Coolant contaminated
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 812
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From: Northwest Florida
Coolant contaminated
Searched and hunted without success, I'm afraid of what the answer is going to be, but here goes:
For about the last year or two, I had an occasional white exhaust smoke issue with no power at all 'till the smoke clears after cold start, usually after she sat idle for a few days. Now it's every cold start. In addition, I discovered my coolant is contaminated with a brown, kinda foamy looking stuff. The degas bottle has started leaking at the top seam, but never goes low. Coolant flush done per Guzzle's method 'bout 4-5 years ago. Oil appears normal on the dipstick, and oil level hasn't gone down. I can't tell by the smell what's in the coolant, but fear it may be fuel since oil level is good.
I just siphoned a quart of coolant from the degas bottle into a glass jar. The "foamy" part of it floats on top of the rest. Smells like paint???? Must be fuel. Engine is original with 128,000 miles. Until I ran out a couple tanks ago I was adding Opti Lube fuel additive.
Can anybody lead me in the right direction as to how to proceed next?
Thanks in advance.
For about the last year or two, I had an occasional white exhaust smoke issue with no power at all 'till the smoke clears after cold start, usually after she sat idle for a few days. Now it's every cold start. In addition, I discovered my coolant is contaminated with a brown, kinda foamy looking stuff. The degas bottle has started leaking at the top seam, but never goes low. Coolant flush done per Guzzle's method 'bout 4-5 years ago. Oil appears normal on the dipstick, and oil level hasn't gone down. I can't tell by the smell what's in the coolant, but fear it may be fuel since oil level is good.
I just siphoned a quart of coolant from the degas bottle into a glass jar. The "foamy" part of it floats on top of the rest. Smells like paint???? Must be fuel. Engine is original with 128,000 miles. Until I ran out a couple tanks ago I was adding Opti Lube fuel additive.
Can anybody lead me in the right direction as to how to proceed next?
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by bunklash; Jan 13, 2014 at 11:54 AM. Reason: More info
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Isanti, MN
I've never used one, but here's where I would start:
That will check for combustion gasses in your cooling system. If that comes up positive then you have problems. Would you like me to send this one down to the 7.3L forum?
That will check for combustion gasses in your cooling system. If that comes up positive then you have problems. Would you like me to send this one down to the 7.3L forum?
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Northwest Florida
Moderator, by all means move this post if you think it will help. Thanks!
Please tell me how combustion gasses can get into the coolant.
Would combustion gasses cause the coolant to continuously "expand" and leak out through the leaky degas seam? Seems to me it would have to be a liquid to make it leak without the fluid level dropping.
Please tell me how combustion gasses can get into the coolant.
Would combustion gasses cause the coolant to continuously "expand" and leak out through the leaky degas seam? Seems to me it would have to be a liquid to make it leak without the fluid level dropping.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
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From: Puget Sound
{cracking knuckles}
Gasses in the degas... AKA exhaust.
For me, this was a matter of a loose injector. The copper washer wasn't sealing, and the combustion pressure stressed the injector cup, causing it to fail (crack) below the fuel O-ring on the injector. Combustion gasses then leaked into the coolant, but the crack was small enough to not leak coolant back into the cylinder when sitting... at least I was lucky there.
Fluid leaks into the coolant always settle on top of the degas. Fuel is a rainbow-ish look with the smell of fuel, oil lines the edge of the degas (if not enough to completely cover the coolant), but is black polka dots when both are present.
Here is a sample with both fluids in there:
If your degass bottle is leaking, it won't build pressure... and that's not so good either. Without building pressure, your coolant will overheat and boil over, then I'm at a loss as to what the coolant would look or smell like when fused with foreign fluids or foul fumes (or not).
Gasses in the degas... AKA exhaust.
For me, this was a matter of a loose injector. The copper washer wasn't sealing, and the combustion pressure stressed the injector cup, causing it to fail (crack) below the fuel O-ring on the injector. Combustion gasses then leaked into the coolant, but the crack was small enough to not leak coolant back into the cylinder when sitting... at least I was lucky there.
Fluid leaks into the coolant always settle on top of the degas. Fuel is a rainbow-ish look with the smell of fuel, oil lines the edge of the degas (if not enough to completely cover the coolant), but is black polka dots when both are present.
Here is a sample with both fluids in there:
If your degass bottle is leaking, it won't build pressure... and that's not so good either. Without building pressure, your coolant will overheat and boil over, then I'm at a loss as to what the coolant would look or smell like when fused with foreign fluids or foul fumes (or not).
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Northwest Florida
Thank you much Tugly, I was hoping to hear from you. So far all evidence points to the injector cup problem. Could it be the same issue causing the white smoke on start up from fuel leaking into the cylinder??? I'm going to try and figure out how to post photos to show y'all what this crap looks like. It's really unsightly, but so far has not caused any overheat problems, but I know it's imperative to get that junk out of the cooling system. Thanks to Guzzle I know how to do a good coolant flush.
Now for the meat of the problem: Where can I go to learn how to fix it? I'm embarrassed to admit I don't even know where the injectors are located or how to get to them.
I'm general mechanically skilled, but have never dug into a diesel engine. YouTube has help I assume?
Thank you all who reply.
Now for the meat of the problem: Where can I go to learn how to fix it? I'm embarrassed to admit I don't even know where the injectors are located or how to get to them.
I'm general mechanically skilled, but have never dug into a diesel engine. YouTube has help I assume?Thank you all who reply.
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Northwest Florida
I think this is a link to a photo of the fluid I got out of the degas bottle. Sure looks like fuel floating on top, but what's the rest of the junk!
IMG_04791_zps734185fd.jpg Photo by bunklash | Photobucket
Still need info on isolating the offending injector(s) and how to correct it.
Thanks again!
IMG_04791_zps734185fd.jpg Photo by bunklash | Photobucket
Still need info on isolating the offending injector(s) and how to correct it.
Thanks again!
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Northwest Florida
Super thread there Tugly. It scares me real good to see what I'm in for, but ready to take it on. Is it worth trying to isolate which cup(s) are bad, or do you think it's best to just redo them all? Is there any way to isolate them other than the borescope camera?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
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From: Puget Sound
I don't remember exactly how I first caught it, but my eyes suck... so it's likely I got it with the camera. You can grab any good digital camera and set it to macro focus (a tulip icon), then take a picture.
I found one bad cup, but I just did them all. The prep, cleanup, tool rental, etc... is the bigger hassle whether doing one cup or eight. I now have eight shiny cups in Stinky, and I sleep very well at night.
I found one bad cup, but I just did them all. The prep, cleanup, tool rental, etc... is the bigger hassle whether doing one cup or eight. I now have eight shiny cups in Stinky, and I sleep very well at night.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Northwest Florida
Thanks Tugly. Sounds like the smart thing to go ahead and do them all. I'm going to re-read your thread about changing the cups out, but hope you don't mind if I bug you again if I need some more help, like what special tools you had to rent.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
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From: Puget Sound
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
I hadn't run into that yet, so it escaped my mind. It makes sense - green coolant plus red transmission fluid mixes to make brown yuck.