Have a 2007 case cx 330 (same machine as link-belt) with an Isuzu 7.8L ( 6HK1X ) that has a heavy ticking sound from #1 or # 2 cylinder. At idle it is very faint but once off idle it gets somewhat louder and follows engine rpm. It also grows as engine warms up. I have a hard time believing it’s a rod because the tone never changes even under heavy load and it’s not that hard knock of a rod. Since it’s a new machine to us and I have no real service history I decided to go ahead and run the overhead and replaced a questionable #1 injector. I do have a funny vibration from #3 injecter line that I need to follow up on. I have pulled and checked all belts for slapping, pulled radiator shrouds and anything else that could contact just to eliminate and have yet to find it. If it was in my shop I would have already pulled the head and pan for an inspection but it’s in the field. Anyone with any experience with these. Any input is much appreciated.
It's somewhere around that time frame that I ran into the Link-Belts with electronic fuel controls giving all kinds of issue like you describe. The ones I saw had one or two cylinders running hot. The engines didn't sound right so I check the exhaust manifolds with an infrared thermometer. Two cylinders were running more than 300 degrees warmer than the rest. I figured the the injectors might have been replaced without matching them to the software. I never found out what the outcome was as I was looking at the machines for trade ins. I did found out that both the Link-Belt and Case dealers wouldn't pay for the software for the engines. Left that up to the Isuzu engine dealer in Portland.