan!

The only thing I can think of is that one or more cylinders filled with gas somehow, and hydrauliced. But how? I checked the oil before starting the engine. The level was fine, and no gasoline odor.

Anyone have any other idea of what might have caused this?

The ironic thing is that I was just preparing to sell this truck. Now the engine has to be replaced. The truck is otherwise in excellent condition. I could probably do the job myself, but I don't WANT to. I may even try to sell it as-is. It is going to cost a bundle no matter what.

Tom

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Boundertom...

What kind of "hole"? Is it like a busted portion of the block?

Sounds mighty fishy to me. Anybody else have a key to both the storage and truck?

 

The hole is about the size of a half-dollar. It is definitely busted out- as I wiped up the oil from the floor, I picked up several small pieces of aluminum.

The only other person with keys is someone I trust completely.

Very "fishy" indeed. The truck was running perfectly when I parked it. In fact, I have never had any sort of problems with the engine. Very upsetting!

Tom

 

I hope someone can shed some light on it.

It is a mystery...

 

do you remember what it had for mile's when you parked it ??,how full was the gas tank when you parked it,something's not right here,we used to store harvester's for almost a year and never had that happen,how would it hydrolock with the key off in storage,the electric fuel pump only run's with the key on,go cycle the key,you will hear it turn/turn off,no pump no pressure,maybe i'm wrong on this, this is just is not right,give us a head's up when you get it sorted out,sorry for you loss/cost to fix it.

 

See this post. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...?highlight=rod

 

I've look a 6 SD's with bad V10s over last 3 years with under 120000 miles and 2 of them had hole in block same location. But as many of these on road . 6 dead ones isn't bad. Hey I get em cheap and fix them.

Good luck on the search for cause . LOST

 

the fuel pump relay could have been stuck on regardless of whether the key was in or not...why didnt the battery tender work?

 

We have had several people come here asking why their low mileage V10 died. They all seem to have one thing in common, they have sat for really long periods of time. Most have been in RVs.

My opinion is a leaky injector. Anyone who has changed a fuel filter in a fuel injected vehicle knows there is still pressure in the system after you turn the key off. That pressure in the system, and an imperfect seal in an injector, plus add in hot weather and you have a small leak. Anyone know how many milliliters of fluid it would take to cause a hydro-lock condition? My guess is around 2-3mls could do it.

 

this makes me feel uneasy bc my v10 sits for weeks at a time

 

mine also...sometimes months....

 

I appreciate all the responses. The link to the other thread with a similar problem proved interesting. I do tend to think that it got hydrolocked. I know there is residual pressure in the fuel system, and that it could seep past a leaky injector, but over a period of weeks (months) wouldn't that fuel have evaporated or seeped past the rings into the crankcase? I am thinking that coolant (bad head gasket?) might be the culprit. I guess it is somewhat academic, because it is unlikely I will disassemble this engine. But then, I do need to try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Thanks again, and I would still like to hear more ideas/experiences.

Tom,
Still feeling sick in Indiana

 

Sorry to say this, but I think you did this to yourself.

When the truck was stored did you use a fuel storage additive like Sta-Bil?

Modern gasoline will turn sour after a few months without an additive, causing things like valves to stick open and injectors to stick open. I own a few classic cars, we use the stuff in everything.

I'm not sure about the dead battery, but I am betting when the truck was started the bad gasoline caused an injector to stick, dumping your entire fuel rail content ino the one combustion chamber, at which point the other 9 cylinders (still running normal) tried to compress the fuel and the result is you now have a ventilated block.

 

So if your V-10 has been sitting for a month you should turn it over a few times without ignition before starting it?

Or maybe we need a pressure gauge on the fuel rail, and confirm high pressure before trying to start it?

 

Was it an instantaneous knock?

If it was running for even a half second every cylinder has already had a combustion cycle. Once the motor is fired up its almost immediate that every cylinder has fired once. While the engines running an injector could get stuck wide open and not hydrolock a motor in my opinion. I doubt the 60lb injectors in my camaro would be able to lock the motor, let alone an injector I'm guessing in the low 20s in the V10. With the engine running i just cannot see it dumping enough fuel through the 1 injector to lock the motor.

I dont like the slow leak as it sat theory either as it would have leaked passed the rings if it was sitting for a while.

What is it? I have no idea but i am VERY curious since after i leave my truck sitting for a weak i geta weird noise from the exaust when i first start it that i can unly describe as a stuttering burble.