well it started with a shot timing chain. replaced the chain and gears and i still have only 125psi per cylinder. my cam isnt broke and my rockers are moving in full range of motion, and yet no compression on all 8 cylinders and of course it wont fire. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!! ive been dealing with this for over a month now. :duh::duh::iamlost::help:

This might be a stupid Q, but how's your compression gauge?

brand new, that and i can tell there is hardly any compression by the way it sounds when i crank it.

I don't know if it's possible to be 180* out like a gas engine?

F~~~~ING shit why didnt i think of that. i wonder if thats all it could be

there are times where it will almost fire but it just wont

Gotta book?

i wish

Let me take a look at mine and see what it says. I'll get back in a bit

kk ty

I don't know what kk ty means.
Yes you can be 180* out.
I'm waiting for pics.

ok here's a brief,
Seem,s as though you need to have the valve cover off to be able to tell if you are on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke.
Maybe someone else knows a trick?

here's more.

Also try a little oil in each cylinder , couple shots of motor oil from a oil can .Dry cylinder walls make a big difference in compression also .

4320 knows a trick about being on compression or not. Goes something like this. remove a glowplug and put your hand over the hole, turn the engine by hand and when it blows your hand off it's in compression. Hope I got that right.

Thanks for everything sls. Well when i took the motor to TDC i had the valve cover off to make sure that it was on the compression stroke and i also tried the oil in cylinder trick, that helped ALOT maby i just didnt use enough oil?

4320 knows a trick about being on compression or not. Goes something like this. remove a glowplug and put your hand over the hole, turn the engine by hand and when it blows your hand off it's in compression. Hope I got that right.
x2 or get a little piece of paper and wedge it in the open glowplug hole for #1 cylinder, turn it over by hand, when the piece of paper blows outta there its compression stroke. I use this method on gassers too, in the spark plug hole.

If you have the valve cover off, the cylinder is at compression when both valves are closed (lifters will be in down position) and the piston will be at the top of its range.

ok im 100% positive i was at TDC when i replaced the chain and gears. now after i squirted oil in the cylinders and cranked it it wanted to start it just wouldnt for whatever reason.

I don't know what kk ty means.
Yes you can be 180* out.
I'm waiting for pics.

oh kk means ok and ty means thank you, sorry

did you then rotate the engine to line up the IP gear or did you just put it on?

my trick to checking compression was blowing the compression tester to the ceiling of my shop and its got 14 foot doors so you get the idea. i wouldnt put paper in the hole since on intake it could pull it into the prechamber and youd ahve to remove an injector to get it out if it didnt blow out.

my trick to checking compression was blowing the compression tester to the ceiling of my shop and its got 14 foot doors so you get the idea. i wouldnt put paper in the hole since on intake it could pull it into the prechamber and youd ahve to remove an injector to get it out if it didnt blow out.

You gotta fix the paper just so it doesn't do that... :P If you don't secure it there tight enough I'm sure there would be a chance it could get sucked in.

did you then rotate the engine to line up the IP gear or did you just put it on?

i didnt realize there were timing marks on the ip gears.

that wont help starting it anyhow. theres a pin in the ip flange so it only goes on in one spot. so the gear needs to be in the right spot.

i didnt realize there were timing marks on the ip gears.

Uh-oh....

Two little dots....must be aligned. When at TDC, the lower gear should have the dot at the top of the gear. The upper gear that is attached to the IP (the gear can only go on it one way) will have a dot at the bottom of it that aligns perfectly with the one on the lower gear. IF nothing else has been tampered with, that should get you in the neighborhood of where you need to be.

ok the dots on the timing gears are aligned. when i installed the IP i had to turn the engine over manually to get the ip to slide in.

Hope she fires up this time for ya... maybe thats all you needed.

Hope she fires up this time for ya... maybe thats all you needed.


everything ive told u guys is what i have done so far. she still isnt starting.

Are you sure it's getting fuel? have you tried the compresion tester again with oil in the cylinders? If the engine isn't warm it can skew numbers, from what I've read anyway. 125 is really low. if the engine was running before I can't see those #'s being accurate.

everything ive told u guys is what i have done so far. she still isnt starting.
oops my bad... still pondering it in my head...

