Smokey 673 Turbo?

[56mercuryman]

I have a 57 B61 as you can see in my photo album, it idles nice but chugs blue at idle, when you rev it up to the governor it blows lots of grey smoke, it also smokes lots at shifts. It is a 673 with a turbo, the turbo seems to spray oil out the bottom and drips on the frame rail, it seems to have lots of power still, was just wondering what the cause of all the smoke is or if it might get worse if something is not repaired. any ideas?

by the way the truck has sat about 4 years then started and only run a bit since.

[Freightrain]

There are ceramic seals on the hot side of the turbo, and sounds like they might be history. Might just need a rebuild to get yourself going again.

[Rob]

I have a 57 B61 as you can see in my photo album, it idles nice but chugs blue at idle, when you rev it up to the governor it blows lots of grey smoke, it also smokes lots at shifts. It is a 673 with a turbo, the turbo seems to spray oil out the bottom and drips on the frame rail, it seems to have lots of power still, was just wondering what the cause of all the smoke is or if it might get worse if something is not repaired. any ideas?

by the way the truck has sat about 4 years then started and only run a bit since.

Put 20,000 pounds on a trailer and get some heat in the exhaust. Sounds a lot like my R model that hasn't been worked in a long time. The dripping you mention, is it black, and runny like water, or thick like oil sludge? Look at the inside of you exhaust pipe, is it dry, flaky carbon, or wet? Getting a load on and building up heat will help tremendously as it did for my truck!

You need to get the "old" diesel fuel burnt out of it and replaced. Diesel takes longer than gasoline to go stale, but it does all the same.

Rob

[56mercuryman]

Put 20,000 pounds on a trailer and get some heat in the exhaust. Sounds a lot like my R model that hasn't been worked in a long time. The dripping you mention, is it black, and runny like water, or thick like oil sludge? Look at the inside of you exhaust pipe, is it dry, flaky carbon, or wet? Getting a load on and building up heat will help tremendously as it did for my truck!

You need to get the "old" diesel fuel burnt out of it and replaced. Diesel takes longer than gasoline to go stale, but it does all the same.

Rob

yup, the leaky drippy is black and runny looks like burnt oil and it sprays when its revved up. I drained all the old diesel and put in fresh fuel and a filter, also put in a can of seafoam and diesel additive, runs better than it did, but the smoke is real bad especially when revved, it can sit there and idle all day and the engine never gets hot, I can put my hand on the rad and the valve cover after a few hours of idling so I know its not working hard. I see someone else mentions about having a bad turbo, this could be the reason for the smoke, it does need a good run though, the problem is that it won't pass a emissions test now with all the smoke. I would like to fix it, before I smoke out the neighbourhood.

[Lmackattack]

You mentioned that you idle it alot. that may be the issue as well? If oil is getting past any seals in the exhaust or unburnt fuel is puddling up with carbon buildup it will shurely smoke. Like Rob said Give it a good pull and get the exhaust hot. that will burn off the oil and fuel trapped in the exhaust.

trent

[56mercuryman]

You mentioned that you idle it alot. that may be the issue as well? If oil is getting past any seals in the exhaust or unburnt fuel is puddling up with carbon buildup it will shurely smoke. Like Rob said Give it a good pull and get the exhaust hot. that will burn off the oil and fuel trapped in the exhaust.

trent

I forgot to mention the truck is not road worthy at the moment and I cannot really work it, I also should mention that when it runs it has a "funny" exhaust smell that smells in the cab as well, its hard to desribe the smell, almost like a burnt almond smell. Not sure what that is or perhaps that has to with the extreme smoke. does anyone know what I mean?

[56mercuryman]

I forgot to mention the truck is not road worthy at the moment and I cannot really work it, I also should mention that when it runs it has a "funny" exhaust smell that smells in the cab as well, its hard to desribe the smell, almost like a burnt almond smell. Not sure what that is or perhaps that has to with the extreme smoke. does anyone know what I mean?

I also never checked the thermostat.....could it be that the engine is not getting hot enough......also the shutters are not working.

[theakerstwo]

I also never checked the thermostat.....could it be that the engine is not getting hot enough......also the shutters are not working.

Some did not have a themostat.

[Rob]

I forgot to mention the truck is not road worthy at the moment and I cannot really work it, I also should mention that when it runs it has a "funny" exhaust smell that smells in the cab as well, its hard to desribe the smell, almost like a burnt almond smell. Not sure what that is or perhaps that has to with the extreme smoke. does anyone know what I mean?

Yes I do. The engine is "loaded" up internally from not being used. If the exhaust on the hot side of the turbocharger is a casting with a sleeve in between the turbo, and elbow, there are piston rings on the adapter that are always struck. If the old fuel is pooled in this area, it will drip from, smoke from, and smell like you explain. The cabs sport "flow through ventilation" as you can tell by having smoke inside. Get the exhaust hot and it will clear up. The problem you have is called "wet stacking" and is common on an unloaded diesel engine.

