Well, I've not gotten anywhere with the pink around my degas cap. Figured it's trans fluid and ordered a new radiator after wasting my time fixing the original last month. Find one cheap on EBay, a seller called Cooling Exchange with 99% rating. Unit shows up promptly but it's banged up on one side. OK, stuff happens, and I'm sure it was FedEx's fault. They send me another, but I got a Florida trip and can't wait.

Florida goes fine. I haven't seen any more coolant around the cap - I think that was just overfill from when I worked on the radiator. And, I didn't clean out that pink from around the inside of the cap and threads, but I don't see that there's any more there after driving that 1300 miles. Nor do I seem to be losing coolant or trans fluid. But, I guess the two fluids have nowhere to go and are just passing back and forth. However, looking in the degas bottle, I don't see anything in the coolant. I don't really know how to tell if there's coolant in the trans fluid. Sean said to feel it, but I don't trust my ability to discern a difference. On the negative side, the delta seemed to be a degree or two higher than usual - consistently16-17 (again, heavy F450, with its low gears, pulling 10klbs)., rather than 14-15. EOTs OK at 208-212.

So, I get lucky and make it home with no problems, and the replacement radiator is on my porch. But, it's banged up too. +*^%(% They do a lousy job packaging their units. Small chunks of styrofoam in each corner of the cardboard box. Both units damaged halfway down one side. The second one is even bowed.

I'm waiting on #3 now. But just wondering if y'all think I should be seeing more pink in my coolant? Glad I'm not, but I'm worried that it's in my trans fluid and I just can't tell. When I drain the trans pan, won't coolant come out first?

 

I'm guessing you didn't see my warning post a few years ago about wasting time with Fedex bringing you a good radiator. I ended up going to Advance Auto and getting one because I couldn't wait. I messaged Amazon about the problem and they credited my account the difference of the Advance Auto radiator and paid me back the cost.
Good luck with #3.

 

I had the same thing happen. A north american cooling solutions 3 row showed up trashed like your #2, but the ebay mishimoto showed up well packaged and perfect.

 

I got mine through Rock Auto / FedEx last November and it was fine. It's the third radiator that made it here in good shape. No extra packaging on any.

 

I had a poor shipping experience w/ my radiator from BulletProofDiesel. I fixed the damaged fins as best I could and decided to just live with it.

The coolant is more dense so it will be the bottom layer, so yes it should drain first as long as it doesn't form a sludge first.

According to Mark Kovalsky, the transmission system pressures will usually cause oil to get into the coolant, but when you shut the engine down, the coolant pressure remains for a while and the transmission fluid pressure drops to zero. This can cause coolant to enter into the transmission fluid.

 

Yes, I remembered Mark's explanation. that suggests I should see oil in the coolant, and I'm not. But no other explanation for that bit of pink around the cap. So, I've cleaned the degas cap/threads and will do a short run to see if it returns. It's time for a coolant and tranny flush anyway.

I assume the radiator shop can pressure test the radiator for that trans cooler as well. Maybe I'll end up with a spare.

 

 

So I drained a quart out of the tranny and...nothing. Looks perfectly fine. And nothing in the degas. And no more pink on the cap after driving about 30 miles. Beats me where the pink came from. Looks like I'll have a spare radiator if the one I ordered ever shows up undamaged.

It's been raining steady, so I've not done the flushes. I got another Florida trip this week, and then spring break with my teacher GF, hopefully after that. But still got that Rhode Island trip too as soon as I find a load coming back.

Need to find my oil leak. I smell it when the truck heats up, and see wetness on the tranny lines back by the starter, but I can't see a leak. I guess the only thing above there is the valve cover gasket and IPC sensor.

 

 

Thx, I need to pull stuff off and look around, but it's been raining and I don't have covered parking. It's not a bad leak - doesn't even drip under the truck, but I see residue and smell it burning. It may be crank seals.