Cracked piston

nojokat

New member
Dec 29, 2023
10
1
3
Vinton,Va
Hey guys, a couple of weeks ago I sent pics to where I left a black stripe (oil) all the way through my neighborhood. It was the rear main seal that blew, and it cracked #7 piston. When I get it apart, and that #7 cylinder wall hopefully is in good shape. If no machine shop is needed, I replace all 8 pistons, is there anything else I should do while I'm in there? The motor has 260,000 miles, brand-new ATS phase3 tranny.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys
 

nojokat

New member
Dec 29, 2023
10
1
3
Vinton,Va
Ok, thanks on the injectors. I am somewhere around 650hp. I replaced the cp3 with a remanufactured modified 42%. Air dog 165 fuel pump. K&N cold air intake. Afe air intake at the turbo, EGR delete, EFI live (Thoroughbred Diesel) dsp5 switch.5" Magnaflow exhaust.
The tranny went out last month. Ive been milking the tranny for about 9 months, every time I would get into the pedal, motor was right there. The tcm would say " not doing this". CEL would come on, I would lose rev and over drive. All said and done, the tranny was $8,500.00. I added the billet flex plate. It's a triple disk converter w/ co-pilot. I thought the engine was strong. I was wrong. Winter time works a little slow, money is an issue. Without the truck to pull my work trailer from job to job that's a bigger issue. I just don't want to replace pistons, then 6 months from now I have to tear the motor down again.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated
 

juddski88

Freedom Diesel
Jul 1, 2008
4,651
116
63
Chesterfield, Mass.
Ok, thanks on the injectors. I am somewhere around 650hp. I replaced the cp3 with a remanufactured modified 42%. Air dog 165 fuel pump. K&N cold air intake. Afe air intake at the turbo, EGR delete, EFI live (Thoroughbred Diesel) dsp5 switch.5" Magnaflow exhaust.
The tranny went out last month. Ive been milking the tranny for about 9 months, every time I would get into the pedal, motor was right there. The tcm would say " not doing this". CEL would come on, I would lose rev and over drive. All said and done, the tranny was $8,500.00. I added the billet flex plate. It's a triple disk converter w/ co-pilot. I thought the engine was strong. I was wrong. Winter time works a little slow, money is an issue. Without the truck to pull my work trailer from job to job that's a bigger issue. I just don't want to replace pistons, then 6 months from now I have to tear the motor down again.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated

With the current poor available of parts, your best value and time-sensitive options are to swap in a good low mile Longblock or buy a budget build from DHD.
 

NC-smokinlmm

<<<Future tuna killer
May 29, 2011
5,038
246
63
At Da Beach
I get your dilemma, my buddy Dave blew 2 lml’s in 2 weeks in his work tow Riggs. I’ve helped guide him thru the current state of parts and capable repair shops. Seems the easiest and most cost effective way to remedy his problem is buying a running take out from a wrecking yard. Any shop seems to want to replace everything for just a cracked piston. Most won’t even use a stock crank, Dave was getting prices from 12k to 25k depending on the shop and parts they could source or were willing to use. My advise was to buy a running take out and get one truck back road worthy then wait untill parts are more available again or take out prices drop. Seems there aren’t many shops willing to touch a diesel anymore so the few out there are charging ridiculous prices.
 

nojokat

New member
Dec 29, 2023
10
1
3
Vinton,Va
Thanks, that does make sense. The shop that has the truck told me $5k, and suggested just to replace the one piston. That didn't make sense to me. I was thinking if one cracked, where are the other 7 at.
He also put the tranny in. Everything else done to the truck to this point never saw a shop. I did all the work myself. I don't have the place to work on a project like this. I guess we're neighbors, I'm in VA. Thanks again. I'll have to figure out what to do here
 

NC-smokinlmm

<<<Future tuna killer
May 29, 2011
5,038
246
63
At Da Beach
Look around for take outs try Hicksville auto. Price out repair and replacement and do what makes the most fiscal sense for your current situation. Sometimes you have to just lick your wounds and keep moving forward instead of doing a “full build”. If you buy a take out and keep your core you could build it at your convenience also.