New Broken project, 1996 K3500 CC Dually

[john8662]

I was lookin' at ads on craigslist when I stumbled up on this big red truck with a knocking 6.5TD. Arranged a price and purchased it. My current pull rig is just a 6.2L Suburban 1/2 ton. Let's just say that even with additional springs in the rear and better shocks that it's still a 1/2 ton and I bit off more than I could readily chew on the pull back home, around 200 miles. It was a long trip at 50mph due to the stability of the rig, 6.2 would pull faster. Just saying I wouldn't recommend this pulling scenario!





After just owning for a week, I troubleshooted what was wrong with the engine, performed compression test, pulled the top end apart to check the valve train, found one hole 100psi low, and the knock wasn't an injector of course.

So I'm pulling it...



Once the engine was pulled out, I found upon assembly that the one cylinder with low compression had a rod bearing failure and the journal was severly gone on the crank. Needs bore, new crank, and the rest of the stuff to fix. But it isn't cracked on the bottom end (initial inspection of course). Replacement goodwrench engine too, but it's a 1997 engine, and 1996 truck, go figure right?



So, how can someone drive something for so long to wear a journal down this far with a knock, knocks scare the crap out of me I quit running them!

Guess Robyn and I are both digging in K3500 6.5 guts...

[Robyn]

Nice lookin DaHoooley.

Some folks believe that the radio volume Knob is designed to take care of those pesky noises from under the hood.

The 1500 Burb definately would get a workout dragging that prize home for sure.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Huff Huff Huff, puff puff puff.

Been there done that a few times.

Years ago a drug home a D4 cat (with blade) on a trailer behind my Ford 250 4x4.

Tha made the critter grunt a little.

The uphill was fine, it was the downhills that made me nervous.

Good luck with the Red beast.

Robyn

[More Power]

Looks like it'll be a nice truck once it gets sorted out. Sorta reminds me of a red CC 3500 I saw once.....

So, how can someone drive something for so long to wear a journal down this far with a knock, knocks scare the crap out of me I quit running them!

Man, that's some kind of wear..... And some think a gear drive timing set can contribute enough impacts into the crankshaft to cause it to break.....

Jim

[rustyk]

Looking at the caps, it doesn't appear like he overspent on oil changes...

[john8662]

Thanks for the comments!

Got the block fully disassembled, it's crack free, but due to the metal (and lack of oil changes with failed bearing) all the bores have good scores in them from the contaminate in the oil getting on the cylinder walls and the skirts dragging it up the bore. It's needs a .020" overbore to clean up. I think I've got another block that's still STD with good pistons, just one cylinder had wrist pin troubles. Going to freshen that engine up and set it in the dually.

The turbo on the engine was blowing oil, cartridge totally gone, I think that's what caused the engine to fail, ran out of oil a few times due to the turbo. Owner probably just kept pouring oil in it thinking the engine was shot, well, it ended up being. I just like the take apart to tell the story, kind of fun.

The guy I purched it from bought the truck dead as the owner was passing through town and the truck quit (bad PMD), he got it for a song (owns a tow company), then tried to fix (not knowing the bottom end was toast). Had a reman DS4 put on it (to get it running, then found knock - gave up), so I got a warrantied DS4 that has like 10 miles on it. That's a good start! It didn't get the new style PMD (grey one) though, I figured authorized shops would be installing the updated box on the new remans, guess not always.

Now to collect parts, dual stats, ho pump (cause it's an early 1996 with single stat).

Yep, seeing the condition of the crank, you'd think the rod failure like that would have broken the crank, nope, heck the harmonic balancer bolt wasn't even tight either!


J

[65turboman]

Should make for a decent truck. I picked a similar truck up not running a while back. It needs an engine, but that is my hold-up. No good parts to work with really. Still tryin to decide what to do.