Just did HG with all the goodies and still loosing coolant : ( (1 Viewer)

[fj40z]

Little backstory first, so I picked up a locked 97 CE this past August. 214,00 at time of purchase, pretty clean all over including motor. The head looked exceptionally clean, to the point you knew it had been off not long ago. Drove it back from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and it runs flawlessly. Slowly start to baseline things and use it as my DD. After a few months I notice that I'm loosing coolant and find a small leak in the radiator which I promptly replace with a new OEM. Continue daily driving for another month or so and then I notice the snot under the oil cap along with the coolant being low in the reservoir again. So I change the oil (which was really clear and clean) and send a sample to Blackstone. Sure enough coolant in the oil.

 

[fj40z]

So I order the head gasket kit and all the "while you're in there stuff" and with the help of @jfz80 and @Rice start the tear down process

 

[bugsnbikes]

cracked head? rear heater coolant lines above exhaust are very prone to leak right onto exhaust and show no visible signs on ground. many people delete this at the firewall and remove rear heater altogether.

 

[fj40z]

Send the head off for a pressure test and full rebuild. Pressure test comes back fine. Block and cylinder walls all look fine as well.

 

[jfz80]

Rear heater was bypassed

Head was hydrofluxed before rebuild

Only gaskets that were not used/replaced were the 6 sealing rings around the plug tubes that protrude up through the head

 

[fj40z]

Never really found an obvious spot where the head gasket blew but it did look suspect in a couple of places. So the work continues. We replac d the water pump, did the oil cooler gaskets and inspected it. Everything looked fine with the cooler. New thermostat, rebuild the injectors, clean upper and lower intake and all the usual accouterments. Time to put it all back together.

 

[ERNRAM]

Does this have an oil cooler that uses radiator fluid ?

 

[ERNRAM]

Does this have an oil cooler that uses radiator fluid ?

You were one step ahead of me

 

[jfz80]

Yes the oil cooler has access to the water jacket. Was removed and visually inspected. All looked good to eyeball inspection. New copper washers before reinstall.

 

[fj40z]

Everything goes back together extraordinarily well. No snags in any way. Hook the battery back up for start up and with a turn of the key she's purring like a kitten. My p0401 light goes away, truck feels crisp and running smooth as silk. So I'm extremely happy for a week when I notice this. Along with my coolant being low in the reservoir again.

 

[fj40z]

So far I have checked for external leaks with UV dye, checked for hydrocarbons in the radiator and both showed nothing. I have burped the system and did get some bubbles but I am still loosing coolant. I am really worried that I might have a cracked water jacket in the block somewhere. The truck runs fantastic and the goopy oil cap wouldn't bother me so bad if I wasn't loosing coolant. Really looking for some input before I have to do something drastic. Thanks in advance.

 

[MrMoMo]

Motor mayo (the gunk in the cap) is somewhat normal. It's moisture that is condensing there.

Is it possible that the overflow jug level is just naturally going down as you purge little bubbles out of the system?

 

[fj40z]

cracked head? rear heater coolant lines above exhaust are very prone to leak right onto exhaust and show no visible signs on ground. many people delete this at the firewall and remove rear heater altogether.

Good call on the rear heater as it was doing this before we did the work. We bypassed the rear heater while we were in there.

 

[LINUS]

How much coolant are you using?

Based on your oilcap it would seem like it's going in the crankcase, but this time of year, do you guys get condensation in the oil?

Can you run the motor long enough to ever burn any condensation, or is coolant missing so fast this isn't possible?

Any chance it's going out the tailpipe (do you smell,see it?)

 

[fj40z]

Motor mayo (the gunk in the cap) is somewhat normal. It's moisture that is condensing there.

Is it possible that the overflow jug level is just naturally going down as you purge little bubbles out of the system?

Possible, but I have probably put close to half a gallon in since startup. I used a burping funnel Thursday and after about 20 minutes of running and a few bubbles I didn't get any more. Checked it this morning and it was down about an inch below the full mark in the reservoir.

 

[bugsnbikes]

depending on the oil and additives/ a fresh oil change will ellicit similar goop. id wipe the cap- top off coolant and see if the level holds (assuming its fully burped itself now.)

id run it a few days and give it a few fully heatsoaked to cool down cycles and reinspect coolant bottle level. If its waaayy off again...id drain oil and look for coolant/water slick on top.

 

[MrMoMo]

Possible, but I have probably put close to half a gallon in since startup. I used a burping funnel Thursday and after about 20 minutes of running and a few bubbles I didn't get any more. Checked it this morning and it was down about an inch below the full mark in the reservoir.

Just me (who blew a head gasket yesterday) but an inch down in a tank that small could be bubbles trapped in the heater core.

I wouldn't sweat it yet.

 

[fj40z]

How much coolant are you using?

Based on your oilcap it would seem like it's going in the crankcase, but this time of year, do you guys get condensation in the oil?

Can you run the motor long enough to ever burn any condensation, or is coolant missing so fast this isn't possible?

Any chance it's going out the tailpipe (do you smell,see it?)

I DD the 80 and I drive about 30 miles to work and 30 back home. I feel like that should be getting it hot enough to burn it off.

After the truck is up to operating temp I don't see anything out of the tailpipe. Sometimes it does smell a little sweet like coolant but not really any different than the 2 other 80's I've owned with no he issues.

 

[fj40z]

Just me (who blew a head gasket yesterday) but an inch down in a tank that small could be bubbles trapped in the heater core.

I wouldn't sweat it yet.

First time I noticed it the reservoir was dry and the radiator was low. The tubes were still covered but just barely. So I filled them both up then and have added to the reservoir at least 5-6 times but it has not been totally since the first time.

 

[bugsnbikes]

how straight was the head? did they have to mill it for flatness?