603 Engine noise 350SD Head on 300D block rod bender rebuild
 

Finished a rod bender 603 rebuild with an '87 300D block & 140 350SD head.

Engine runs fine & drives great but is very noisy. It sounds like injectors nailing, but these are known good injectors

I know the early & late injectors are set to open and different pressures, could that be it? Timing issues?

Any tips?

The injectors which are not shimmed to pop at the same pressure across all cylinders indeed I wager is causing the excess noise, think about it-Some injectors are firing at different times than others, in essence some are advanced and some are retarded timing wise. Shim all the injectors to pop at the right pressure equally across all cylinders. Look for Diesel911 and CSeanWatts to comment here. They're the injection/ injection timing experts :D

There is a possibility of ticking hydraulic valve lifters. A common fix is to try synthetic oil, or simply replace the noisy lifters.

After head R&R, I endured an arduous process of isolating air infiltration represented by noisy injectors, nailing and rough starts. Finally found out it was a cracked secondary filter housing. Do a search of my posts or check the DIY section of the forum for this very lengthy thread. Air ingress can be a formidable malady to prosecute.

In order to rule out the injectors
 

(Since you say you know they are good.) Do the loosen then tighten the hard line-to-injector nut ONE AT A TIME while the engine is running. If you notice no difference, besides missing a cylinder, you confirm which one might be good or bad. BUT this isn't a substitute for a pop test.

I am also leaning toward lifters...Check this thread and go down to post #11
then open that PDF file, it's the FSM lifter test for OM60X (those of us with hydraulics.)

CLICK HERE

Geoff,

Did you end up having to get a new head?

No, although from the pictures, the head looks brand new. The filter housing connects to the head with 2 long bolts. I just swapped it out with a filter holder from a 603 at the junkyard. Ended up replacing and rebuilding every fuel supply part all the way to the injector pump inlet only to find a six dollar solution. :D

Sorry
 

I meant to ask filter housing, not head. BUT that is a good cheap fix.