550 5eK Cat smoking/missing in cold temperatures.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Mb83, Feb 24, 2025.

  1. Mb83

    Mb83 Bobtail Member

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    Nov 23, 2024
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    Need some help with a 550 5ek that was just inframed. Started out with smoking/miss in cold Temps and idling. Cut out test brought us to #5. New injector didn't fix it so tore it down and found head was cracked bleeding 5 into 6.

    Now inframe is done. New parts:
    - New head
    - New cam
    - New dampner
    - New oil cooler
    - Steedspeed exhaust manifold
    - Borg 78/1.45 turbo
    - Replaced 3 injectors, others are recent
    - New injector harness in head
    - All new fuel lines/tank pickups

    Problem now is a smoking at idle and rough running. It ran perfect one time right after a timing calibration. No smoke smooth and peppy. Sat outside for a couple hours and started smoking after started again. Fuel pressure steady 70psi, clear fuel out the return.

    Running 550 brakesaver as before, swapped ecms which didn't help. No codes and all vitals are reading in range. Fuels like it's running super rich. All trim codes are matched to injectors. Scratching our heads. Pin timed nice and ecm taking the timing cal real easy. Cut out test shows all is good. Going to try cam and fuel temp sensor but they are reading good. Not sure what else we can do.
     
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  3. Deezl Smoke

    Deezl Smoke Medium Load Member

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    What does the engine breather smell like?
    Your 5 and 6 head issue sounds like it is still there, but maybe a liner height issue.?
     
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  4. Numb

    Numb Crusty Curmudgeon

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    awwww.... I wanted to see a you tube of a cat smoking.
     
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  5. Concorde

    Concorde Road Train Member

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    Happy now?

    IMG_6341.gif
     
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  6. hope not dumb twucker

    hope not dumb twucker Road Train Member

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  7. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    You sure one liner isn't higher than the rest? What caused that first brand new head to crack?
     
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  8. Mb83

    Mb83 Bobtail Member

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    Lol I can't seeing it being a liners issue. Before it would easily fail the cut out test and stop smoking when you cut #5 out. Now it will run on any of the one cylinders alone. Seems like an overall system issue.

    It was counter bored and measured out to 6 thou. Just really puzzled since it did run perfect once and still no codes/faults since the inframe.
     
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  9. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    Something caused the head to crack the first time and it sounds like it happened again. 6 thousands sounds high to me too. I also don't believe that all four points on each hole are exactly at 6 nor do I believe they're all the same when measured lengthwise across the block deck.
     
  10. Mb83

    Mb83 Bobtail Member

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    Nov 23, 2024
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    The previous head had lots of miles on. History of engine is unknown but when dismantled I'd say had at least a million on everything. It was running the low nox tune when we got it which probably didn't help. It had scorched the exhaust manifold and turbo exhaust housing pretty bad.

    Not sure why it did crack the head though. It always ran great, started quick. It slowly developed a miss when cold and eventually got worse. Thought it was an injector but that didn't fix it.
     
  11. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    They're known to crack there due to lack of proper coolant routing. There's a way to plumb in a coolant line to the back of the head to remedy the issue but maybe I misread your first post because it seemed like you already put a new head on with the overhaul and it cracked so you put a second one on to have the same issue.
     
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