Cracked another piston......

[GotStroke]

Well she has done it again. First time it was number 2 now number 8. Driving to work this morning, right before I got there there is a small straightaway that goes downhill and I bumped the shifter to drop it into 4th ,to prevent any harsh downshift on the trans, and slowly rolled into it from 2100 to about 2800 not even enough to break 45 EBP. Just a enough to smile. But as I coasted to the light I noticed a slight vibration at idle. Nothing major and too dark to see smoke. After leaving the light I go straight up a hill approximately 200 feet in length not very steep as soon as I left the light it was obvious she was sick. White smoke in the street lights, EGT spike as i went up and rough idle once I let out. Pulled into the construction yard and shut it down. After our prejob meeting I went to check for codes and nothing. I then had to back the truck out for equipment and moved out of the way preparing for a tow truck and took the vid below. Finally as you hear mid vid the computer recognized the fault. Codes for misfire on Cyl 8 and imbalance on Cyl 8 and Cyl 1. After that I shut her down and now continue my wonderful day.

I've been babying this thing since Cyl 2 let go and now this. Curious on your thoughts. If its anything like last time, and its not missing near as bad, it will just be a piston. But I really don't want to have to do this again and wondering if I have a set of lemons for pistons. Both have let go under mild load with very little to no abuse prior. Nothing compared to what Morgan and some people are making.

Prior to Cyl 2 cracking and after the Cyl 2 cracked I have always had what I consider excessive blow by. Constant haze around the truck, and with a slight wind a good trail. It has been tested and was within specs.

http://youtu.be/LOFIcjuYGzM

 

[sootie]

par for the course with stock pistons. save yourself the future headache and throw some HD pistons in from any of the many vendors on here that sell them.

hit up Morgan @ Midwest Diesel for a price...

 

[Riverside]

par for the course with stock pistons. save yourself the future headache and throw some HD pistons in from any of the many vendors on here that sell them.

hit up Morgan @ Midwest Diesel for a price...

A proper sales rep should make a better pitch then this LOL

Good advice here actually.

 

[sootie]

A proper sales rep should make a better pitch then this LOL

Good advice here actually.

shut up Daniel LOL

 

[GotStroke]

par for the course with stock pistons. save yourself the future headache and throw some HD pistons in from any of the many vendors on here that sell them.

hit up Morgan @ Midwest Diesel for a price...

Well that was my plan before but a certain situations prevented that. Trust me depending on if I'm keeping it, HD coated pistons plus a few other things will be on my list.

 

[NathannialD]

let me know if you need a price on anything.

 

[drunk on diesel]

when you repaired it last time, did you put all 8 in it or just replace the one cracked one?

 

[bft blue oval boys]

Not to hijack the thread, but if you change out pistons on a truck that has no cracks or anything and the cylinder walls look Ok do you have to do any machining to the block or can you just through a new HD set in? Sorry if it's a stupid question but I have no experience getting into the bottom end of engines.

 

[sootie]

if the cross hatching is good, new pistons and rings and you're golden

 

[bft blue oval boys]

if the cross hatching is good, new pistons and rings and you're golden

Nice, thanks!

 

[GotStroke]

when you repaired it last time, did you put all 8 in it or just replace the one cracked one?

Just a piston, cross hatching was perfect and the trucks never been hot or anything. Wasn't by choice but its what I could swing at the time.

 

[drunk on diesel]

I hear ya... my thinking is if the engine saw enough heat/heat cycles to crack a piston, another one probably isn't too far behind it

 

[GotStroke]

Truck only has 77,9xx on it. #2 went at 71,xxx just doesn't seem like I should be droppin pistons like I am, I have made maybe 3-4 passes in the thing no sled pulls and just occasional retards on the street but I have always defueled at 1450 and rarely hit near 1400 I used to run water meth but due to things I've read, and after I upgraded everything mentioned in my signature minus tuner and exhaust on top of how chitty my blow by is after using it makes me wonder if it didn't do more harm than good. The idea sounds good but what happens to most things when they get real hot and you spray water on them.....

 

[GotStroke]

I hear ya... my thinking is if the engine saw enough heat/heat cycles to crack a piston, another one probably isn't too far behind it

My thoughts excatly, deleted since 42K grandma owned literally only time spent was pulling a small airstream around till 33K when I bought it. But thinking I traded regen for a potentially just as detrimental scenario. Just my two cents curious on everyone else's thoughts

 

[drunk on diesel]

what tuning are you running? just curious. I've seen 6.4's take way more abuse than yours has seen on stock pistons.

I'm going to say the water meth contributed, but man, for everything to look good at 71k and not 10k later, crack another?

Tough to make a failure analysis call on this one

 

[01PSD]

Damn 6.4s.

 

[drunk on diesel]

Damn 6.4s.

ya know... sometimes... yeah... that sums it up

 

[GotStroke]

Gearhead

 

[forcefed6.4ford]

Damn that is odd. GH is the most conservative tune out there.

I would highly suspect the damage was already done but not visible at the time the first piston let go.

 

[slowmans]

What gear head tune?