Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) truck not starting after rebuild

[drice]

OK here is the thing I shattered my cam gear 2 weeks ago just got it all back together (after new clutch and turbo and other stuff)

now it cranks over and I have fuel (at the injectors) and I have checked the timing 3 times now but can't get it to start.

when I first started trying to crank it over it was dumping out a lot of white smoke (enough to fill the shop) but after putting the new turbo on it doesn't seem to do it anymore.



one more thing that might give ya a clue is that when I pump the gas it tries to fire but can't. any and all help wold be appreciated.



oh one more thing is that I also had the injection pump out and bench tested don't know if that could have anything to do with it.



thanks in advance

Daniel Rice



PS I NEED it for a Dyno on sat (dads stock dodge is gonna get me killed)

 

[rdrose]

timing

mine did the same thing when front cover was changed but it was the timing, are you sure the gears where put on right and not one tooth off. ? this would be easy to do. good luck

 

[drice]

are you talking about the cam and crank gears man I hope not we checked them 2 or 3 time just to make sure we didn't have to do this again as far as I can tell if you line the line up marks up and make sure the key is in then there is no way to mess it up.



as far as the timing goes I have checked it with the dial indicator twice. and it reads 6. 9mm each time which is almost 19 degrees. (right where it was before)

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Try 6. 0 mm timing if the pump is still the 175 hp pump. It is hard to start with a lot of timing and a new short block has a lot of extra friction. 5. 5 to 6 mm should make it easier to start.

 

[drice]

well the only thing that is new is the gear never took the cam out so I would think everything should be teh same

 

[bnelson]

won't start?

Things that come to mind are:



1) Air in the fuel lines. Bleed the fuel system; if you can't find another way, then loosen the fuel line to each injector (one at a time) and have someone crank the engine until pure fuel, NO air bubbles comes out. Tighten each one when the air is purged from the line. (Don't do this inside because you'll get diesel on the carpet. )



2) Look at the simple stuff- AGAIN. Things like the shut off solenoid wired back together and working.



3) You won't want to hear this, but you may have the new cam gear timed 360 degrees off in relation to the crankshaft. The number one piston (which you would be working from to time things) is at top dead center for the compression stroke, and also for the exhaust stroke. These events are 360 degrees apart. I've seen some good, experienced professional mechanics get their wires crossed and do this once or twice.



I hope it's something simple. Otherwise, it'll set your vocabulary improvement program way back.

 

[drice]

well I have done the first one and am still doing the second one.



the third one is one I don't want to do to try to prevent this we rolled the engine over to TDC using the lineup pine with the old broken cam gear (it was broken in such a way that it would only fit one way) used a puller and pulled the old one off and then put the new one on so hopefully that is not it. oh yeah and I just remembered we checked it by removing the injector and rolling the engine with a tig rod in the injector hole it came up and was at TDC when the lineup pin fell in the cam hole. I think that was a good way of checking if not please let me know.



thanks for all the help so far guys please keep it coming.



PS being up till 7 am getting up at 11 sat and staying up till 6am and getting up at 10 sun then staying up till 3am and getting up at 11 today has really ehanced my vocab

 

[Sled Puller]

Got to be timing. Or...



Can the gears be a tooth off?

 

[drice]

I plan on checking it tomarrow when I get some MORE washers the last two times it was at 6. 9mm right where it was before.

 

[MDW]

Sounds to me like you might have the timing 360 out. I have made this mistake before also.

 

[KatDiesel]

Moved your thread from the Competition Forum to here, and saw the duplicate thread and merged the two together. I'm sure you'll get the best answers in this forum.

 

[Joe G.]

Both rocker arms should be loose when you are at TDC. If they are tight then you are 360 out of time.

 

[drice]

well I just got word this morning that we figured out what the problem was when we pulled the cam line up marks were on the wrong mark so we had this long talk about how we should put it back together we decided that it should go back the way it was because it was running good when we took it apart well guess what we did it wrong I feel stupid now and the worst part is now it has to come apart AGAIN but atleast now I know what the problem is so now I have 2 dayas to get it together. thanks everyone for the help.



thanks Daniel

 

[Piston Slapper]

The only thing worse about doing something stupid is friends like us to remind you of it for the rest of your life!



It's all experience. Just think how good you'll be at it now!