D6c cat loss of oil pressure

[Steve.ahlgren85]

Steve, I wonder if your chasing a ghost. Having an engine running without pressure showing on the oil gauge makes one's skin crawl. I can imagine sitting in the seat, happy the engine started, nervously watching the pressure gauge. With that in mind, even 10 seconds would seed like an age. I'd recommend sitting and picturing when you started the engine and time it somehow-- stopwatch, secondhand, someone counting. But don't watch the time, just close your eyes and picture the engine running. Might just be that it was only 5 seconds and it was 1 second from building pressure! That's where the suggestions for prelubing came from. Assume everything's right, rculate the oil then crank it over.

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

I might be chasing a ghost but I can't take a chance and destroy another engine. I have over $11,000 invested in the machine already not counting my own labor. I am going to take every precaution necessary to get this machine up and running! Thanks for the post...

 

[CavinJim]

I might be chasing a ghost but I can't take a chance and destroy another engine. I have over $11,000 invested in the machine already not counting my own labor. I am going to take every precaution necessary to get this machine up and running! Thanks for the post...

Steve, I'm not suggesting in any way, shape, or form that you do anything that would damage the engine. No one here is suggesting that. I was just, for your sake, trying to get a realistic estimate of how many seconds the engine ran without oil pressure on the gauge and shed a bit of light on why folks were suggesting circulating the oil using any one of a half-dozen different methods. Reading into the posts, it seems to me that the consensus is that you probably didn't harm the engine (at least not much) and that there might not be anything wrong. If you pre-circulate the oil as has been suggested (choose what seems like the simplest method) until something (anything!) shows on the gauge (the needle twitches), then crank the engine without compression (pull the injectors if necessary), you should build pressure without harming the engine. If it does, then start it up. If it doesn't, THEN you chase problems. Right now, you don't really know if you have a problem or not.

I'm on your side in this--not that there is a side, we're all anxious for a video of the thing running!--I'm a barnyard, backyard, when-I-have-the-time tinkerer when it comes to yellow iron. But I listen very carefully to what is said on HEF--especially to folks like Nige, tctractors, thepumpguysc, dmiller, junkyard, and I can't name everyone (sorry fellas). Steve, go to the track loader forum (https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/forums/track-loaders.52/ ) and sort by "replies" (click on the "replies" column). Read the first two threads beginning to end (Nitelite's and boone's).

I haven't rebuilt a big diesel engine such as what you've been going through--but I do have similar experience with other projects that had tens of thousands of $ on the line with the flip of a switch, so I know that feeling. It isn't fun at that point--for anyone! But it should be reassuring that you have a LOT of people reading your thread and hoping that it all turns out well. I probably wouldn't have bought my 955K without knowing this resource was available.

 

[oarwhat]

Steve when you pull down the rod caps make sure and look at the top bearing that's where the
wear is. Good luck.

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

To give you all an update. I haven't had much time to work on my machine this week but, I inspected a couple rod cap bearings, top bearings, nothing scored that I could see,installed the oil pump. One thing I did see was a gasket was missing on the pump outlet connected to the engine. Put pan cover back on,,did an oil transfusion, oil started coming out of the elbow connected to the oil line up to gauge,decompressed the engine, hit the starter several times with engine decompressed, still no gauge reading pressure. Do you guys think it would be safe to put the injectors back in and crank it over?I know that I have oil pressure coming up to the top part of the block by the fuel pump. A plug was left out of the block,that is where oil was coming out. Thanks for the great ideas..

 

[DMiller]

If you had a plug left out did you have any sign of leakage the first start? With oil in the riflings then you have availability and with a plug out you may not have had enough restriction to show pressure on the gauge. Did it spray or just flow?

 

[kshansen]

hit the starter several times with engine decompressed, still no gauge reading pressure. Do you guys think it would be safe to put the injectors back in and crank it over?I know that I have oil pressure coming up to the top part of the block by the fuel pump. A plug was left out of the block,that is where oil was coming out. Thanks for the great ideas..

