94 idi factory turbo bone stock 130k e4od.

I let my dad borrow my truck today to run a couple of errands. When he brought it home to me he told me it was running kind of rough. I had him start it and the most unholy clatter from the engine I have ever heard came out, with a rough shimmy, it sounded terrible. The truck seems to run decent still if you give it some gas, but still sounds choppy. No smoke that I can see, but seems to run rich, and you can hear it backfire at idle. You can really smell diesel in the engine too. Up until this morning it ran great, just got back from a trip from Dallas to Houston with zero problems. Any ideas on where to start? Fuel, or internal engine (pistons, rods?) to at least start from? I haven't heard a diesel sound like this ever, it sounds sick

 

start with injectors and ip if the ip is turned up to much it will cause this but you would have smoke to so if those are original injectors i would check that first

 

smell raw diesel under the hood? i would look at the injector lines and the return lines. sounds like you may have one cylinder running lean.

 

you would know if that was the problem you could here it easily so that aint it if the ip is not quite runnin on all fours it can make one wild sounding engine and rough runnin one to check the timing you cant do it by ear but a diesel shop can but im tellin you if those are original injectors thats probably the problem all the guys on here will tell you you need to replace them every 100,000 miles

also ask your dad was he in the throttle when it started or did he crank it then it started when and how did it start doin it

 

It is IMPOSSIBLE to have a Diesel be lean or rich ... On a Diesel the RPM are adjusted/changed etc... by the volume of fuel supplied to the cylinder, not air/fuel as in a gasser.

Texas7816,

Start it and start cracking Injector lines one at a time listening / feeling to the motor changes, please report back what you find.

Does this 'clatter' change with engine RPM?

You might want to pull the Glow Plugs to ensure all GP TIPs are still intact. If they are NOT Motorcraft/Beru ZD9 Glow plugs replace them with Motorcraft/Beru ZD9, even if they appear good. All other brands are known to swell/break tips in these motors.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

start it let it run for a minute and feel the hard injector lines and see if one or more are hotter than the rest.if ya find one that is obviously hotter you found a bad injector

 

ya like i said it is probably a injector and if you find out it is and can afford to i would replace all of them at the same time bad or not that way you got all fresh ones only if you can afford to and i didint think you could run adiesel lean or to rich but wasant sure glad to know i thought right but wasant sure so i just kinda said you would hear it and that wasant the problem now that i know for sure i wont 2nd guess myself

 

on being lean i've seen people run v-6 diesels on only 3 cylinders and compress air with other 3 and they were rough running

 

dude thats a different problem though thats those injectors not injecting fuel so it still was not runnin lean if 3 of the cylinders werent gettin anything but air thats fuel delivery not burnin lean so there again a diesel cant be to rich or to lean it can run like a scalded dog or a kitty cat it dont matter and thats why i love diesels and i know all the other guys here will 2nd me on that

 

Thats been being done for many many years, many portable industrial compressors are just motors with some cylinders pumping air... Grimmer-Schmidt is one that comes to mind.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

ya but if that was a diesel engine in a truck it would be a fuel problem but if it was supposed to be that way then ya i mean take a air compressor simple but bout the same theroy

 

If you think a diesel engine can't be run "lean" I challenge you to idle your diesel at stoichiometric ratio.

And I and others here will enjoy watching the efforts

 

I'll bring extra lawn chairs

 

Hmm... "why is it that every time I try to get it to idle at 14.7, the RPM raises?"

Jason

 

Enjoy the party, you won't see a Diesel running at a Stoichiometric ratio there ... Diesel does not have a Stoichiometric ratio!

Also, to have lean burn condition, the fuel must be in a gaseous state ... Diesel does not vaporize to a gaseous state!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~