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6.0 BLOWING BLACK SMOKE!!! HELP!!!

162K views 46 replies 19 participants last post by  97powerstroke2014 
#1 ·
No it is not by intention or anything else in that manner. But my 03 6.0 is blowing black smoke out of the exhaust like a over fueled 7.3 with a straight piped exhaust. Started this weekend while pulling a load (Not even a big one) just a 12 foot flat bed trailer with about 3,000 lbs of brick on it. Any way the reason i even noticed in the begining was by looking the mirrors and realizing that smoking every one and anything out behind me. A quick look down all gauges were in the norms. Not even a check engine light. Only issue i was having with the rig was a rough idle with it in gear. Truck made it home smoking the entire way needless to say. I start to tear into the engine sunday, first theing i noticed was soot all over the top of everything in front of the turbo, i pull the intercooler pipe, boost boots, and realize that there is oil or something inside of them. PLEASE HELP ME OUT HERE!!! i have no clue what this might be and have been regulated to riding my motorcycle back and forth to work which would be no big deal if i was still stationed in california, but here in ohio the rain is coming and no one likes to get that wet on the way to and from work... I am just looking for area's to start looking at more closely before i rip all the way into this thing... Thanks for any help
 
#2 ·
Pull your EGR valve and take a look at it and inside the manifold.
 
#4 ·
The oil in your Inter-cooler pipes is due to the crack-case ventilation system. A CCV reroute will take care of that. it basically dumps oil mist from your valve covers into the intake. It sounds like your turbo may be shot or going to be dead very soon. Any shaft play? do you have a boost gauge to check?
 
#5 ·
CCV reroute wont do anything for this man.

Pull your EGR valve. Is it wet?
 
#6 ·
Will pull the EGR valve out tonight after work, and the turbo as well. Take it i am looking for crap inside of the EGR valve, looks like the delete will be coming sooner than i thought and the turbo oh geeze, are the stockers rebuildable on this truck? Just looking for a cost effective IE within reason fix to the issues at hand. Can not afford a full rebuild with power adders at the moment...
 
#7 ·
Oh just a quick question as well how would either of those produce exhaust soot and leaks in the engine bay? Please excuse my ignorance just wondering is all... Reckon this is going to be one hell of a learning curve...
 
#8 ·
When my egr went bad it didnt black smoke at all... so idk what the point of pulling the egr would do. Sounds to me your turbo is just leaking oil and you exhaust is burning it.
 
#14 ·
When my EGR valve stuck open it idled but a little rough and when I tried to drive down the road it made a ton of black smoke and felt like it was firing on two cylinders.
 
#10 ·
Did you put on a new down pipe when you did your exhaust? I would go through and retighten all of the new exhaust clamps. If you did put on a new DP then I would also make sure it seated right.
 
#11 ·
If the turbo is shot, the truck wouldnt make black smoke... The computer is smart enough to not dump fuel when there is not enough air. The question is why is there more fuel being dumped and a rough idle.

Personally, I would check IAC (idle air control), and TPS (throttle position sensor) first. Get that out of the way, then move on to bigger things. Start simple.


Just to make you feel better, The stock turbo is rebuildable if its bad (I dont think so) Also, they are extremely easy to do. It usually takes me 1.5-2 hours to fully rebuild a turbo from start to finish including sandblasting and cleaning. Ive done 10 or so with no issues, so I feel confident anyone can do it as long as you have an expanded view to follow for your first couple tries.
 
#12 ·
Did you throw any codes? And do you know what your boost is? I would also check your intercooler pipes/connections for holes or tears. As well as your air filter. might just be an air issue.
 
#13 ·
Just saw you said you DID check the IC pipe and connections. They will have a little oil in there, like someone else said to get rid of that just a simple CCV mod but thats not your issue.
 
#16 ·
It will idle although very rough sounding and shudderring. It smokes regardless of moving under its own power, or sitting still. No codes or any other explaination from the drivers seat that even gave away the fact that i was smoking, I am away from it now and will be for a few days. This weekend i am tearing into the thing full bore. Really need her up and running. Cant keep the company car or want to for that matter. Thanks so far for the info every one. I will let you all know what i find out. Thanks again for all the help...
 
#21 ·
The oil in the IC pipes is normal, as was previously stated, and wont do anything for your problem. I would agree with checking the EGR valve, but if thats not it I would check the VGT actuator as well. But the cracked injector tip sounds like your best bet!
 
#22 ·
Ok quick update, pops got me a turbo another stocker, but I am trying to find a God deal on a full set of injectors, our can a just replace them in ones and two's. Call me crazy but I would rather just replace all of them at once and be done with it. Any suggestions? And thanks to everyone for helping out and getting my baby back on the road...
 
#23 ·
I have never changed injectors on a PS yet, but I can tell you from a Cummins stand point. If you have a cracked injector, washed out tip, and/or a tip that is not closing off properly it will cause exactly what you are describing. I am not disagreeing with the EGR problems others have listed as well. My first thought would be injectors though. As for changing them out one at a time? Well that is a call for your budget, my man. Me personally, If you are having trouble with one it might be suspect of more to come soon. But if you are going to pay someone or even do it yourself, while you are there it would be a good call IMO. An ounce of prevention is worth 1000's when you have to do that much work to get to the injectors in the first place. IF it your budget doesn't allow, then yes you can change one or as many as you deem. Good luck with it.
 
#24 ·
Ive changed my injectors and while it isnt a huge pain, I wouldnt suggest ones and twos. Simply because unless you have AE or another good scan tool, you will be guessing which is the bad one. And like power junkie said if ones going that could mean others will go soon.
 
#25 ·
Mine just torched the tip off of one injector...
I have never been embarrassed to drive my truck till that happened...smoked like it had a tire fire burning at the back of the truck.

AE software showed cylinders #5 and #7 had contribution faults...but #7 had no tip at all left...the pintle was actually sticking out of the bottom of the injector.

Hope you get er fixed up soon.
 
#27 ·
Did you get this figured out yet?
 
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