T444e engine problems! HELP!

[clybbert975]

Hey everyone I'm new to the whole skoolie thing and have been getting started on my first conversion. I've bought a 1998 international 3800 t444e with 100,000 miles. I bought it from a guy in Oregon about 8 hours from where I am. Long story short, it started having some power problems after my first 3 hours of driving. It wanted to die going up any sort of hill and my rpms would drop a tonnnnn! When it would start having problems a giant puff of white smoke would also come out the tail pipe! What should have been a 8 hour drive turned into a 13 hour drive. Flat ground it seem to do fine its just when there's an extra load! I think its a fuel or air problem but I checked all my filters and everything checks out. Please help!!!! I'm desperate

[Geo Jeff]

It sounds like you or some one filled it with gasoline. Gas looks like a blown head gasket and no power at all.

[clybbert975]

I've put two full tanks in it since I've gotten it and its always been diesel. I thought it might have been that but no ones had their hands on it but me since I got it

[sdwarf36]

Fuel filter.

[jazty]

Yep, I'd say the first things you need to do are change the fuel filter (not just check it) and clean the pre-filter strainer.

While it'd be unlikely to be causing this problem, it's worth doing an oil change as well. The HEUIs want clean oil.

If you still have issues after these simple maintenance items then you might be looking at a mechanical problem. Rule out the easy things first, though.

[clybbert975]

I just got a new filter and cleaned out both the little filter gate and the strainer and it seems to still have the problem. Also I changed out the air filter. I'm afraid it could be bigger then I thought

[jazty]

You might also check the intake tubes for cracks and leaks. I'm nut sure how that would cause puffs of smoke, but these engines are weak without proper turbo boost pressure.

[clybbert975]

Thanks buddy! I'll check the pressures out

[Arvik]

Does it blow any black or white smoke at startup? White smoke at startup, I say a glow plug or 2 may be bad.?

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by jester

Does it blow any black or white smoke at startup? White smoke at startup, I say a glow plug or 2 may be bad.?

glow plug wouldnt cause it to hae issues under heavy load..

is the WARN ENGINE light on?

-Christopher

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Make sure you've changed all the fuel filters - if it has more than one.
In other words, make sure there's not a fuel filter you have missed.

Also check the hoses between the turbo and engine. A loss of boost will result in a loss of power and smoke like you have indicated.

[clybbert975]

Nope no check engine

[clybbert975]

No smoke at all unless under a heavy load like going up a hill. And then its white smoke. When its having the problem its usually one big puff of white at a time nothing constant

[Tango]

Also...there may be an "in tank filter". Some rigs have one, some don't. The ones that do are generally a RPITA to deal with. Never understood the engineering genius behind that design.

[sdwarf36]

Next thing i'd check is the is the injector wiring. The valve covers have the wires for the injectors + glow plugs going thru them. The plugs fail over time. In looking for a pic to show as an example, I found this package-its a pretty good deal. Diesel Valve Cover Gasket Kit T444E, 615201, Dorman
Notice that theres the other end of the harness. If one side of the plug fails, the the other side is probably bad. (There's a good draw to the glow plugs over time-and it melts the plug.) You cut the plug off the harness end + solder the wires on.
Theres a reason they sell a whole kit like this. Its a pretty known issue. I had to do mine as soon as I got it-it would drop 2 cylinders on the ride home. And if you're that far in to change the valve cover harness, changing glow plugs adds just 10 minute to the job. If you have a flip nose, I bet it would be pretty easy. I had to do it in a van body.