2002 7.3L running bad

Ok here is what is going on. Thursday it broke down on my way to work. I got it towed home after work. Engine seemed to be hydro-locked. But after sitting a few hours here at my house it started to turn over and then fired up. Smoking bad and missing. At about 1500 rpms it starts making a popping sound. I am getting heavy grey smoke that you can tell is very raw diesel smell in it. I did the cylinder contribution test I get cylinder 5 failed. I got a new injector O-ring kit. I just put in stage 1 single shots. It has been running great for about a month since I put the injectors in. I did all 8 injectors. Also it seems like I am getting a lot of crank case ventalation. It is even coming out of the oil dipstick tube.

I am gonna pull the number 5 injector tomorrow. But I am looking for input on any other possibilities.


Also before it died it was smoking grey real bad. I am leaning towards the O-rings or the injector.

I would predict an injector problem like a cracked nozzle, stuck pintle, improperly seated, etc.

There is also the possibility that the #5 injector didn't fully seat. This would cause combustion to leak past the copper washer causing the excess blowby. This going on for an extended period of time can and will burn up the o-rings and damage nozzles as Tom said. I would bet that when you pull #5 that it will be black with carbon partially up the nozzle body. If this is the case you probably want to go back and check the rest of the injectors for being fully installed. Also you will want to send the injector back to the company who built it to have it checked out. Most injectors we get back that were not properly installed require a new nozzle and o-rings and sometimes a new P&B.

Well yall it is a broken nozzle. Half of the nozzle is missing. Unkown how this happened. I will be dealing with the company I got the injector. I am not blaming anyone things just happen. To many possibilities on how it happened. Did not fully seat, Damaged during shipping, Could have been damaged during assembly, who knows how or why. At this point I am just hoping no major damage to the engine. But I won't know til I get a new injector installed.

How big are the nozzles, where did you get your injectors, did you purge the cylinders or mighty vac them, if you mighty vaced them did you turn the motor over without the injectors hooked up? Or 42 pin unhooked or uvch unhooked?

Marty, they are 160cc single shot stage 1 from Casserly. I cleared the cylinders out by having the glow plugs removed and turn the engine over by hand. I have been running the truck for almost two months since the install of the injectors.

Ok. Check rocker arms and pushrods too while your in there.

Everything looks good Marty. I just hope no damage to the cylinder or piston.

With those injectors that is a stock nozzle correct? I also assume a nozzle could have been replaced during the build of the injectors. I used to see posts for a while where there were more reports of cracked nozzles. Those reports are not frequent anymore.

Yes Tom stock nozzle.

Scott (Scuffy828) had a few nozzles crack from Casserly back during the DPC09. Those are the only nozzles I've heard of from his camp that have cracked. I think they were 275/200's or something like that.

Marty said:

Ok. Check rocker arms and pushrods too while your in there.

Click to expand...

Definatly, when you said the engine seemed hydro locked, #5 was probably full of fuel whoch could've had an ill affect on that cylinders rockrs or push rods. Good to see it wasn't hard to find the problem, and make sure you change that fuel saturated oil asap.

Well I got the new injector. I got it and the truck is running. But it is failing number 5 cylinder on the contribution test. Also it is missing and I am guessing it is number 5 cylinder missing as well. I also get a good amount of grey smoke coming out of the exhaust on acceleration. I also have what I believe is a good deal of crank case pressure venting out of the oil dipstick tube.

Will the cap staying sitting on the oil fill upside down? Does the exhaust want to burn your eyes at idle? When it is cranking does it sound even?

The exhaust does burn my eyes. It is constantly smoking blue/grey color smoke. It is missing cylinder 5, also cylinder 5 is failing contribution test. Yes the injector was installed properly. In fact I even took it back down to the injector just to make sure. I even pulled the injector out and put new o-rings on it just in case as well. But the end result is the same.

I have also changed the oil. I put fresh Rotella 15w40 and a new filter on it.

So either an injector cup or severe damage done to the cylinder or valves from the broken piece of injector.


Oh I can't do your little test with the oil fill cap because of the miss with cylinder 5.

I even hate to type this but I think I would be checking the compression at this point. The eye watering smoke makes me think it has a cylinder with weak compression as a POSSILITY unless that injector still has an issue.

Tom S said:

I even hate to type this but I think I would be checking the compression at this point. The eye watering smoke makes me think it has a cylinder with weak compression as a POSSILITY unless that injector still has an issue.

Click to expand...

Brand new injector that was warrantied by the company I got the injectors from. But I am thinking that tip that broke off damaged the piston.

hope it didnt do to much damage scott. if you need any help with it let me know.

Scott, let me know if you need compression tester.

Hey Marty I need a Compression Tester LOL and your knowledge. Can you take a couple day vacation and come visit Michigan.