Hey all need some help troubleshooting my truck. 2002 7.3 powerstroke ran low on coolant when driving ... level was checked 3 weeks ago. pulled truck over when gauge went high. let cool and added new coolant and checked for leaks. all seamed good but engine oil level was above high line about a inch. drove truck home with no problem.
pressure checked coolant system . when building up pressure with coolant tester around 12-14psi could hear gurgling in engine like air moving threw it.
rechecked engine oil level and oil about 3 inches above high line.drained oil and pure coolant came out for the the first 3 seconds then oil
oil was not milky only black
I watched as pressure was still on system and the coolant keeps driping. question is where to check
Im thinking oil cooler , headgasket, engine frontcover, and can coolant get in oil from water pump?
oh yea left no pressure on system last night and coolant plastic tank is empty. and you know where it went. any help on what steps to take to determand the problem.
I didn't really notice if there was any oil in gasser tank (reservoir)because it was night time and on side of road and coolant was empty when my friend brought me some water to get me home
the tank looked clean not all milky. when I got home I drained the water out and it was brown kinda but it was water not antifreeze.I am confused but do know the coolant gasser tank will empty itself going streight to oil pan without truck running with or without pressure tester, and truck run fine
I want to know if it can get in oil around water pump seal any way.
I will take any help on this and check truck again tonight thanks rob
I don't think it would be a headgasket, or the oil cooler for that matter. A head gasket you would notice with a lot of white smoke out the exhaust. I am pretty sure that a leaky oil cooler puts oil into the coolant, not so much the other way around. Not positive on that, I just know that's how it was with mine. Maybe a bolt is missing from the water pump, allowing free flow into the pan where there is no oil pressure. Is there oil in the coolant as well? If there is not a very substantial amount, then the coolant is leaking somewhere where there is no oil pressure. Water pump and surrounding area might be a good place to start.
A study of the diagram for the cylinder head gaskets reveals some places that it could lose it's seal for the water jacket and dump it into the crankcase and not have any get into the combustion chamber.
A failed oil cooler will get oil in the coolant.
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Dan
1999 F550 4x4 ZF6 pulling a Cedar Creek 36RLTS. Lotta mods.
1999 VW Jetta TDI 5speed stick, all stock.
1996 Audi A4 Quattro. Unstoppable in the snow and ice. God and Dog
Thanks guys well here where I am, I drained the oil pan and refilled oil and water and went to bed this morning she was empty .
This 2002 7.3 powerstroke has water pump mounted on front aluminum engine cover and looking at the back side of a new pump there is no where for any leak to go but external. the big aluminum frontcover is the oil / water seal. I hope its not the frontcover . man I dont know what I hope, all I know I have to start somewhere. I can do the work but dont know how to determine where the work is. thanks again. my ears are open! Rob
Hmmm. I'm going to add a bad one - and sincerely hope this isn't it. Cavitation of the wet-sleeve can create pin-holes that can allow coolant to end up in the oil. Cavitation can occur in any wet-sleeve diesel engine, but Powerstrokes are kind of prone to it - KEEP YOUR SCA LEVELS WHERE THEY BELONG!
The standard test for cavitation is to pressurize a cylinder with air and see if the air ends up in the cooling system. I haven't done it, but I know that it involves removing the valve covers, glow plugs, valve train (to allow the test piston in the test cylinder to go to BDC so you can test the entire length of the cylinder wall). Using an adapter, attach pressurized air to the glow plug hole (I think) and pressurize. Again, I'm not sure of the details - if you decide to do this, you need to research the exact technique. I only know of it and have no experience with it.
After it is pressurized, you watch the radiator coolant level - you will NOT see bubbles, but the coolant will slowly be displaced by air enough to cause the coolant level to rise. Repeat for all cylinders to find out if you have any that have cavitated, and if so, which ones.
If it is cavitation, your engine (the bad cylinders, or all of them, if you are really thorough and worried about the rest of them) will need to be sleeved. I hope you find another source, as this will make head gaskets seem pretty cheap.