You can clean it up a little bit by parking the truck outside, removing the air cleaner piping at the turbocharger, hold the idle speed at about 1800 rpm, and with a pump oiler loaded with ATF, make the engine injest the oil slowly. I don't mean pump it in as fast as you can but to where the engine just starts to slow down. Keep a steady stream up but don't kill the engine. After you have ran a quart or so through the engine, keep the idle to about 1250 rpm or so for about five minutes to burn the residual clean. This SOB will smoke like there is no tomorrow when you are doing this proceedure and if you have an exhaust leak will leave a puddle on the ground so be prepared.

If you want to get the engine hot with a simulated load, put the truck in low gear, accelerate against the governor, and apply the service brakes enough to put a load on it. Don't move out of low gear as you are generating a lot of heat in the shoes and drums. Do this for several minutes and you won't have any problems. Let the brakes cool, and do it again. Get the engine to about 200 degrees and keep it there. You will be surprised how much it will clean up.

I latched a large harrow to my 64 B-61 and dragged it around the farm field this spring for a load. I thought I was going to have to bungee strap my mouth shut from the jarring I was taking in the field, but I got the job done of working the engine.

Rob

[56mercuryman]

Yes I do. The engine is "loaded" up internally from not being used. If the exhaust on the hot side of the turbocharger is a casting with a sleeve in between the turbo, and elbow, there are piston rings on the adapter that are always struck. If the old fuel is pooled in this area, it will drip from, smoke from, and smell like you explain. The cabs sport "flow through ventilation" as you can tell by having smoke inside. Get the exhaust hot and it will clear up. The problem you have is called "wet stacking" and is common on an unloaded diesel engine.

You can clean it up a little bit by parking the truck outside, removing the air cleaner piping at the turbocharger, hold the idle speed at about 1800 rpm, and with a pump oiler loaded with ATF, make the engine injest the oil slowly. I don't mean pump it in as fast as you can but to where the engine just starts to slow down. Keep a steady stream up but don't kill the engine. After you have ran a quart or so through the engine, keep the idle to about 1250 rpm or so for about five minutes to burn the residual clean. This SOB will smoke like there is no tomorrow when you are doing this proceedure and if you have an exhaust leak will leave a puddle on the ground so be prepared.

If you want to get the engine hot with a simulated load, put the truck in low gear, accelerate against the governor, and apply the service brakes enough to put a load on it. Don't move out of low gear as you are generating a lot of heat in the shoes and drums. Do this for several minutes and you won't have any problems. Let the brakes cool, and do it again. Get the engine to about 200 degrees and keep it there. You will be surprised how much it will clean up.

I latched a large harrow to my 64 B-61 and dragged it around the farm field this spring for a load. I thought I was going to have to bungee strap my mouth shut from the jarring I was taking in the field, but I got the job done of working the engine.

I will give it a whirl with both the atf and the workin the engine, I have a large yard and heavy steel skid I will try and drag around awhile. Will keep you advised as to how it turned out.

Rob

[56mercuryman]

Yes, it does have a cast sleeve on the turbo.

[56mercuryman]

Yes, it does have a cast sleeve on the turbo.

ok, went out tonight and squirted in a quart of ATF, it never even sputtered, it sucked it back like an old rummy. It really did not seem to change smoke much, more or less. I then took it for a ride down the country road, it was so smokey behind me I could not see the road!

It shifted nice and ran with plenty of power. You were right about the ATF coming out everywhere, it leaked and sprayed out of every crack in the exhaust pipes and smoke came out of every clamp and seam. I kept her revving and tried the brake drag, all it did was spin the rear wheels and the brakes would not hold it unless I really hit the brakes and then she stalled on me.

I must admit though after the good run down the road, there seemed to be less smoke at idle. But shifting every gear gave a cloud of grey smoke like nothing I have ever seen.

Any other suggestions??

[Rob]

ok, went out tonight and squirted in a quart of ATF, it never even sputtered, it sucked it back like an old rummy. It really did not seem to change smoke much, more or less. I then took it for a ride down the country road, it was so smokey behind me I could not see the road!

It shifted nice and ran with plenty of power. You were right about the ATF coming out everywhere, it leaked and sprayed out of every crack in the exhaust pipes and smoke came out of every clamp and seam. I kept her revving and tried the brake drag, all it did was spin the rear wheels and the brakes would not hold it unless I really hit the brakes and then she stalled on me.

I must admit though after the good run down the road, there seemed to be less smoke at idle. But shifting every gear gave a cloud of grey smoke like nothing I have ever seen.

Any other suggestions??

You've started down the right track. Proceed.

Rob