Something went wrong - HELP!

[2Lane]

I own a 1995 K2500 with L65 option, 6.5 Turbo Diesel HO.

Driving home two nights ago, truck was running it's usual smoothself. All of a sudden it shut off. Coasted over to the side and tried to re start. It started but the motor makes one hell of a racket.

DTC Error code comes up as: DTC 19 Crankshaft position reference.

So, fellas, what does this mean? I tried starting again after the tow home and it starts, but the engine makes alot of racket.

Any thoughts...

Thanks

2Lane

[Robyn]

HI
Sorry to hear of your plight.
Is the racket the engine makes sound like broken pieces? or louder than usual diesel rattle.
How is the oil pressure?
The DTC 19 is set when the crank position sensor takes a poop.
The sensor is located in the timing cover on the drivers side down low near the pan rail. The sensor has a pear shaped flange on it with one bolt holding it in. The sensor also has a wire harness that comes out and goes up to the main engine harness on the engine. Remove the fan shroud top half and the power steering pump to get some room to get at the little creature. unbolt it and worry it out. You can clean out the hole and install a new unit with a tad of grease on its O ring. There is no need to reset anything and the unit will go right to work. If the engine is making hard mechanical crashing noises it may be much more serious. The PCM goes into LIMP mode when the sensor fails and will run real poorly.
Keep us posted
Robyn

[restoguy]

How's the power? Any smoke under throttle? I hate to say this but it sounds kind like mine when it broke the crank. Mine ran fine except for the 'midget with a hammer inside' noise. Never even died when it broke, I shut it off because of the noise. It would always start back up though, even in the dead of winter!(can't remember the temp, but below freezing for sure). It had no power and smoked black something awful when I tried to move it. I found metal filings in my oil(on dipstick) and knew at that moment that we had major problems. It was my first 6.5L diesel and I only had it 2 weeks! I had just been through the engine as well! As it turns out, the crank was damaged in an accident before I got it (salvage yard) to replace the original which locked up. I still have my K2500 and the new engine has been very faithful.
What RPM was it at when it died? My uncle used to work at a shop that saw broken cranks a little too often and he said that if it was spinnig pretty good the block usually shows it from the outside. Just crawl under an look for cracks and oil leakage. Take the inspection cover off and look up the back as much as you can too. At lower RPM the damage is not as visible. Mine went at about 1000rpm and the block looks fine. Probably cracked a main web but I'll have to have it magnafluxed to find out. Doesn't look like it with the naked eye.
I hope you're luckier than I was.

[2Lane]

I don;t know at this point. I took the liberty to start work on the crank shaft positioning sensor and take that off. I got about half way today.

It does start, but it really makes one hell of a racket and the engine really shakes. It does run, but it will make a plume of black smoke and then burn clean, then another puff of black smoke and burn clean, etc.

I lost it at about 1400 Rpm. I was doing about 45 miles per hour when the truck just shut off. Coasted to the side of the road and restarted it, but it makes alot of noise. Sort of a clanging sound.

I thought I would do the cranshaft positioning sensor replacement and then see what it does then, but I tend to think that there is something wrong with the motor.

I did notice that the dip stick had poped up and was loose. It wasn't like that before, because I remember pushing it in properly.

I can not understand, if it is the crankshaft, why it would bust. I use the best of oils, the truck always ran smooth and the harmonic balancer (which has been known to cause crank shaft problems) is in very good condition.

...Strange!

I am kind of wondering where to go in Western Canada for an engine rebuild. Some machine shops claim to be experts but their engines don't seem to last past the short warranty period. Could buy a new one from GM, but they will probably be VERY pricey.

Could just drop in a gas 350 V8 instead as it will mate to the 4L80E transmission.

2Lane

[restoguy]

I hope that your problems are not as severe as a broken crank. But if you are in need of an engine I'm sure that there will be Diesel Page members that will gladly help you find a reputable dealer. As for the reason for breakage(if that's the case), it seems that the crank isn't the problem at all. But rather the block. The main webs are weaker than they should be and often flex too much allowing the crank to spin untrue causing it to fail. The main webs of many engines that are torn down for rebuild after a long service life will show cracks, even thought the engine was running fine when it was removed. Splayed caps, a stud girdle, and the newest stlye blocks all seem to correct this problem.

[Bnave95]

[QUOTE=

I thought I would do the cranshaft positioning sensor replacement and then see what it does then, but I tend to think that there is something wrong with the motor.

Have you changed out the part yet. This has happened to me once and a new sensor worked.