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'00 F250 4x4 StdC LB 7.3L auto
some mods, but never enough
It seems to me as though cavitation would not cause a large enough leak to drop the coolant so much-especially if it isn't pressurized. Does anyone know of an oring or similar seal somewhere where there is pressurized coolant but not pressurized oil? With such a sudden start and a major leak, it seems like something came apart and opened a fairly large hole.
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Dan
1999 F550 4x4 ZF6 pulling a Cedar Creek 36RLTS. Lotta mods.
1999 VW Jetta TDI 5speed stick, all stock.
1996 Audi A4 Quattro. Unstoppable in the snow and ice. God and Dog
my guess is the oil cooler. usually if the oil gets in the coolant (while engine is running) i would check the oil cooler because oil pressure is higher than coolant system pressure. but you say that when there is no oil pressure (engine not running) the coolant will move into the system and right into the oil pan.
there is a project at school, where the owner of this Ford tractor did not add his SCA's, and i found a hole in the bottom of the water jacket on cylinder 2-3, and we are having the welding class weld the block, but we have to end up getting a new one now because it won't stop leaking. when i tore it apart, there was about 1/4" of mayonnaise on EVERYTHING. coolant and oil make mayonnaise. have a FULL rebuild kit minus the crank, rods, and maybe the waterpump and head. every moving component is new.
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2002 F-350 Thats been nothing but a waste of time and alot of money!
The frontcover is not too bad of a job. Easier than headgaskets IMO.
It all but can't be the oil cooler. When the engine is running the oil pressure is well above the coolant pressure. A leak that bad would have completely filled the degas bottle with oil with the engine running.
Oh....and Welcome to FTE!!
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Scott - FTE moderator
His: 01 F-250 Lariat, 7.3, ZF-6, NV271. A few mods.
Hers: 98 Navigator, 5.4, AT, 4x4, Old.....but still a Lincoln ;-)
well removed injectors today to check for cracked injector cups and found none
with injectors removed and oil plug out , L filled coolant and it cravety fed to oil pan and i could here a whistle when putting rubber tube to my ear and to oil return holes and where pushrod come up.
it was loudest at the front oil drain ho.e in heads.
Its eather headgasket or frontcover but you just cant look inside and see anything
cant really drop oil pan to see where coolant is flowing from without raising engine off mounts because only one inch from crossmenber
I put pressure and deffently could here water spray at oil returns and air got to the leak it would whistle and his but its like listing in a cave but cant see. if you know what I mean
so that where I am. any idea which way to go now . my ears are still open. thanks again. rob
i think frontcover is a little easier of a job, but i would bet on the headgasket, though I guess there is no real way to know for sure. Neither job is very expensive, only time consuming if you do it yourself. Someone on here who knows more about these engines can probably help you more. Good Luck!
Well after debating what to do and talked to a ford tech rep. it turns out that the powerstrokes that came from factory with green antifreeze must be tested for the correct SCAs and kept at the correct level or cavation is taking place behind water pump pitting holes in frontcover.
and behold after removing water pump there it was . pitting the size of a penny.
and had one small pin hole just big enough to stick a sowing needle through.
Rep said if useing gold coolant from ford or some fleet type coolant the SCAs dont need to be checked . anyway if I can figure a way to link or post pic I will.
so now it off with $400.00 frontcover
remove fuel filter housing, hp oil pump, fan and rad. and everything else.
and raise engine off its mounts 4 inches to unbolt pickup tube from inside botton of frontcover.
forget removing oil pan with engine in truckjust clean everything real good and reseal when reinstalling
new cover , all new gaskets and water pump, new belt and Gold coolant. $700.00
my labor
and stll have to clean oil and fuel out cyls and put injectors back
thats life. I'll let you know when its finnished . thank you all ..... rob
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Coolant goes in oil pan when pressure testing
sorry for spelling didnt proofread before sending
leak found