Are you sure it's getting fuel? have you tried the compresion tester again with oil in the cylinders? If the engine isn't warm it can skew numbers, from what I've read anyway. 125 is really low. if the engine was running before I can't see those #'s being accurate.

i can crack my injector lines at the injectors and it will seep fuel while cranking but come to think of it not as much as it should

I guess they don't really squirt fuel, just weep a little. If you have fuel to injectors and have good cranking speed and everythings lined up and put together right it should fire. Lots of cranking speed? They need a reported minimum of 100RPM but most seem to say 3-400RPM. I had a slow cranking starter that was just slow enough to fool me till I changed it then instant start

The gear that drives the IP is held into meshing position by the IP. If the motor is turned over without the IP in place, (bolted to the gear) there is the possibility of the gear loosing place. Or skipping a cog....:)

Remove IP, re-time the gear to the camshaft gear, (two dots). Then look in the hole and see where the oblong whole on gear is, turn IP to this position and insert. Remove your glow plugs and connect your Pink wire to IP turn motor over with key until you have nice spray of diesel coming out of holes. Re-install GP's and start..... then post how nice it sounds......:D

The gear that drives the IP is held into meshing position by the IP. If the motor is turned over without the IP in place, (bolted to the gear) there is the possibility of the gear loosing place. Or skipping a cog....:)

Remove IP, re-time the gear to the camshaft gear, (two dots). Then look in the hole and see where the oblong whole on gear is, turn IP to this position and insert. Remove your glow plugs and connect your Pink wire to IP turn motor over with key until you have nice spray of diesel coming out of holes. Re-install GP's and start..... then post how nice it sounds......:D

ok and if it get fuel etc etc but doesnt start then what

The more I read this thread, the more I come back to timing...... are you sure that the chain is installed ''in time''? Not to belittle or anything.

If valves are opening and closing out of sync with the pistons going up and down, there'd be a noticable lack of compression.

Done compression tests on cylinders with holes in pistons with 150psi.

On our last build, my brother did all the timing, I never paid attention to it....boy was he nervous at start up.... everything good, did exactly as explained to you.

When the timing mark on cam gear is completely in up position, verify if the line on torsion damper is lined up on timing arrows on the cover . Should be close to exact.
This is companion or #6 TDC, two revolutions of crank for one revolution of cam.

ok and if it get fuel etc etc but doesnt start then what

Lets go one step at a time, each step will be sure that we don't have to repeat it. Verify timing, and I check back tomorrow....:D

Diesel is simply fuel and air compressed at correct timing and it runs....:)

GP's? How are they?

GP's? How are they?

6 out of 8 work but im in sw arizona and its in the high 70s and low 80s during he day here shouldnt really need em.

ok turbonator im gonna tear my motor back down today and do it all over again step by step and ill keep all of you guys updated with what i find.

Lets go one step at a time, each step will be sure that we don't have to repeat it. Verify timing, and I check back tomorrow....:D

Diesel is simply fuel and air compressed at correct timing and it runs....:)

when you changed the chain, was it cuz it broke or just stretched real bad? if it was broke, you would have bent valves as its an interferance engine. if just stretched, continue on trying to figure it out

it wasnt broke just stretched to the point where i could touch the chain together by squeezing it together in between the gears.

when you changed the chain, was it cuz it broke or just stretched real bad? if it was broke, you would have bent valves as its an interferance engine. if just stretched, continue on trying to figure it out

wow! how did that bugger run without jumping gears all day long?

hahah, well considering its the original timing chain with 339786 miles on it. I HAVE NO CLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It didn't want to give out yet! Diehard! rebel!

This time she runs when put together.....:)

When installing chain remember .... two cranks for each cam....this is when the motor needs #1 cylinder at TDC. next turn crank one revolution, cam marking is now ready for IP gear. This time don't turn motor to align IP. Turn IP to align to it's gear (pin in oblong hole).:D

im going to try to get to it today, i have to finish working on my neighbors Suzuki sidekick first, also now im am with out transportation period due to the fact that the power steering gearbox on my 1995 land rover discovery is now completely stripped out. you can spin the steering wheel and tire no turn hahaha. just lucky it didnt happen going down the road.



This time she runs when put together.....:)

When installing chain remember .... two cranks for each cam....this is when the motor needs #1 cylinder at TDC. next turn crank one revolution, cam marking is now ready for IP gear. This time don't turn motor to align IP. Turn IP to align to it's gear (pin in oblong hole).:D

hey turbonator, on ur 93 3500 do u have 2 cracked pistons and its still running??

hey turbonator, on ur 93 3500 do u have 2 cracked pistons and its still running??

Yes sir, just waiting for the compression to come down a bit more before we put a BFT on it.....:drop_mout

We do try to keep spare motors in stock, because our trucks are all work vehicles..... it just runs so good we leave it in....LOL.

Yes sir, just waiting for the compression to come down a bit more before we put a BFT on it.....:drop_mout

We do try to keep spare motors in stock, because our trucks are all work vehicles..... it just runs so good we leave it in....LOL.

ok so lemme see if i get this right. you have to cracked "fractured""broken" pistons and it still runs???

Yes sir......this was our intro to the world of owning 6.2/6.5L diesels......:D

Brother Jeff figures maybe do a video of it tomorrow......had a Pathfinder on trailer behind it today......:)