Do these cylinders look "normal" to you?

[Hot COCOAL]

Should I take the valves out to have the heads surfaced? They're recessed so the machinist said it's ok to leave them in, but if there is nothing that needs to be replaced by removing them I would think it'd be better to have the head bare.
Wouldn't it?
Or is that just going to add unnecessary work?

 

[MACKIN]

I'm confused about why you would tear apart an engine that you plan on keeping stock, especially if it has a warranty. That said, I don't see anything there that concerns me. Anytime you pull heads, you're going to get crap in the cylinders. The oily stuff on the cylinder walls just means there was oil in the motor at some point. That's a good thing. Just because the oil and coolant was drained, doesn't mean every last drop was out and it was bone dry inside. Post some pics of it all cleaned up. I'm most interested in seeing the pitting you're talking about.

Exactly I don't get it? If I sold you the engine and you tore it down I would tell you the same no warranty. I did the same (gave NO warranty) when I sold a 340 I had built years ago. Whats to say YOU put it back together correctly and then it grenades and you want your money back?

Oil on the cylinder walls is good better then dry and pitted with rust. You have no idea how it was handled for all you (we) know it was tipped on it's side or worse when removed with il in it.

IMO you're OVER worried like a 13 yr old that just got her period.

 

[Dirtymaxx03]

Should I take the valves out to have the heads surfaced? They're recessed so the machinist said it's ok to leave them in, but if there is nothing that needs to be replaced by removing them I would think it'd be better to have the head bare.
Wouldn't it?
Or is that just going to add unnecessary work?

I would take your complete heads to the shop and tell the man to check them over and give them a clean bill of health.

 

[Hot COCOAL]

Exactly I don't get it? If I sold you the engine and you tore it down I would tell you the same no warranty. I did the same (gave NO warranty) when I sold a 340 I had built years ago. Whats to say YOU put it back together correctly and then it grenades and you want your money back?

Oil on the cylinder walls is good better then dry and pitted with rust. You have no idea how it was handled for all you (we) know it was tipped on it's side or worse when removed with il in it.

IMO you're OVER worried like a 13 yr old that just got her period

Fair enough analogy, we can always count on you Mack for a strange but true statement:roflmao:

I'm not worried about any warranty, it'll be tuned, that voids the warranty instantly. I only brought that up cuz it seems like; 1st I got an engine that wasn't what I was told it would be, and then 2nd, I expressed my concerns about it and it seemed like the guy was quick to use that out to negate himself of any obligation

If the engines is good, it's good and I won't have a thing to worry about and that all I was trying to determine. I'm also not worried about putting it back together, if I was I wouldn't have started taking it apart

I don't think you or anyone else with the motivation to know, would hesitate to dig into an engine if you were in the same boat I'm in with this purchase

I would take your complete heads to the shop and tell the man to check them over and give them a clean bill of health.

Good point, I think he said that'll cost me an extra $75 a head but it's probably worth it.

 

[hondarider552]

I didn't read through any posts of yours but if you shave the heads you need to face the valves I to the head the same amount that you removed from the head or you will tighten the factory piston to valve clearance

 

[Turbo Performance]

For the record, every single diesel you'll ever tear down with an active EGR is going to have a decent amount of carbon/gunk buildup in the y-bridge/intake manifolds. Not worth panicking over in my opinion.
I may have missed it but why are you having the heads surfaced? If you're actually just wanting a cheap drop in. Why not just knock any garbage hanging on the sealing surface and check them for flatness with a machinist flat edge?
If the valves all look good i.e. no leakage, just leave them alone. Clean up the bore/piston and put some headgaskets in and stab it in the engine bay. If you feel like really running wild, flip the engine over and pull the main/rod caps, plasti-gage the bearing clearance and that will tell you what condition the engine is really in.

 

[Hot COCOAL]

I didn't read through any posts of yours but if you shave the heads you need to face the valves I to the head the same amount that you removed from the head or you will tighten the factory piston to valve clearance

So what do you mean Brian?
Shave the face of each valve or cut the seat?

