My LB7 committed suicide Friday night. We were hauling our camp trailer up the Big Horns. It's a 30 ft bumper pull, not very heavy, probably between 3500-4000 pounds I'm guessing. Truck pulls it with ease, hardly even notice it's back there.

I wasn't even to the steepest climbs yet. But going up a 8% grade about 6 miles long, trans was in 4th gear, converter locked, 2300 rpm, 55 mph, less than half throttle, 1100* EGT, nothing out of the ordinary. Fresh oil change 3 weeks before. Checked all fluid levels on my pre-trip before we left home, all okay.

Suddenly my coolant temps jumped into the red, pegged the gauge. Happened in seconds. Happened about 100 feet before a turnout for a campground. As I pulled into the turnout, my Check Oil Pressure warning came on too, and the oil pressure gauge dropped to 0 as I was braking & turning to get off the road. Engine stalled just as I barely got off the roadway. Immediately it spewed all of it's coolant from the overflow jug.

We let it cool down for several hours, and refilled it with water from the freshwater tank. About 4 1/2 gallons. Decided to try starting the engine. Turned the key, it fired right up, was knocking and then it died in a few seconds. Oil pressure gauge was around 20 psi. Tried starting one more time, and it cranked really slow, did not start. We decided to call it a night, and broke out the cribbage & beer.

Woke up Saturday morning & called Uncle Mike for help. Tow rope to move my truck out of the way, and we towed the trailer back home with his Dodge. Went to Uncle Patrick's place & borrowed his tilt bed equipment trailer, and went to retrieve my truck.

We weren't looking forward to loading it with a come-along, so I tried to start the engine. It fired right up & stayed running(knocking bad though). My wheels & tires are too wide to fit between the fenders. Turned the truck around & on the trailer it went. I think it was the heaviest load that Dodge had ever hooked onto. Slow going, but we got my truck back home. I'm going to start pulling the engine today.

Here is the shameful pic...

 

So I'm pretty sure that it popped a head gasket. And since it was loaded, going uphill at 20 psi boost, it superheated the coolant & oil. Damage was done very fast. It all happened in seconds, literally. Just lucky that it happened right at that turnout in the road.

Do any of you Wyoming members know of GOOD machine shops in NW Wyoming? I think there's a diesel shop in Worland, maybe somebody from there would know. Stock rebuild/repair or new longblock is most likely what will happen. I don't know if I would have any luck finding a good low mileage LB7...

But I do have a friend that owns a wrecking yard, so I will check anyways. What are my interchangeability options? Can I put my heads & everything else on a newer style shortblock? What are longblocks going for these days? Dealer only? Or are there other good builders out there?

 

Damn that sucks to see. When did you make the move to Wyoming?

 

We moved here last summer, left Alaska at the end of July.

 

There's a lot of diesel guys up in the Billings area... I can ask around if you want.

 

Sorry to hear bud , I wondered WTF the pic was you sent ,

I just hope it goes together easy and as least as expensive as it can .

Or call up Guy Tripp at SoCal diesel and get one of his forged strokers

 

man that sucks. Yeah i was wondering about the pic on my cell.

 

I got the text too and you didn't even send it to me.... Lol

 

Good idea on the stroker kit until i checked it out and its like 12k for the rotating assembly alone

 

No stroker motors here! Stock tuned is plenty enough for me!

Motivation level - very low....

Cleaned out the garage today & made some room for stacking parts. Drained the fluids, removed the charge pipes, shroud, fan clutch, etc. Staring at it now while I drink a beer. Osmosis isn't getting anything done, so.......

Guess I need to get back at it.