fpjeepy05

Truck was running fine a week ago. the exhaust has been missing for a while. The engine compartment has gotten pretty sooty over time. On Wednesday I noticed it was losing a little hp at higher rpms. I checked the oil and it was a little low. I topped it up. I'm supposed to use 10-w40, but I has some 20-w50 and figured it would be fine to top it up. On the way to work today it was smoking more, and would sputter at higher rpms. On the way home it lost everything. No power and clouds of smoke. I mean clouds. Smoke was bluer at first start-up, but when it lost all the power it looked more black. When I got it home I pulled off the air filter which was pretty clogged and I washed it out. I put it on and fired it back up. Still clouds of smoke. Seemed a little better. but I was looking at the engine and I say what looked like sparks coming from around the area of the exhaust manifold. I was looking around with a head lamp and couldn't find where they were coming from, and I didn't feel comfortable running it with that going on so I shut it down.

At this point I don't there there is much else that I can do other than get it to the shop. I could change the oil, but I am doubting that would fit anything. I took do an oil flush, but I'm thinking the same thing. I could try taking off the air intake and outlet to see if the turbo is completely sooted up. Not much else that I am confident doing myself.

Truck needs work, not sure how much I want to spend at the shop.

fpjeepy05

A guy on another forum suggested it was the turbo. I just took of the air intake and the turbo isn't working. I can turn the blades, but not easily. At idle the blades don't move and when i throttle up they will turn, but not spool up. And tons of black smoke when i do this. The "sparks" I think are just carbon soot landing on the exhaust manifold and light up.
How do I clean/restore the turbo? I think there is less than 50,000 on the turbo, so I would guess its not worn just filled with carbon.

87_2LT

It's a little late now, but the recommended oil weight for these engines is 10w-30 in the summer and 5w-30 in the winter. There is a reason for that.
These engines run dirty and they need religiously consistent oil changes, or preferably a good bypass filter to keep the soot down in the oil. Otherwise things start to stick as you found out.

fpjeepy05

I forgot to update this... Turns out my problem was when I had some injector pump work done, the mechanic never bolted the exhaust manifold back on tightly. There was a 1/4" gap tp the block. Broke some bolts, cracked the manifold. I felt like an idiot when I discovered it. but that was the "sparks" I was seeing. haha