And is this "really" necessary for a surface job that takes off say, .003"

At what point does "facing" the valves become necessary?

 

[hondarider552]

You shave the sealing surface of the valve face. The duramax has the smallest "margin" (think thickness of the head of the valve) of any of the big 3 diesels. Cummins being the biggest.

For .003 I don't think you would need to face the valves, but im not a machinist. I was told any time you shave the heads, you take off the same amount off of the valves so factory clearances will still be correct. My new heads were done this way and my Y bridge was a PITFA to install. Anything over .010 off the heads will will run into the Y bridge not wanting to be installed.

 

[Chevy1925]

Other than the fact that motor looks to have been tunes based on the star pattern on the pistons, it looks perfectly fine. If it were me, I'd clean it up, have the heads checked, and slap it back together and throw it in the truck.

If you really want to check the bottom end, pulling the rod and main caps looking for excessive wear/issues would be the next step.

 

[SmokeShow]

I was thinking Pat or maybe Johnboy talked about that star pattern as being evident even on 100% stock tuned trucks and was therefore not necessarily a definitive tattle tell sign of tuning but that it could be magnified by long fuel shots & timing?

Either way, the pistons don't look eroded due to the fuel shot becoming a blow torch.


I've learned a lot by this thread though as I wouldn't really have known for sure that what I was looking at was good or not like Jason here. So I appreciate him humbly asking & you all giving good informative answers that weren't belittling. These types of threads are EXACTLY why this is my fav forum, period! Good going gentlemen!



Jason, I got the package you sent & everything looked great. Again, thanks for your generosity. I'll pay it forward somehow.

 

[Dallas S]

Although I've never owned a dmax from new, every dmax piston I have seen has the spray pattern on them. Tuning may magnify, but it will always be there. Coco your over thinking this. Toss gaskets in it and run it. Enjoy the truck again.

 

[LBZ]

Star pattern is normal to see. So long as it hasn't burnt pitting or holes in the piston your good.

 

[jlawles2]

I put mine back together and it looked just like that on the inside. I put one new piston and rod in to replace the bent one. Threw a full set of rod bearings in it, and ran the stock rings from the bent rod piston. So far 3,000 miles and she runs just like before I bent the rod.

I agree, have the heads checked, if pan is off possibly rod bearings, new gaskets, and button it up. Then start working on a build of the original engine as time and money permit.

 

[Hot COCOAL]

I may have missed it but why are you having the heads surfaced?

If the valves all look good i.e. no leakage, just leave them alone. Clean up the bore/piston and put some headgaskets in and stab it in the engine bay. If you feel like really running wild, flip the engine over and pull the main/rod caps, plasti-gage the bearing clearance and that will tell you what condition the engine is really in.

I was told when I had my little "rag issue" (aka the $5000 dollar rag stapled to my garage wall) that anytime the heads come off they need to be surfaced, I've read it's a pretty common procedure here too, so I thought it was necessary...

I will take the covers and pans off this weekend and plasti gauge the bearings (or maybe just a couple) just to see what's up

Other than the fact that motor looks to have been tunes based on the star pattern on the pistons, it looks perfectly fine. If it were me, I'd clean it up, have the heads checked, and slap it back together and throw it in the truck.

If you really want to check the bottom end, pulling the rod and main caps looking for excessive wear/issues would be the next step.

I thought it might have been tuned, but I left that question alone for simplicity and to stay on track with how the cylinders looked. The pistons appear to be fine so I'm not too worried about the previous owners tune.
I will check tb bottom end here shortly

I was thinking Pat or maybe Johnboy talked about that star pattern as being evident even on 100% stock tuned trucks and was therefore not necessarily a definitive tattle tell sign of tuning but that it could be magnified by long fuel shots & timing?

Either way, the pistons don't look eroded due to the fuel shot becoming a blow torch.


I've learned a lot by this thread though as I wouldn't really have known for sure that what I was looking at was good or not like Jason here. So I appreciate him humbly asking & you all giving good informative answers that weren't belittling. These types of threads are EXACTLY why this is my fav forum, period! Good going gentlemen!



