Just got a "new" truck
 

Hi,

I just, as in about an hour ago, bought a 1993 F350, automatic, 460, crew cab and 4X4.
It was a good deal, paid a $1000, body and interior is clean, new tires and factory aluminum wheels.

Of course it has issues, hence the price. The main thing I need to address first is the rough running and the gray smoke from the tail pipe. Right now it is not drivable and I need to tow it home which will be next week. I was told that the previous owner did a compression check and #1 and #5 cylinders are really low on compression. I saw no smoke from the oil fill cap, but lots of smoke from the tail pipe and really rough idle.
I'm wondering if this can only mean an engine rebuild, or can it be something else. It has 160,000 miles.


Thanks

The first thing to do is run your own assessment. When I bought my truck earlier this year the Previous owner told me the trans was bad and I also got a good deal, wound up being a $40 Throttle Position Sensor, his loss my gain.

Start with the basics, and if it were me I would start with a compression check. If two cylinders are indeed low( all cylinders should be with in 10% of each other) it is either bad piston ring to cylinder wall sealing or it could be the valve train.

You have a few options, 1 you can get a bore scope and look at the cyllinder walls and see of that tells you any thing, like severly scored cylinder walls.

Pull the heads and plan on a minimum top end rebuild and inspect the cylinder walls while you have the heads off. If compression is that low intwo of the cylinders you shuld have some serioous fuel dilution in the oil. Smell the oil, if it has a strong smell of gas then you are in for a ful rebuild/engine swap.

Matt

I will do a compression check first when I get it here. I'm not that knowledgeable about the internal workings of an engine. I have rebuilt one before, an air cooled VW, with good results.
I was wondering why there would be a lot of smoke from the tail pipe and none from the oil fill cap. This makes me think that it is bad rings and the valve train is good, correct? If I remember correctly, the oil fill is on the driver's side valve cover. Also the PO said that he was told the timing chain is prone to stretching on these engines and could be the cause? Does that sound reasonable.

Thanks

Timing chains do stretch over time. I would lean toward the rings being bad, but i never jump to the worst case scenario. Like i said thogh, once you get it home do all of your own trouble shooting so you are sure what is wrong

matt

Will definitely do a compression check, but will have to use a cheapo rent-a-tool from Autozone, not the best, but should be good for diagnoistics. Can't do a bore scope because I don't have one and can't rent one. Any other tests that will help narrow down the issues?
Thanks