92 3FE Internal Coolant Leak

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hvymtlfan

hvymtlfan

Joined
Jan 16, 2006
Threads
9
Messages
46
Location
NE Ia.
Hve a low mi. (98,000mi.) 92 w/ the 3FE (FI) that had every simptom of a HG, being biggest "milkshake" oil and water litterly
running out exhaust (not your condensation, mass water I could float my canoe on - well, you get the just).

Finally breaking down and getting done. Have pulled Head to find NO issue, warped to see gaps yet still within speck (big speck), yet looks very clean on the top end (as should for miles) Having head going to get flux'ed to ensure not cracked, since external leaking was never issue.

Now worried may have a BLOCK issue? Anyone care to play dart's on 3FE internal source for what would "resemble" a blown HG, yet
not. Or where the block could have issue? No freeze plug issue.
Going to shop and get some photos while head is off.

Litterly put about 800 miles on this 18 months ago, then started to notice the excess water from exhaust (winter months). Then, spouse had out and the water pump/gasket just blew out.
Fill up radiator, just poured out pump. That instance, and the milkshake oil, researched the threads for months all pointing to an internal HG issue. Tried to sell, yet no interest in a broke L.C.

Cruiser very clean, low mi., No mod's, and full Toy. Dealer records.
has newer radiator and comments that followed:
12/15/03 79,491
New Radiator, and complete Cooling system flush
(some dealer concern at this time, that veh. Overheated and while “no signs of bad headgasket, may have caused damage from overheating but OK at this time of repair”)

Scan my few post's, you'll see the maint. history when I was looking to sell. Just decided to keep, and get this done, yet now stuck. Can't see how prev. owner could have let coolant go and cause any freeze. Checked the antifreeze when purch., yet it never leaked "antifreeze" out the exhaust, it was water (black/brown) mixed from the exhaust residue. It would just drip from muffler as well.

So litterly changed the OIL, and it's sat till now. Have at repair shop / good exp., yet looking at my BEST resource....IH8 MUD.
More like, IH8 this Gray one and should have kept the White one.

Would really appreciate any idea's.
 
You might want to talk to Logan (alkaline747trio). His 3FE blew a HG some time ago...
 
Thanks, pending Machine Shop review

Appreciate !!
Maybe jumping gun, yet always assume the worse.
SOOooo many sources and 3FE topics, yet with no sign
of HG blown, one can only wait and pray just the head.

Looks like the 3FE heads like to crack in either the:
-water passage (other's report "no" HG failure).
-intake valve seat to edge of combustion chamber
- ??
-(and I'm sure there's other's).

Not going to break down and :crybaby: till we get flux, and
just keep LURKING for info.
Hate to hash out the same thing !! Ton's of info, it's here
"SOMEWHERE". If I can just get to :steer: this as much as I
lurk around for info., I'd be in HOMER, AK by now.

Name that rif:
"Feed me more lines, I will try, to tell you all I can"

Thanks again,
 
Could be as simple as an oil cooler leak/oil cooler seal failure that is getting coolant into the oil...If it is it can easily be bypassed temporarily until you replace the cooler...It is relatively common, happened on one of my 60's.
 
I had a cracked 3FE head. This is not unheard of for the 3FE. Cracked head does not necessarily mean external leak. In my case it was internal (in a water passage). It showed all signs of being a blown head gasket except that there wasn't the typical low compression in two adjacent cylinders symptom. Head gasket was OK when we pulled the head. You should magneflux or pressure test the head to make sure it is solid (can't tell if you've done that yet but if you haven't you should).
 
jonheld said:
If it was an oil cooler leak you wouldn't be seeing water out the exhaust. I suspect VERY bad HG; cracked head; cracked block.
Click to expand...

10-4. Did not see the canoe floating amount of water deal in his post...To get that much water it is likely a cracked block/head...
 
[offtopic]

My buddy just blew a HG on his 85 Toy rockcrawler. Possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen: He cranked it over (the guy is clueless), truck started, and about a gallon of water shot a good SIX FEET out of the tailpipe before the motor immediately seized.

