Hi so yesterday I went out started my truck and white smoke started coming out my exhaust so I turned it off waited a bit started it back up let it run for a bit smoke went away drove it about 60 miles . Later that night it did same thing but I was 2 gallons short on coolant drove it another 60 miles ran fine . Next morning decided to take it to a shop put more coolant in it drove maybe 20 miles to shop got there turned it off everything was fine never over heated once . So this shop is now telling me my trucks hydro locked and I steamed the egr valve . And there telling me it's gonna be $8000 to fix it . Just wanted someone else to give me a opinion . Thanks

 

Sounds like the egr cooler took a dump along with oil cooler,as far as hydro locking,it's very possible.

 

Posts like this are way to common unfortunately. First off $8k is an engine. Does it need one? Maybe, but just based on your description I think not. Hydrolock, while a serious problem is not a death sentence to a 6.0. Especially since the coolant drained into the cylinder on shut-down. They just can't get it to turn over so you need an engine, probably as far as their thinking goes.

I suspect your EGR cooler ruptured (the steam cleaned EGR valve) unfortunately, driving it the 20miles MAY end up costing way more money than a tow would have. The coolant that was leaking from the EGR cooler into the intake manifold flashes to steam in the cylinder when the engine is running. That raises cylinder pressure a lot, enough to stretch the cylinder head bolts in a very short time. When the bolts stretch, the headgaskets leak cylinder pressure into the coolant system, that makes to repair go from a relatively easy, less expensive EGR cooler replacement to headgaskets replacement and maybe even cylinder head replacement due to cracks.

I suspect the shop is inexperienced on 6.0's or they are looking for a big pay day. I'd deal with someone else, quickly. The hydrolock is a temporary condition. Drain the cooling system so the coolant wil stop leaking into the cylinder(s). Either give it a couple days for the coolant to drain past the rings (you'll need an oil change before starting it of course) or pull the glow plugs and spin the engine over with the starter to clear the cylinder.

If the budget is tight, I'd replace the EGR and oil cooler or delete the EGR cooler if that's possible in your area (it won't pass a visual smog check with most deletes) and fire it up with a gauge in the cooling system to measure pressure. If you're lucky, the drive to the shop didn't hurt it. If you're unlucky, the head gaskets are leaking and it will need replacements.

If the budget allows, and given what it's been through, it would be a good time to do headgaskets. Go back together with a quality set of studs instead of the factory bolts and put EGR and oil coolers in it in the process.

Just in round numbers, and it varys depending on where your at, but a shop will replace an EGR cooler for around $1200-$1400 (do it yourself for $750) and head gaskets with a machine shop checking the heads $3500. (Big job, but do it yourself for around $1800). As you can see that's way below the $8000 you've been quoted and is the reason why I wouldn't let this shop do the work.
Good luck!

 

^^^Good advice but be prepared to do head gaskets and ARP Studs. It's very common after a leaking EGR cooler for head gaskets to blow because you can't compress coolant and the coolant banging on the heads causes the head bolts to stretch.