Are you saying while cranking the engine you had oil coming out where the plug was missing? If that is the case put the plug back in and crank it over a bit longer to see if you get some oil pressure, ten seconds should be enough.

I still would not put the injectors back in until you had an indication of pressure on the gauge, no need to rush things at this point!

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

No oil came out the first time. Second time, oil was coming out real heavy. I put a plug back in and cracked it over, fuel off,still no pressure on gauge. I am getting a new oil pressure gauge, on order. Oil coming out of the elbow, line not restricted, just no reading !!

 

[kshansen]

No oil came out the first time. Second time, oil was coming out real heavy. I put a plug back in and cracked it over, fuel off,still no pressure on gauge. I am getting a new oil pressure gauge, on order. Oil coming out of the elbow, line not restricted, just no reading !!

Well I'd run up the road to NAPA and just buy a generic pressure gauge and a short hose to connect to the engine and know in a few minutes if you have pressure.

 

[DMiller]

It does take awhile on my old loader to see oil pressure on the gauge after startup even as it has always had good pressure, the lag may be from a snubber/buffer in the gauge itself so it does not pulse, cheap gauges usually don't have that form of snubber/buffer.

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

Had it running today for a short while. Fuel injector lines need new gasket seats, leaking a little fuel!..Sounds good though. Video coming. Soon!!Oil pressure came up nicely. Thanks for all of the advice. Can't tell you how important HEF has been helping me on this project. Could not have done it without you guys,

 

[StanRUS]

Had it running today for a short while. Fuel injector lines need new gasket seats, leaking a little fuel!..Sounds good though. Video coming. Soon!!Oil pressure came up nicely. Thanks for all of the advice. Can't tell you how important HEF has been helping me on this project. Could not have done it without you guys,

Fuel Injection Lines do not have replaceable gasket seats! Sorry The rubber-steel o-ring is a dirt-dust seal. You can try seating each line by removing the nozzle adapter and using valve grinding compound. WARNING careful not to contaminant the line fuel delivery orifice or nozzle adapter bore. Tighten the nozzle retaining nut to 100-110lbs ft, required for the nozzle to work to specification!

 

[DMiller]

Usually just cleaning very well and setting the lines to tight while wiggling them to center and seat does the trick.

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

Hello everyone,
I need a little help. I have my d6c caterpillar engine running, and it's running great. My problem is, I cannot get the machine to go forward or reverse. There is a switch under the seat connected to the forward reverse lever. Previous owner has a wire running from the switch to the rear lights. My manual shows nothing about this switch. My question is, does this switch need electrical power for the forward reverse to work?The universal turns, but slowly. Is this normal for the universal joint to turn slow?Everything went back together without a hitch. Your response is greatly appreciated!!

 

[Cmark]

That switch will be for a reversing alarm and no, you don't need any electrical power to make it go. The drive shaft should be spinning at engine speed in neutral. Have you checked the tranny oil level?

 

[51kw]

Remember when the torque converter fell apart when you removed the engine... Time to take it out again and have the seals replaced.

 

[kshansen]

Remember when the torque converter fell apart when you removed the engine... Time to take it out again and have the seals replaced.

Or did you forget to tighten the clamps on the suction line to the pump?
Like Cmark askes, is the drive shaft between the converter and transmission spinning while engine is running with transmission in neutral?

You didn't put a rag or plug in one of the lines from the transmission to the pump on the back of the engine and forgot to remove it did you?

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

Transmission oil level is at the add mark.I will add some, see if that helps. No rag plugs left in oil passages, drive shaft turns much slower than the engine speed!Will the planetary gears on torque converter slow drive shaft speed?

 

[Steve.ahlgren85]

With the engine running and transmission in neutral, drive shaft is turning, but a lot slower than the engine speed!!

 

[51kw]

Should be engine rpm.