With everything slowing down on the farm, I finally have some time to work on the truck. I've got a small list of things to do, and thought why not make one thread with everything in it.

I'm in the middle of a rad swap again as the aluminum was running a little warm, and I got enough cash to get mine recored. It's suprising how few and far between rad shops are, as the closest one is a little over an hour away.

While I'm doing the swap, I want to change out my block heater as it was making some new noises the last time I plugged it in. I purchased one from Napa, part number 3100043; I've never done a freeze-plug type heater before. The parts guy said to put a little RTV around the O-ring so it seals, but I see online that most people use dish soap or anti-freeze. Which would be best? I got a mini wire brush kit from Napa that I can clean the hole with, or just use sand paper if that doesn't work.

 

I wouldn't use silicone. I've seen too many of those little pieces trapped in the radiator or oil cooler. A small amount of soap or antifreeze will be enough to prevent the o-ring from getting damaged. Inspect the power cord to the heater and replace if the insulation is cracked. Just a thought while you have everything apart.

 

Well I didn't keep this thread updated too well now did I? I did finish the rad swap as well as the install on the block heater; that all went fairly smooth. I may be adding a rather big job on my to-do list unfortunately...

First off, thank you Perk85F250; I used some dish soap on the o-ring, but it was probably dry by the time I found the sweet spot and was able to get it in. Anyways, all seems to be well on that front.

I used the truck a handful of times throughout the summer and fall, mainly for dump runs and 8ft box stuff. Otherwise I just zipped around in my little Jeep.

It was probably a couple months ago, as it was cooler but we didn't have snow yet. I loaded up for the dump, Dad jumps in and we take off. We wheeled around for the better part of the day, temps were good everything was normal. I park the truck, and I always slide a garbage bag over the top of the air pot lid just in case my cowl seal leaks (which it does but over the wiper motor, not the lid). I notice that its wet around the coolant overflow tank, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I used it again a week or so later, and same thing; a little coolant pushed out around the overflow cap.

I thought it was maybe a crack in the reservoir, but its all around the cap/neck. I thought maybe it was the rad cap as I had a hassle at the dealership getting a 13lb cap, so I grabbed one from napa in the town I got my rad redone at. I had a new rad and wanted a new cap, and they had only one in stock so I grabbed it. I changed back to my old Motorcraft cap and it still does it, but it looks like the amount is a little less; but still there. I also noticed that the top rad hose gets quite hard upon startup. The thing is, my temps don't seem to be different. Nothing is mixing as my coolant is nice and green and my oil is the same old gloss black. It makes me sick to say it but it looks like I have a combustion leak from a tired headgasket.

My Dad owned this truck before me, and every four or five years the rad would leak and need to be replaced. He bought it in 94 or 95 I think (idk before my time) and just like clock work he would have to do a rad every few years. That is why I'm thinking HG unfortunately. Thing is, he always replaced it with a copper brass of the same thing. It got the same rad over and over again. I changed to an aluminium because of cost (mistake) and ended up redoing an old copper brass as the aluminium was doing strange things. The top rad hose would be collapsed all the time, and the temp would climb sitting there idling. Idk what psi the rad cap was, as it was a little cap like on an F150; it took all afternoon to fill the rad. I think it was a lower psi actually.

Dad was the second owner of this truck, so I'm wondering if the original owner didn't overheat it or damage it somehow, and its been weak from the beginning. Dad always put a copper brass rad in with a 13lb cap and it was fine; then I come along and put an aluminium in and shake things up that much to push it over the edge. I finally got a part time job and was really looking forward to DD this truck; that is why I did all the work to it. I feel comfortable and safe in it. Brakes and tires are new, all oils are fresh, fuel system is new etc etc. My Jeep is a good vehicle, but it needs quite a bit of work to be safe for a DD. I'm a rather large fellow and small vehicles and I don't mesh well; and anything Chrysler is a daytime vehicle as the two cigarette butts they call headlights don't illuminate much. You can't see deer until they're almost venison.

Anyways my rant is over, let me know how you guys would properly diagnose this as a failed HG and we'll go from there

Thanks

 

Someone else can probably better explain determining a failing head gasket than myself.

But before taking to heads off, I would try a replacement FoMoCo thermostat..

When mine gave it up, the top hose got hard.. And finally burst, it wasn't opening properly and letting the coolant flow correctly..

Not sure if that would fix it, but either way, it'd be good to do anyways, and it might do the trick.

 

The signs of a bad head gasket are:

Over heating because of coolant loss or loss of cooling system pressure... cooling system pressure is needed as it raises the boiling point of water.

White smoke from exhaust... sometimes you can even smell antifreeze in the exhaust.

Coolant in the oil or vice versa... looks like a milkshake.

And external leaks where the head gasket meets the block.

Some say that the head gasket can over pressure the cooling system... but honestly I've never seen that and everytime I've seen a bad head gasket the percieved over pressure is actually the engine overheating from coolant loss. But I'm no expert lol...

engine miss... bad head gasket causes a dead hole from lack of compression.

always start with a pressure test on the cooling system... the testers are pretty cheap at the local parts store or have a shop do it.
pressure loss without noticable external leaks would be a sign...

If it was a gas motor I'd pull the spark plugs as they will tell you as well...

Hate to say it but if it's not oveheating and you see the cap and neck wet and you've checked the rad cap and gasket and maiting surface then its not uncommon for rafs to leak at the neck... sometimes an easy solder fix...

Hope that helps

 

Yup... start with the easy stuff first lol

 

my 88 leaked from day one. i am on my third radiator, and it still leaks a bit at 495,000 miles.
fill it up, and it will leak until the rad gets about 1 1/2 to 2 inches low below the cap.
so i now just leave it about 2 inches low and it stays there.
have to add about 1/2 gallon a year.
as the other guys said, first do a radiator pressure test. that will tell you if you have a leak or not, and usually you will be able to see the leak.
you can also do a coolant hydrocarbon test to check for a bad head gasket, but it is kind of expensive.

 

Here's a tester to check the cooling system for hydrocarbons:

 

I have seen several vehicles add pressure to the cooling system before they actually had a major failure. It's not common but possible.

Next time your drive it and get it up to operating temp shut it off and check the top rad hose the next morning and see if it's hard. As in still holding 13psi. If it's hard you have a slight compression leak, if not then I wouldn't point at a head gasket yet.

 

My '93's original motor gasket failure started as getting overheated once(tensioner failed). After that it would weep a little coolant out the corners of the gaskets when under a heavy load at times(only towing a trailer).
It would also sometimes push pressure out the overflow, make a few bubbles.

When it finally failed(a year after the overheat), it went to coolant in the exhaust and constant bubbles in the overflow when running. I never saw the coolant temps get above 200 at any time around there.
I ended up starting it and moving it 5 times between then and when I pulled the motor for a re-gasket. Fired right up each and every time, on all 8 cylinders.

 

Thank you guys for the insight so far. I finally got a T-stat from Ford the other day, and will be swapping it out as soon as I have time; probly won't be for another week or more unfortunately as its getting cold here. I might change it and take it to work on a Saturday or something to see how it does. I will post the results after I change it; hopefully its something simple lol.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

 

You know, one time - when my coolant was drained.. It wouldn't prime, or take in enough at the radiator to get it flowing.

Other times it did okay, but once it just couldn't get it started to circulate.

Trick was to take off the heater core hoses, one pulls, one pushes. And I used a funnel to pour coolant into the pull side to get it started. Maybe just fine, but give that a shot if it won't take it up.

 

 

pure antifreeze without water is no good, it will turn to slush when cold. you need to dilute it.