Jason, I got the package you sent & everything looked great. Again, thanks for your generosity. I'll pay it forward somehow.

Hey Mitch! I'm glad you got it on time! Buddy all you need to worry about Is takeing care of your wife and newborn!

I love this forum too, even tho I've pissed some guys off and said some stupid shit, on a whole everyone is looking out for each other and that's what matters

Coco your over thinking this. Toss gaskets in it and run it. Enjoy the truck again.

Hahaha, well, it would seem like if I'm not thinking I'm over thinking:rofl:
Just trying to go the extra mile here so I feel good about this

I agree, have the heads checked, if pan is off possibly rod bearings, new gaskets, and button it up. Then start working on a build of the original engine as time and money permit.

That's exactly what I plan to do my man!

I know a lot of you guys are wondering "why"
Well, aside from just trying to determine this engines condition, I'm gaining invaluable experience and building up my own confidence. I figure if I can tear this engine down, clean it up and possibly add a couple new parts to it, AND IT RUNS GOOD WHEN IM DONE!!! I can get my damaged block machined and build my own performance engine.
Really, more than anything, for me this whole undertaking boils down to that point.
All in all, this task has been been pretty fun for me! I'm excited to get this engine put back together, but more than that I'm excited to put it together and power my truck carrying my family knowing what it is. And of course gaining the experience I felt necessary to competently and comfortably assemble the one that's really gonna matter

Here's a few pics of it all cleaned up, I think it's ready for gaskets now.

What injector pattern?
:thumb:

Here's the surface of the heads

I didn't make it to the machinist today, after some of the replies here I started thinking I was making too much of it and did a DIY garage check on them myself

I'm thinking I'll have the heads cleaned, checked and tested and call it good. I've already checked them with a metal straight edge shining a light on the backside of the straight edge and they look great, no light shines past the straight edge!

Next I gotta find somewhere that sells plasti gauge and I'll check the mains. Another reason for me to do this is, I really want to clean the inside of the block, every nook and cranny the very best I can. Then I'll feel good about slapping it in the engine bay and drive it for what it's got till I can muster up the funds for my real engine build






I just wanna say thanks to everyone that replied to my thread here, thanks for all he help over the last couple years and for trying to set me straight when I'm off base.

And thanks to ALL the members, moderators and owners who make this site possible for guys like me!

 

[PACougar]

Thank god, I've been reading this from the first post just to watch it play out Put it back together and run the shit out of it!

 

[Hot COCOAL]

Thank god, I've been reading this from the first post just to watch it play out Put it back together and run the shit out of it!

:woott:
Ok, if you say so!
I'll definitely see what it's capable of... Dual fuelers and marks new turbo are on the docket


:spit:
I know I'm a pain in the ass, what can I say...

 

[Hot COCOAL]

Why I do what I do

Well-

If for no other reason, this tear down will be well worth the effort for this right here

Can't say I would've noticed it if I didn't tear the block down, looking back at the last couple days I do remember seeing that it was a little off, but the crack wasn't evident from the outside...yet

Can't say it would've leaked, can't say wouldn't either
I can say I'm glad I'm an anal retentive bastard tho


I would've been extremely pissed if I had installed this engine and had a massive oil leak that required me to take it back out and strip it down all the way to the upper pan like this
:angry5: :angry4: :angry5:

 

[07bluelbz]

How in the hell does a cast pan get tweaked like that???

 

[Hot COCOAL]

I imagine the engine got dropped when removing it or sometime during transport or switching locations...but it was palletized when I received it???

It could've happened in an accident, this engine was pulled from a vehicle at a salvage yard...supposedly the truck only had "light" front damage but who's to really say what the truth is.

 

[LBZ]

How in the hell does a cast pan get tweaked like that???

Someone trying to get the pan off without getting all the bolts out is all I can think of. May have been swapped off of another engine that this happened too. Who knows. The story behind the engine history seems a little shady on the part of the seller......