One of my oil customers made a huge mistake. He had a leaky radiator on his '08 cab/chassis that he's mounted a feed wagon on. His truck was built in 4/07. Not sure when he bought it, but he's had it most that long. I didn't check engine hours but he only has a little over 15,000 miles on the clock.

1. I doubt the 6.4 is built for chore truck duty.

2. I would not even try to fix a radiator on one of these with stopleak, but he did.

3. Unfortunately, he either knew enough about what he was doing or else he wasn't paying attention and he dumped the stopleak in the hydraulic reservoir for the steering and brakes.

4. He then did chores for a week before taking the truck to a mechanic w/no power assist to either the steering or brakes. He did try (somehow) to flush the system, but the fluid still looks like chocolate milk.

As I left the mechanic's (who also is my customer) shop on Wednesday evening, he had the pump off and flushed and wasn't sure where to go from there.

My question then: What do you suppose this unfortunate mistake has done to his truck and what do you think it will take to fix it?

 

new pump and resivor for sure...maybe the hydroboost too. Not the first time that has happened since that resevoir is right there..and the degas is on the fender.

 

Ouch.

Brakes AND power steering?

Flush, flush, flush. Needs to be back flushed from all points to try and push stuff stop leak back out. Might need to rebuild calipers, new pumps.

 

wouldn't see why the calipers would have anything to do with it. The brake master has its own reservoir.

 

*Might*

Just depends how far the stop leak traveled.

 

Well at any rate, once the parts we know are replaced it will have to be bleed. That will tell all.

I also wonder if the stop leak would ruin the rubber in the brake lines?

 

The power steering/hydro boost system is for power assist, It would not do anything to the brake system. Two completely different closed systems .

 

Impossible. The power "X" hydraulic fluid that powers the steering boost as well as the brake boost, and the brake fluid are entirely separate. It is possible that the brake hydroboost unit and power steering unit could be damaged as well as the hydraulic pump.

 

what bubbasz1, wp6529 and I already said: There is no way in creation for boost fluid to get into the brake system itself. Brake lines and calipers are safe from this catastrophe!

 

Just checked in with mechanic. This repair took a new pump, new steering gear and new hydraboost. He also put a new radiator in for the fellow.