On my annual trip from Cleveland OH to Dallas TX. Truck ran pretty well, temps were running over 200 but the oil never went over 227. Outside temps were pretty hot 80 to 90's so I figured that the temps were OK. My wife tells me that when the AC is on and we stop or the truck just idles that there is a bad smell coming in the truck. I can't smell it. She can't pinpoint exactly what it smell like, I tried antifreeze, oil, battery acid, exhaust and fuel. Maybe my descriptions are bad but she said it smells like permanent marker.

So, once in the campground, I pop the hood to take a look around. I found the degas bottle full to the top. When I left Ohio it was at the min line. What's more worrisome is this:



Shouldn't the degas cap be sitting level? Mines not. When I took the cap off, it wouldn't go back on all the way. If you remember a while back I had the same problem, the cap wouldn't go all the way on. I had to replace the tank. I got lucky this time, I had a new cap with me and it went on all the way.

Any ideas? I'm wondering if it's the AC system doing this. Any recommendations for a good mechanic in the Dallas area?

Thanks

Fred

 

Repair the cause of the coolant degas bottle distorting in the first place .....

 

Looks swole up like a dog tick to me, not sure why its doing it though. Sorry.

 

Do you by chance have fuel in the coolant?

 

This has happened twice? The plastic must be reacting to something.

 

I certainly want to but need a clue as to why this is happening and where to begin. The truck isn't putting out any white smoke, pulls like a freight train and according to the unreliable MPG dash gauge it says it's getting 15 MPG. Hand calculated is a bit higher. This isn't towing, unloaded.

 

Until I drain some I can't say for sure but getting my nose up to it I don't smell any. I'll post a pic of what I pull out, don't know when that will be do to our schedule. I want to get this done but have to get a few things to make it as clean a process as possible. Don't want to upset the campground managers.

If it is fuel, where would it be coming from?

Thanks

Fred

 

Well, it stands to reason that if it's swelling and deforming like that, chances are pretty it's overpressurizing. When you drive it under a load, are you hearing a "tea kettle whistle"? If the answer is yes, you likely have head bolts stretched causing the cooling system to pressurize with cylinder pressure leaks. To verify this, will require teeing in a pressure gauge to monitor it under the condition described. To swell up like that, you have to be pushing well over the 16 psi degas cap rating.

 

Yep twice. The first time the neck didn't do this bend, it just swelled up to the point where the old or a new cap wouldn't go on correctly. Only fix was to replace the tank which it appears I have to do again. I'm going to get another tank but try to make it home as it is. If it blows I'l have a spare to fix it and get me back on the road.

 

That's what missing also, no tea kettle whistle, no overflow and no white residue anywhere around the cap. Also, I replaced the cap with a new one that I carry as a spare and the smell has practically vanished. If I'm over the 16 PSI rating of the cap, shouldn't it have let loose something?

Thanks

Fred

 

That's what missing also, no tea kettle whistle, no overflow and no white residue anywhere around the cap. Also, I replaced the cap with a new one that I carry as a spare and the smell has practically vanished. If I'm over the 16 PSI rating of the cap, shouldn't it have let loose something?

Thanks

Fred

 

Splice a Pressure gauge into the Small Lines to the Degass Bottle


WOnder if its Fuel to Brett

Is it Full to the TOP of Coolant Bottle each time this happens?????

 

Does it matter which line? What kind of gauge do I get?

 

I don't know if it matters what line get Hooked into with a Tee Fitting and a 30psi "Air" Gauge


Your Going to Have to Drain down the coolant till its at a Good Leval

 

Coolant level rising, cap deformed and weird smell all point to fuel in the coolant from a cracked head.