Repeat engine failure.... Again...

GregH · August 18, 2009

So, I've got this '08 F-550 stakeside that is used by some local business as a hauler for pallets of sod, light farm machinery, and such... At 37,000 miles it came in with an engine misfire. #2 piston was melted, and there was significant metal transfer to the cylinder head. I installed a line engine.

At 50,000 miles the vehicle returns. Now it's got a knock and misfire, and it smokes from the tailpipe. Horizontal EGR cooler has failed, and #8 took a big gulp of coolant. Short block goes in. In fact, this is the same truck referenced in an earlier post about it's head bolts chattering while tightening.

55,000 miles, and it's back again. Misfire on 2 and 8. Relative compression shows a double digit drop on those cylinders, and smoke chuffs from the oil fill cap when removed. Cylinder head will probably have to come off next, and a review of the damage present in the cylinders...

Now, I know that this truck is run hard by minimum wage twenty year olds. P0297 in memory is a given. Catalyst overtemp codes are also a usual occurence. EGT12 showed 1500 degrees during this last visit. Freeze frame data also shows over 50% APP and a pegged out FRP... Whoever is driving it keeps their foot in it all the time.

But, comeon! 5,000 miles between engine failures? This company hasn't even paid for an oil change since 30,000 miles... I've put in more engines than radiators on this truck!

As a side note, this truck came back 80 days from the date of the last RO at 50,000 miles for a couple of recalls... How do I know it was exactly 80 days? I casually flipped over to the OASIS report on the back to admire the rap sheet, and was dismayed to find that my short block repair wasn't on the report. When I mentioned that to the service manager, it was met with an "oh, well" attitude. I wrote up my recall and turned it in. An hour later, the manager was frantically scouring the file cabinets. Seems one of the clerks that works at our dealership never submitted the warranty claim...

-- Side note to the side note, my dealership backflagged me the .2 to check and verify there was a degas jug tee installed. Granted, I had put it there as part of the same recall when I put in the short block. But without running the RO, the recall never got closed out, and I can't remember accurately what I worked on yesterday, much less what I did almost three months prior.

Anyway, the old short block still hasn't been picked up by Fred Jones.. Think I can rob a couple of pistons outa it?

Anyone else having this kind of luck with these engines?

Brad Clayton · August 18, 2009

Thank The Good Lord no, and make sure them boys stay down in Mississippi. Posted Image

rlchv70 · August 18, 2009

I'd bet those minimum wage 20 year olds don't know the difference between gasoline and diesel fuel.

GregH · September 3, 2009

Quick update - got it stripped a while back, and got pulled off to do other things. The engine is just about back together - almost time to smell smoke...

#2 piston was melted. #2 and #8 inboard exhaust valves had holes in them large enough to drop green peas into. Not the big, fat green peas, mind you - just the small baby peas. Although I guess any hole in a valve is too much of a hole. The glow plugs on #2 and #8 were eroded away, too...

I got about 2 quarts of oil out of the CAC, and about 25 quarts out of the oil pan.

One piston and one cylinder head should fix 'er up..

Management stated that this is the last warranty repair if there is a P0297 in memory. 'course that's what they said last time...

Ahhh, beer...

GregH · September 18, 2009

Fixed it....

#6 injector was leaking fuel into the crankcase. The big nut around the injector body just below the fuel line fitting was where fuel would slowly bubble out of it.

One injector and repair the consequential damage, and away it goes...

joshbuys · September 19, 2009

Wow....I've done several short blocks and completes in these trucks, but haven't seen any repeats....like Brad said....please keep those things in mississippi!

I would say it's just some bad luck!

Hopefully this time it's good to get out of warranty!