So I went and picked up/brought home my latest acquisition a week ago. When I picked it up, the mechanic that had looked after it for the owner (it was parked at the mechanic's shop, supposed to have a bad head gasket) told me to be "very careful with that truck, it's dangerous".

He tells me that he had the truck on a couple occasions, just start revving up, like the throttle cable was stuck or something. I asked if anyone had worked on the IP prior, and he said no, but that he did know there was a way to mess them up so they would run away if not worked on properly.

His theory is that a head gasket is bad, and that somehow it is sucking engine oil through the bad spot, and running off that. I guess it's a possibility, but not one that I'm really hooked on.

Looking the truck over tonight, (current plan is to take the body off this truck and put onto another one) I pulled the dipstick, and it's REALLY overfull, I'm guessing at least one, if not two quarts. I didn't pop the CDR off, but if it was pooched, could it be causing this runaway condition? Still sucking oil in, but a different route than he's thinking? This way it would be feeding multiple cylinders, whereas the headgasket deal I can really only see that feeding one or two cylinders, which would be less apt to cause this runaway he's talking about.

As it is, if I never try running this engine I don't really care, but the IP is fairly recent, so may be an upgrade for another truck at some point, and there are lots of good parts on this thing for me to use. However, I guess I like to figure out why things do or don't work, and this one has kind of got me interested now.

 

to much oil alone can cause a runaway diesel.

 

oh dang i better drain a quart outta mine then do you thuink so or not it has been driven since the change and drives fine no problems should i still let the quart out or no

 

oh i think it takes more than a quart.i can't remember how much one guy here added without first looking at how much was in it.anyway he went to start it,she runaway,he panicked and called 911.
maybe im mixing two stories together though i can't remember,but too much made one guys runaway,even if it wasn't the guy who called 911.

 

No your not mixing stories... took us forever to get him to tell us what the 911 operator said

 

So, if the oil is too high, how does it work it's way into the intake? Through the CDR? I'd hate to think the mechanic missed something like that (which seems so simple) yet I could see it being easy to happen. I wonder if I should try dropping a couple quarts out of it, and throw some batteries in and try it out.... as it is though, as far as I know, I have a good parts engine, and really would rather not have it runaway and mess the castings etc. Hmmm, what to do.....

 

Saved info ........

DieselDon

Oil consumption, and the proper checking of the oil levels in Ford diesels comes up periodically. Ford dipsticks are calibrated for hot oil. The 10 quarts in the IDI engines expand about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart as the oil heats up, and contracts the same amount after cooling. If you check the oil first thing in the morning ( which I grew up doing ) the engines will all indicate oils level below full, but when checked hot, will ( after a 10 minute drain time ) the oil level is usually at full. If you are checking the oil cold, and keeping the level at full, you are actually over filling the engine which will burn of the extra rapidly.

Suggestion: Check oil hot after 10 minute drain time.
Don't add until level reaches add line ( 2 quarts ).

In my days at Ford this often cured, or at least improved, the apparent oil consumption complaints.

 

It's a good reminder PLC, one that I'm aware of, but others reading this thread may not be. I can't check this one hot since it's not running, but cold it is way over the level, I'd bet 2 quarts, I'll have to go take another look.

 

Could you say, drain the extra oil out and start it up while keeping a block of wood or a rag or something to shut it down in a hurry close at hand?

Just a thought...

 

Also, check the fuel return line. A plugged line and the fuel that is supposed to go back to the tank has no where to go.....found that out on a cracker-box jimmy with a 6-71 one time....

 

i wonder if when you drain the "extra oil" you will see what my last engine saw......three quarts of coolant. not so much fun but made my oil level rise dramatically. hope not for your sake.

 

Doesn't matter on this one anyway wreckinball, as I had no plans to use it anyway, just bought the truck for the body and spare parts. I do have another spare 7.3 I could drop in it though too, lol!!

I didn't get out to look at it at all today, had some other things come up that have kept me busy, seems to happen now and then.