Pete 379 with CAT 3406e issue

Discussion in 'Peterbilt Forum' started by Pete379Cat, Oct 1, 2011.

  1. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    Here's the situation:

    Have a CAT 3406e. It was running and once in a while there was a few puffs of white from the exhaust pipes.

    Yesterday, started it and the white smoke was SO bad you couldn't even see across the yard.

    I read on here somewhere about removing the camshaft sensor...adjusting the green tip..installing withOUT the shim...removing sensor again and reinstall shim & sensor.

    Well, 1st of all; after removing sensor found it to be a BLACK tip & not the fore-mentioned GREEN (and the black tip did NOT adjust/move). Went ahead and reinstalled with NO shim...uninstalled & reinserted shim & sensor.

    Attempted to start the truck as I did yesterday to see if there was still white smoke and now the truck will NOT turn over AT ALL! :biggrin_25510:

    Does anyone have ANY clues/ideas as to what may have taken place during the removal and reinsertion....AND with the white smoke situation that started it all?
     
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  3. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    never heard of such a thing probabliy bottomed out the senser on the cam gear. DONT TRY AND START IT!! white smoke or bluish white smoke? white smoke could be a cracked head or droped liner that blew the headgasket. bluish white injector getting weak. sorry reread post if you put shim back on it could be hydro locked.(water filling up a cylinder).
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2011
  4. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    Thanks for replying. Regarding the shim: It was on to start with and it would run/start/drive. Removing shim & placing it back on could hydro lock? I'm not the driver, etc....looking for answers for my hubby. He's worked on & driven trucks for over 16 years & around them for longer I says he's never seen such a thing.

    Just bought this truck & the head/gasket was just fixed/replaced. Driver that was in it said that it would smoke like crazy after the fix. The seller said the co. decided to sell it rather than fix it even though he and others could not make it do what the driver said it was doing. Hubby drover it 90 mi. home with no issues...has started it numberous times with no issues until yesterday the smoke did finally appear as the driver had said it did. *learnign as I go LOL*
     
  5. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    no the sensor has nothing to do with hydro lock.the sensor takes readings (or pulses off the camgear)if you bottom it out on the gear your jaming the geartrain on the front of motor it could break off and do some real damage, you just mentioned they replaced the head gasket sounds like a droped liner to me. was it fixed before you bought it? if so sounds like a quick fix to get rid of a problem.
     
  6. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    Yes, was fixed before we bought it, but a while back and was still used until the driver started complaining, etc. After the fix the co. continued to use it as a working truck; so I'm assuming they intended to keep it & use it, but then it started doing the white smoke. Hubby on his way to peterbilt now to get new camshaft sensor to see if that changes anything. He actually bought it knowing he'd have to do work on it, as it was priced right with issue known.

    Tell me this. The sensor we removed had a black, plastic tip with magnet underneath the plastic tip. Upon removing it, we noticed the plactic tip has a chipped place....would this ake a difference in anything?
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2011
  7. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    yes it could. but if your putting out white smoke its not the sensor causing it. they probably didnt check the liner protrution when they did the headgasket. it will last for a while then blow out again or in your case hydro lock. you could let it sit for a couple of days and hope the water (antifereze) leaks off but you will notice a gain on your oil dipstick. or pressurize the ratiator and see if it leaks down.
     
    Pete379Cat Thanks this.
  8. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    The sensor was only tried due to his friend yesterday being able to make it smoke at certain times by messing with the foot-feed pedal & he thought perhaps during their previous repair of the headgasket and such in its location the sensor could have been bumped, etc. Articles I read about that says it happens quite often....but with the adjustable tips, which I don't believe ours to be now after taking it off this morning.

    At purchase we figured the liner would need seen too. He's checked the water level daily after purchase last week and there's been no change thus far in its level.

    I'll tell him all you've mentioned. I appreciate your replies greatly!!
     
  9. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    the reason i dont think its the sensor is that i had an e-model once did the samething smoked when you first started it ran fine but after awhile it started to miss and then wouldnt start one day cylinder filled up with water, hydrolocked.
     
    Pete379Cat Thanks this.
  10. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    Gotcha! I'll be sure to tell all this to him. Thanks again!!
     
  11. Pete379Cat

    Pete379Cat Bobtail Member

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    Well, he just installed the new sensor & it started right up. Now that it's running again he's hooking it up the the code thingie to run the injector shutdown test to check them.

    Thanks again for your help.
     
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