Just bought my truck about 6 weeks ago and went out today and looked in the radiator and found this...



Stuck my finger in it and it came out looking like this...



Hoping it's the gasket and not the head. It runs fine, doesn't over heat. Starts every time. Just makes me made that this happened.

 

What does the oil look like?
Have you ever checked the coolant before? If so was it bright green and all of a sudden brown?

 

When I pull the dip stick out the oil looks fine, same on the trans dip (nice transmission red), This is the first time I check the radiator (I know, I bought a truck with out checking it). I don't have a spot where I live to change oil so I'm hoping to take it to me inlaws this weekend and change the oil and do a coolant flush.

I did take the radiator cap off this morning and then started it and there wasn't a gusher of fluid coming out of it. there also wasn't any bubbles while it was running, but I really didn't let it run that long.

 

Somebody may have just run water in there for a while and it got sludged up. I would flush out the cooling system and change the oil. Look in the oil after you drain it and see what you see. You could even leave the drained oil for a few days and see if anything settles out, keep it in a dry protected place. I wouldn't rush to make a diagnosis at this point. It may be fine.

 

Thanks, that's the best think that some one told me today. I know I can find 302 heads all day long, I'm betting 351 heads I bet are harder to find.

 

Forgot to mention that it did smell like motor oil.

 

Well, I went out this morning to do a little more looking into this. I let the truck idle and warm up the Exhaust Manifold a bit and pulled the dip stick out and put some drops of oil on it and then it started bubbling up like water boiling off and had a hint of a sweet smell. The stuff in the radiator smells like oil. It's not looking good.

 

meh...its not all that bad. FYI 302 and 351 heads are identical (except head bolt chase size; if you find "302" heads youll need the head bolt chases drilled to 1/2").


best case scenario; youre in it for the cost of gaskets and bolts. worst case; youre in it for heads. either way, if you source the heads used its all dirt cheap.


Personally, I welcome scenarios like yours. gives me a reason to make the vehicle better.

 

Thanks for letting me know about the heads. I don't have a place or tools to do the gasket change and I don't think my father-in-law has time to help, that's the only thing I'm worried about.

 

if he will let you use his space and tools, plan on it being two weekends of work. I say two because the first weekend will be teardown, take heads to machine shop Monday, get them back mid-week, reassemble following weekend.

 

I agree with 89f2urd.

I'm always trying to bring worn stuff back from the dead, I always go for the underdog of the group whatever the repair is.

I would drain the radiator, pull t-stat, and flush the sucker really well!!! I've let the garden hose run for some time while the engine was just idling, just to be sure the sludge and trash was completely gone, and then went from there. Who knows, maybe someone without common sense poured in motor oil in the radiator and didn't know what they were doing!! The reason I say that is because I know someone who had a head gasket leak and his buddy said to put some Bars Leak stopper in or Blue Devil head gasket fiI can't remember which) and he poured it in the oil fill.. He said it only took about minute for the engine to completely seize up. He had no idea it was suppose to go in the radiator. He didn't know until I clarified for him what he did wrong. He never even read the directions on the bottle and went solely off of instinct. I felt awful for him and the engine as he did it years ago and I just happen to be the person to break the bad/honest news to him. Should have seen the look on his face..

Just an example of good intention = horrible result. Good advice turns into bad advice when common sense isn't so common anymore.

 

So what you're telling me is don't try to get by by using the Bars or the Blue Devil.

 

Alright, I talked to my Father-in-law and we decided to go ahead and do gaskets on it. Few questions.
1. What besides a Gasket set do I need to get? (I'm planning on getting This set.)
2. Is there any special tools, beside a torque wrench, that I need?

 

And you're sure the gaskets are leaking? Pulling the thermostat and running the hose through is free...

If you're tackling the job, you'll need intake, exhaust gaskets as well. New head bolts, exhaust bolts are a good idea, intake bolts too if they're crusty. Also need silicone for the intake in certain spots.

You'll need a good razor scraper to clean the block deck, an abrasive pad works good too. Vacuum out head bolt chases and coolant from the cylinders also. You'll need a couple cans of brake cleaner and some rags that don't shred or fall apart.

Things I'd do while I was at it: long tubes, gt40p's, and a cam.

No special tools besides torque wrench.

 

Well, check that, because that is free. But I do have oil in the water and water in the oil. The guy I bought the truck from was pretty mechanically inclined so I wouldn't expect him to do something as stupid as that. The think I have going for me is it still runs fine, and doesn't over heat at all. My father-in-law is a certified diesel mechanic a head mechanic where he works so he'll have the tools. I was planning on doing thermostat, all upper gaskets. I was looking online for my local parts places and none of them have head bolts even listed so I was hopeing they weren't stretch bolts.

As I'm currently not working and going through health problems I wont be doing anything like long tubes, gt40's, etc.