Hello all
Trying to figure out what it is now! I am in the middle of a major home repair and now my truck is acting up so I don't have the time with the repair on the home to fix the truck just take it to a shop, and that is a new experience never had anyone work on anything I've ever owned.
It's a early 2004 F-350 6.0 77259 miles it's stock the only mod is a recent EGR delete. The EGR was deleted about 3 weeks ago. Ill give a rundown of events.

Symptoms started suddenly, was blowing large cloud of white smoke and coolant missing out of degas tank, other than that it (no name for the truck at least not one you want to hear at this point so just "it" or "truck") was running fine. Figured it was the EGR cooler leak, so since I am in the middle of stripping my home to the studs to repair everything my home inspector missed, plumbing, electrical, structural, insulation & vapor barrier, I had it towed to a local repair shop to do the EGR delete. They had 3 other trucks in the shop at the same time for EGR deletes and said they get them in often with the EGR coolant leaks so they recommend the deletes to everyone with a EGR coolant leak.

I got the truck back, the shop dropped "it" off at home, no white smoke and no greasy hands since someone else did the work. I was looking forward to having oil cleaner for longer time periods.

I checked the truck over after getting it back from the shop and saw they forgot to add coolant after the EGR delete, so I had to add 1.25 gallons of coolant other than that all seamed fine until I went to start 'it" would not crank over had to give it a jump start, other that that no apparent problems.

I had to go to another town to get a 30 circuit breakers since none were available in town. So off on a 325 mile round trip thinking well I can check to see if the EGR delete helped with the fuel mileage. About half way through the return leg of the trip, and after a long hill coming up Turnigan Pass just over the top of the pass a large cloud of smoke pours out the exhaust, so I pullover and stop I am upset at this point just had someone work on my truck for the first time and I still have a problem.

I have no cell service so I can't call for a tow, I have my wife, 2 dogs and $2500.00 worth of circuit breakers and light fixtures and LED bulbs in the truck. So I let the truck cool off for a bit add coolant (i still had 3/4 a gallon with me) start "it" up and no smoke, I think OK that's not what I expected. Well I decide to continue on my way not wanting to leave the wife, dogs and everything sitting while I tried to get a ride to a area I could call for a tow.

Make it back home without any events or anymore smoke. I called the shop explained the issues, brought the truck back to the shop. They had the truck for a week trying to diagnose the problem, they spoke with Ford tech-support with the symptoms Ford suspected a high pressure fuel problem. The shop returned my truck stating to drive the truck let them know what issues I have and let them know if anything occurs. They drove the truck (trip o meeter showed they drove "it" 459 miles) and saw that it would not smoke for a long period of time then smoke for a bit then stop.

Saturday I go to home depot a 15 mile round trip no issues, was in the store for 45 minutes or so, go to leave home depot and the truck will not start has power but will not turn over. I wait a bit and try to start "it" and it starts as usual with the exception of a large cloud of smoke, but it's not white smoke this time. Other than that no issues, no power loss e.t.c. I start to head home to park the truck until I can get "it" back to the shop on Monday. By the time I am out of the parking lot and 50 yards down the road the smoke is gone. I get home and park the truck. I check the degas reservoir and it is low again. I am waiting until Monday to get it back in the shop.

With the symptoms and a EGR delete, it rules out a EGR cooler leak I would think. With the no crank and then smoke I am suspecting one of two things either an injector leak causing a temporary hydro-lock and the smoke, but with the missing coolant I am suspecting a head gasket leak causing a hydro-lock and the smoke. The missing coolant has not puked out of the degas reservoir.

The oil on the dip stick shows no oil contamination and their is no condensation or gray coloration on the dipstick or oil fill cap so it seems like no coolant is getting to the oil pan.

Am I on the right track. What can I do to rule out one or the other cause for "it's" symptoms. I just did not get a good feeling from the repair shop when they dropped it off and said let us know what happens.

Thanks for reading this long winded post and for any suggestions.

 

Not sure about the smoke. but since the shop did not add the proper amount of coolant, air pockets were most certainly left in the engine's coolant system and you will experience periodic, but diminishing, drops in coolant level for awhile. If I read your thread correctly, you have added coolant 2 or 3 times since the repair. If so, how much each time after the 1.25 gallons were added?

 

Thanks for your response

I have added a total of 2 gallons. Yes I tend to agree that air pockets could account for additional needed coolant, but the total capacity for the cooling system is 27.5 quarts. I've added 2 gallons and its low again, no coolant remaining in the degas reservoir after a 15 mile trip, that seems a little excessive to me even after accounting for air pockets.

 

Whats the smoke smell like? What kind of egr delete did the put on it? Or did they just weld the end? If they didn't add coolant they arent much of a shop and hard telling what they did wrong when working on it. Thats like someone changing oil and not putting oil back in it.

 

White smoke is usually Antifreeze, sometimes fuel. Black is fuel.

Worse case scenario it is head gaskets, best case it is a injector and air pockets in the cooling system.

Do you have a scangauge or other monitoring device?

 

unfortunately I don't have a way to monitor the system or read codes. The smoke is white. Not sure yet of what kit they put on it, I know they had to order it. I am leaning towards the head gasket. Taking it back to the shop tomorrow and going to have a good discussion about my thoughts vs theirs.

If it is the Head gasket I'll put in studs, so hopefully tomorrow I have the answers I need.
Thanks for everyone's input.

 

It's in the shop, Head gasket leak, ARP head studs going in, just going to hate to get the bill.

 

did they replace the oil cooler when they did the egr delete? thats usually why the egr goes bad..

 

no they did not but it's getting done now! spoke with the shop owner he apologized for the previous work, and is going to reduce labor charges for this work since in his words, "I should have done better"

This is a reliable shop in our area. Don't know why the previous work was not up to par but the shop is accepting responsibility for the error in judgement and going to show that by their action by reducing the repair bill. I cant argue with that, this day and age not many people will take responsibility when they error.

 

make sure the heads are checked for cracks and that they are flat. This may add some money to the cost of the job, but as an owner/operator that sees a lot of 6.0 work I wont do a stud/gasket install without it. This is a job that you only want to pay for once and hopefully the shop only wants to do once.

Good Luck and Im glad they stepped up. Its hard to admit that mistakes were made, but we're all human and it happens.

Sarge

 

They are sending them out to be magnafluxed


, like you said not a complete job without that.

 

Magna Fluxed, pressure tested, decked etc...the magna fluxing wont catch everything, and if they aren't flat forget about it you WILL be in there again.

Sarge

 

OK, going to call the shop today to check, thanks

 

I hate when the OP never posts up a end result

 

Last post was June of last year, the shop he uses didn't even top off the coolant after the first work done so maybe they just haven't finished the head studs/gaskets yet.