M54 kaiser on life support...NEED HELP

[DUC888]

Hello all,
I have a 1971 M54 kaiser dump truck. We use it to get wood out of the forest for our firewood supply business. Its perfect for that job.

well...yesterday on the way to the woods i think we hurt the engine bad. It started making the worst sound and tons of black smoke (more than usual) started coming from the exhaust and from under the hood. It lost much power and we were lucky just to get it back to the wood lot. I'm sure we lost a cylinder or 2.

I have no idea what to do. I 've done a lot of work on the truck but I don't think I'm up to that big of a job. My business partner and I thought maybe if we just got a new engine...something that would match up to the transmission we would be good.

any ideas, suggestions, mechanics, etc.... would be appreciated.

I live in ayton NV

 

[clinto]

I assume due to your description of black smoke that this is a multifuel? LDS465?

 

[acetomatoco]

Ya, cuz a M54 normally would have a 6602 Continental Gasser... If so, I would suspect a stuck float and a over gassing situation and a couple of fouled spark plugs....

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Started smoking really bad and making horrible noices? but ran enough to get it back out of the woods?

What engine is in a M54? A multi?

We had a small locomotive that did the same thing- had an old cummins engine in it. Running along just fine than WHAM bang bang bang Black smoke like an old steam engine. Shut it down right away. Pulled the heads- one intake valve had dropped into the cylinder.

Can the valves on the engine in the M54 do that? I'm not very familure with the guts of the multi yet, haven't broken one down. I would pull the valve covers, make sure the valves are there. Easiest thing to do first and you'd have to take them off anyway if you have to pull the heads.

Then I would pull the oil pan if you can without removing the engine. If the lower end looks ok, (no wiped crankshaft or connecting rod bearings- believe me, you will know if you see one!) You could have busted a rod without it leaving the engine.

I would then pull the injectors. Take a look at them, make sure they are ok. you might also be able to peer into the cylinder (get a bor-a-scope, very handy. Like a flexible periscope.) and see if there is a problem.

If it all looks good still, then pull the heads. If a valve dropped into the cylinder- and didn't score the walls too bad- you might be able to replace that piston and head, and be fine. But the chances of that are slim.

If it does have a multi there are many running pull outs that can be dropped in for a decent price.

Good luck, let us know what you find.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Oh, I missed the part about the black smoke from under the hood- did you check the engine over really good? no cracks in the block? Also, if it happens to be turbo charged, check your turbo. That going bad would cause your ills too.

 

[DUC888]

thanks for the replies,
YES this is a 465lds multi fuel engine. here is a little history....

we got the truck last year and dropped a l'il over 7 G's into the axles and getting a new alternator fabricated to fit this beast.

a few weeks later we hit a tree in the woods and busted up the 4 inch exhaust pipe,bent it at almost a 90 degree angle. I called six muffler shops and 3 of them said going to a 3 inch pipe would give us better top end...the other three said "don't do it". well I had a 3 inch pipe made.

Then a month later me and my 'Woodchuck' partner disassembled everything down to the exhaust where it meets the turbo(there was a leak). we re-gasketed it and put it back together, we have used it 3 times since that for about 250 miles then blam it did this number on us. It sound like this, pump pump pump about one pump every second, normally it sounds more gritty and diesel like....it almost sounds like a harley now...but with no power.

Anyhoost ...i don't know if this helps diagnose the malfunction but... thats where we are

p.s. and we do run diesel #2 in this multi-fuel engine

p.s.s. Oh and there were 2 fuel line coming across the engine, 1 from between the 3rd and 4th cylinders over the engine and into a fitting off the turbo and a second line which came from below the engine and ran into a pump gismo(which was removed over 6 months ago) and then speggetti lined into a fitting just below the first. about a month ago just after the exhaust-gasket repair .... on the maiden voyage the engine compartment caught fire. I put it out with a fire extinguisher housed inside the truck. My repair was to circumvent those two lines. So i capped them. After the said 3 runs(approx 250 miles) the 'engine is dead thing' happened.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Sounds like your turbo probably died. And if it died hard, stuff might have gotten into the engine through the intake. I would pull the turbo first knowing this information now.

 

[ken]

A 3 inch pipe is too small. You may have over heated the turbo because it couldn't remove the exaust gas fast enough. This will send the exaust gas temp way up. You may have also overheated other engine componets. Olthough the water temp didn't overheat. Can you post any pics and show where your leaks are?

 

[Westech]

I used a 3 inch pipe on mine for a year and it was fine. The pipe is only 3.5 inches stock so your not choking it down that much, to boot a N/A motor is 2.5 inch exhaust so your fine with the 3 inch. It does sound like your turbo went but last time my friends trubo went (happened twice and both the same effect) there was white smoke... I would look at injectors or a fuel problem also.

 

[lacoda56]

Wow, two turbos? Anybody I know? Ya think he woulda learned the first time. Seriously, with the noise described, I doubt it's the turbo, but it's easy to check. Black smoke is unburned fuel. Pull the valve covers, you'll know soon enough if you dropped a valve.

 

[ken]

I'm assuming the truck has been pulling heavy loads at somewhat higher RPM's. And i guessing it's doing it at a high elevation? Reducing the pipe size might not seem like much but id bet it was able to get the EGT's up a few hundred deg when working hard. The muffler guy that told you this would give you more top end was not correct. Mabye on a gas engine but too much back pressure is a no no for a turbo diesel. And if the air filter was dirty the EGT's prolly went even higher. All the turbo's used on the multi's don't like bieing shut down hot eather. The "D" model has a heat shield between the turbine and the bearing housing. It can take a little more of this but not much. Not idling the engine before shutting it down will cook the oil onto the bearings and produce drag on the shaft. After a while this will slow the turbine and reduce boost/power and send the EGT's very high. Usally melting or deforming something. Have you found out anything more? Any pics might be helpful.

 

[DDoyle]

I would say that you have bent a pushrod on an exhaust valve. The exhaust WILL (and is) finding the way out. You may or may not have driven it enough to ruin the head gasket. You ARE getting huge compression blowby. I've been there, done this, and the symptoms you describe are exactly what I experienced.

Pull the valve covers off and take a look. Probably an easy, inexpensive fix.

And, find a reputable dealer (Memphis Equipment, Clark, etc,) and buy the right exhaust - its cheaper than the downtime.

Best wishes,
David Doyle

 

[acetomatoco]

Sounds like you removed the oil in and out to the turbo...engine oil...not "fuel" as you described...if turbo is not spinning it can block exhaust...if turbo fan blew on intake side you could have fins in the cylinders.. whoops....

 

[WillWagner]

I agree with DDoyle. A bent/broken intake pushrod will do what you are describing. You should also take the pipe off at the turbo inlet just to make sure the compressor wheel hasn't blown apart.

 

[Dieselsmoke]

DUC888, do you know John Bircheff? He's right there in Dayton and can help you out. If not PM me and I'll give you his # He's got plenty of parts, trucks, engines, etc...