Hydrolocking On Cold Starts

[Mbl35]

03 e-350 blows white smoke from the hard starting and blows white smoke from the tailpipe only on cold starts, runs rough and smoooths out a little as it warms up. Only code is cyl. contibution ballance for #6. Fuel quaility is good, new filter and the tank is clean. No compression guage for this so i cant check compression. Also pull fuel plugs at rearof heads to check fuel color and the fuel is clean. Perdel readings on cyls. 1, 3,6 and 8 all jumping around from 1.5 to 3% at idle park and in drive especially after you rev the engine up. They stay at zero when crusing driving even when the engine is cold and running sloppy. I compare with 2 other units and the perdel readings stay at 0. Also buzz test and glow plug tests pass.

I put in cyl6 injector and crank it with the oil and fuel plugs still out a little, install the plugs crank for less than a minute and starts and runs, smooths out and no smoke. Took it for a nice run and runs nice and smooth.

Let it sit for a few hours and it started and ran fine and no white smoke.

The next shift my boss tells me they can't get it running, i go over and attempt to start it and the it's hydrolocked and a giant poof of white smoke blew out of the tail pipe. After a minute or so it's running fine and smoke gone, drove it 16 miles and runs great. Now it starts up ok, blows a bit of smoke and then runs fine. The smoke smells like oil.Cyl. contribution code for cyl. 6 is back on cyl. ballance test and the perdel% readings are same as before. Also has a new cmp sensor. Also the o-rings on the old injector looked fine and new injector torqued.

My boss finally ordered the deisel compression guage with all adapters from snapon so i can check this thing properly....Til then

Any input on this, it hydrolocked cold, valve guides rings, bad injector caused this?? etc..... Please respond, thanks.

[Keith Browning]

Two good reasons to GO FIND a compression gauge:

[*]You really do need to verify the health of that engine before attempting more repairs (hang parts)

 

.

[*]Since you suspect a hydrolock condition and it it likely someone has forced this engine to turn over I would want to know whether or not the #6 connecting rod hasn't been damaged

Fuel deltas will always read 0% off of idle and anything over 1.5 is cause for concern so I would re-think what you have going on there.

 

Let's see... leaking injector cup? You had the #6 squirter out right? Did you closely inspect the cup?

 

Cylinder cavitation starting to show... I know you said is smells like oil but I am just putting that idea out there. I can't see valve guides leaking enough or any oil with the engine shut down.

 

Scuse me if any of this is silly as my morning coffee has yet to take affect.

[Mbl35]

I've been bugging my boss for a deisel compression guage set for a good while, now he's sold. Were going to get 6.0, 7.3 and 6.6 duramax adapters-we NEED THEM ALL. Yea I was kind of thinking more of a lower end issue. I just figured I'd through an injector in a dusty box at it and see what occurs, the cup looks fine.

[blown99]

I have had more than a few that leaked coolant out from the bottom of the cup and into the cylinder (where the cup meets the head surface) once the engine is shut off, the cooling system pressure will cause the coolant to drip into the cylinder and hydrolock it.

[Mbl35]

Without diesel and coolant?

[blown99]

Not following you on the without diesel and coolant.

[GregH]

He probably meant "without diesel in coolant."

[Mbl35]

ok got you-the cups will start to drip coolant as the engine cools. So far i have only seen deisel and coolant mixing concerns on these. Just wrenching on powerstrokes a few years. But i put the unit back in service for now, it's been sitting since friday and has not been started, it started up fine for me just before without smoke. I left a note for the crew to notify us of any extremly hard starts, also left instructions for them to wait for the wait to start lamp to go out and then let the engine warm up for 15 minutes or so. Eventually we will get it back in and tear it apart and see. This unit has just over 80k on it but since it was a 911 unit a few years ago it problobly has over 200k with all those idle hours.

[Mbl35]

The engine is out and the heads are off. I have 2 brand new cylinder heads in the parts room. But before i put them on im going to change the piston rings-also check for any slightly bent rods(problobly none-all the pisons apear to be at the same height at the top of there stroke).

 

Before i change the rings i want to check for cavitation, I dont see any visible tiny cracks but some slight discoloration in cys. 4 and 8 on the top and not next to any waterjackets.

Anyway-i want to check for microscopic cracks using the method in the ws manual:25%kerosine, 75% light engine oil, wipe all off dry and then apply zinc oxide disolved in wood alcohal.

Ok, i got the oil and kerosine, got rubbing alcohal but where would i get wood alcohal and zincoxide?? I went to Lowes and they had no clue.

Is there another method of checking for microscopic cracks??

[Mbl35]

Nevermind. My boss just called me and said that rings are not available so im just going to slap heads on it. Going to reseal the pan for a leak and change the oil pickup tube gasket while im in there. Still want to check for cavitation. Ohwell i'll just leave it up to my boss to get me the stuff. If not i'll put it together and see what happens.-And we still never got our compression guage yet.

[GregH]

Zinc oxide is in diaper cream and the sunscreen stuff you put on your nose.

 

Wood alcohol is methanol. You should be able to get that at a paint store.

[Mbl35]

Thanks. My boss could'nt get the stuff today and told me just to put the heads on, seal the pan and reinstall. The injector cups were leaking and there was some diesel in the coolant actually, when i first checked it there was no trace of diesel in the bottle. I just wanted to be sure that there's no other problemsthat i don't se because i would hate to be pulling this engine out again. I'll just document everything on the RO.