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Wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. I have a 99 Chevy 4500 box truck with isuzu diesel motor. Workers were driving down interstate last week and water pump hose blew. They told me it not get hot and pulled off the road within 100 yards of realizing there was a problem. Well I showed up put new hose back on filled it back up with antifreeze and water and cranked it. It was smoking bad and vibrating like hell. Just to get it off the interstate to have a safer place to look at it we limped it about 1/2 mile to nearest place we could safely get and by this time it had quit smoking and seemed like was running halfway normal. I decided to try to take it easy and try to get it back to shop to take a better look. Couple miles down the road is when bad knocking started. Immediately pulled off the road had it towed back to shop and here it still sits so I need some advice. Didn't want to just take it to just any mechanic without having a little knowledge of what is possibly going on. Sound like a $1000 fix or more like $5000 fix? Any suggestions or advice is appreciated! Thanks

Sounds like a cylinder head gasket problem, if the glow plugs are installed directly into the cylinders then you can do a compression test fairly easily, but this is a lawn mower forum.

summitlawn98 said:

Wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. I have a 99 Chevy 4500 box truck with isuzu diesel motor. Workers were driving down interstate last week and water pump hose blew. They told me it not get hot and pulled off the road within 100 yards of realizing there was a problem. Well I showed up put new hose back on filled it back up with antifreeze and water and cranked it. It was smoking bad and vibrating like hell. Just to get it off the interstate to have a safer place to look at it we limped it about 1/2 mile to nearest place we could safely get and by this time it had quit smoking and seemed like was running halfway normal. I decided to try to take it easy and try to get it back to shop to take a better look. Couple miles down the road is when bad knocking started. Immediately pulled off the road had it towed back to shop and here it still sits so I need some advice. Didn't want to just take it to just any mechanic without having a little knowledge of what is possibly going on. Sound like a $1000 fix or more like $5000 fix? Any suggestions or advice is appreciated! Thanks

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And this is what brand mower?

Anyways your workers and YOU blew a head gasket running down the road with no water in the engine. Water went in and mixed with the oil then you drove it and spun a rod bearing.
So get you check book out
Easy $5000

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

Now if it was just a hose to the water pump and the truck was stopped when it happen why could it blow a head gasket? I would say it was overheated?

reynoldston said:

Now if it was just a hose to the water pump and the truck was stopped when it happen why could it blow a head gasket? I would say it was overheated?

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I hear what your saying but the hose broke and all the water left the engine and the temp never went up because there was no water touching the sending unit.

He fixed the hose and it smoked when he started it. Could be water in a cylinder. The smoke went away then it started making a lot if noise.

Unless I read it wrong

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

it did get hot right? probably warped the heads.

either the overheating itself, or possibly coolant mixing with the oil has likely led to a bad bearing. possibly compromised other bearing surfaces too.

maybe try to get a used engine in there.

Carscw said:

And this is what brand mower?

Anyways your workers and YOU blew a head gasket running down the road with no water in the engine. Water went in and mixed with the oil then you drove it and spun a rod bearing.
So get you check book out
Easy $5000

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

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its in the front porch section I agree sounds like a bearing and with a diesel engine easy 5000 assuming you can find some cheap labor

Supposedly never over heated and yes I realize this is a lawn mower forum. I was just asking no big deal. When I replaced the water pump hose like I said I filled it back up with water and antifreeze. I appreciate the non sarcastic comments lol I know it is bad just asked for little knowledge in case someone else has run into something like this since there are a lot of commercial mowing guys on here that may have box trucks as well. No biggie having towed to mechanic tomorrow it's just the cost of doing business. Thanks to the guys that were offering good advice I appreciate it

summitlawn98 said:

Supposedly never over heated and yes I realize this is a lawn mower forum. I was just asking no big deal. When I replaced the water pump hose like I said I filled it back up with water and antifreeze. I appreciate the non sarcastic comments lol I know it is bad just asked for little knowledge in case someone else has run into something like this since there are a lot of commercial mowing guys on here that may have box trucks as well. No biggie having towed to mechanic tomorrow it's just the cost of doing business. Thanks to the guys that were offering good advice I appreciate it

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When it was smoking was it white smoke?

How did the driver know something was wrong?

Did it start running bad?

Just by what your first post said it sure does sound like they could have ran it hot.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

I suspect that maybe water got sucked in somehow while it overheated. Water cannot be compressed resulting in a bent rod then rod knock. You could do a compression test to check compression in each cylinder. The difference in between cylinders should be maximum 15.

You have a few options according to me:

1. Rebuild the motor
2. Used motor
3. A new truck

Yes white smoke

Thanks lawn boy will check out compression see what it reads

summitlawn98 said:

Thanks lawn boy will check out compression see what it reads

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Welcome to the Forum. Sorry about your engine. Be sure and let us know how it works out.
If there is anything else you need help with be sure and post it now that your a registered user. There are a lot of helpful, knowledgeable people here.


We have our share of boneheads too. :laughing: :thumbsup:

summitlawn98 said:

Thanks lawn boy will check out compression see what it reads

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No problem! Let me know what are the numbers! Don't hesitate contacting me if you have any other questions. Just don't drive the truck! Things will get worse!

Also, could you let me know what kind of color is the oil on the dipstick, the level of the oil and the smell and color of the antifreeze. Give me those three answers and I can help you a little more.

I've worked on a few diesels over the years. One thing you've got to watch very closely is having enough and keeping enough water in a diesel. With those heads running HOT, the water is CRITICAL on keeping it cool. Those fuel injectors are basically Flame Throwers!! Like someone said, they suspect something else besides a busted water hose. Had it been a water hose ONLY issue, and they stopped IMMEDIATELY, not 1 mile down the road or further, then replacing the hose would be the repair and top off with antifreeze/water. Running a diesel HOT and without WATER going to the head will result in warped head or blown head gasket. Diesel heads can not be shaved due to high compression ratios being changed. In other words shave the head and you get "Detonation" rather than "Combustion". That knocking could be either a blown head gasket letting water into the combustion chamber, or a rod knocking on the low end and possible spun bearing as someone mentioned earlier. I might do an oil analysis. That will show lots of information before you start tearing into it. A visual inspection of the oil is a good start. You could drain all the oil and inspect the rod caps to see if any are spun or damaged. Also I would run a compression test with a "High Compression Gauge"...NOT the regular automotive type because those levels of compression in a diesel get into the HIGH range and will blow a regular gauge apart, or ruin it. You're looking at pressures upwards of around 500 to 1,000 psi or more possibly, depending on the engines. Usually the most expensive repairs on diesels are #1) the fuel injection pump 2) turbine / blower 3) engine mechanical failures...piston...rings...rods..etc. Hopefully you didn't do much damage. Let us know after inspection and testing. Good Luck!