6.4L - Failed Lifters
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This has been a problem we see regularly in our shop and there are quite a few factors which play into the failure. o From all of the research we have done we can typically narrow lifter failure down to 3 things. Dilution of the oil, lack of maintenance & use of a good oil filter, and finally just pure bad luck.
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o Dilution of the oil can be looked at in 2 different ways. The first is that the truck hasn’t had its oil changed regularly and the second is in conjunction with the regen process. When the truck enters regen mode, injectors begin injecting fuel on the exhaust stroke of each cylinder. This fuel is then used to burn particles in the DPF filter. The issue is that not all of the diesel leaves the cylinder on the exhaust stroke and is then picked up by the oil ring of the piston at which point it enters into the oil system, thus diluting the oil. This begins to thin the oil out and doesn’t allow it to perform its necessary duties to keep the engine well lubricated.
o Lack of maintenance plays a very big factor in lifter failure. Many times we see cheap brands of filters installed on diesel pickups. These cheap filters do a bad job of picking up debris and don’t allow the oil pump to do its job correctly. Cheap oil filters often restrict the oil pump for reaching its desired oil pressure as well which can cause complete engine failure.