:lol::lol::lol:

[/offtopic]
 
Did you do a compression test before you pulled the head? It would have been good to know how the cylinders compared to one another.

When you pulled off the valve cover, did you see white foamy froth inside, indicating water in your oil?

Do the tops on all of the pistons look similar, or is one a different color and much cleaner than the others?

Have you looked carefully with a bright light at each of the cylinder walls for signs of cracks?

Used 3FE heads are pretty easy to come by, so don't worry too much if yours checks out bad.
 
Appreciate Info/Ideas

TrickyT-
Why I never comp. tested?? Crossed mind for months, yet stupid on my part. Given 98,000mi and all the solid maint. history, just pointed to "that heads got to come off eitherway...". Have finally pulled, and riding the experience of "Moby's" water passage issue. Seams to be a general fault on at least a min. # of 3FE's & seams to have ALL the same issues, no problem w/ HG and yet the water in exhaust and solid milkshake oil.

Should run a production / fault rate, maybe a certain casting run had issues? Mines Feb. 02 on the Veh.'s VIN.

No white foamy froth, and all cyl.'s looks equal. Don't pick on me for the Fram filter, thought it better to get that bad oil out and not damage ring's till repair. Should hear anyday on the Flux, so waiting to pull trigger on searching for 3FE Head, as they say -- I pray at this point it "IS" a cracked head.

Took Valve cover in today for sandblast, and looking at getting cover powdered. (sanding's costing 3 times more).
If I stick with Black, I can get it done for $15, so looking at a basic HIGH Gloss Black. Thought would blend in nice and just clean it up. Rather have some "Color", yet if I can throw into a product run, the cost comes cheap.

I guess the only positive was comment that the cyl. walls still show great details in the "honing/hoaning" (spell, ??) lines from orig. mfgr. bore. At this point, it's the only "bright light" on project. Dropped a couple pic.'s w/o head. At this point, pending flux and writing up a "WTB 3FE HEAD, ASAP !!!"

Thanks all, and till this roll's again ......
98K-3FE.webp
Ts3FE-Block.webp
 
Looks like my 3fe. I had the head crack from the valve to the edge of combustion chamber like the previous post said. Got a new (used) head off this site. Still waiting to be put back together.
 
Ended with 11thsds off on head

Well,

Just to close the story, sorta. Flux came back clean, yet was 11 off true. Had it milled down 20, and back on road. In my case, this ended up being prev. owner's overheating caused head to warp enough. Just picked up enough gap to cause symptom's.

So, rolling on 500 more miles, and life "seams" good, HOWEVER--
I'm getting what looks to be OIL mixed in with the exhaust. Tonight, enough to make me go ???. Standard Oil check looks mint from change. was going to change within 800 just to get any remaining water out. Just has these small spots of oil in exhaust moisture. The underside is LEAK free. Sat for over 18 months, no drips.

Could be just burning off from head work and H.G. replacement, yet ?. I'll try to get a pic. for some reference.

Later,,,,
 
Siberia said:
Hello!

At me the same problem. How I have understood have replaced a block head? Prompt, where there were cracks? At us such engine a rarity, I will repair a head.
Click to expand...

Welcome.

Can you tell us more about your problem? Losing coolant through the exhaust? Or something else?

Is the head still on the engine, or have you already taken the engine apart?

Curtis
 
At first there was a lot of water in exhaust gases. Dripped from a tube especially at warming up of 30-70 milliliters. The coolant left 1 liter on 1000 kilometers. Oil in the engine was pure. 3 days ago went on a line, has noticed that the heat-carrier a little, has added 3 liters, has passed 50 kilometers again has added 3 liters. Has looked at oil in the engine, there a cocktail. Has returned on the wrecker. Has removed a head from the engine, I can not find the reason. Cracks hasn't found. A layer pad under a head without jambs. Help with reason search.
I think there can be a problem in an oil cooler then why there was a water in exhaust gases. And if a problem in a head, where a crack...

Excuse for errors, I write through the translator.
 
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