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I got my 55 F350 out of storage yesterday. Started right up after several pumps of the gas pedal. No signs of mice. I put dryer sheets in the truck and mothballs around the outside of the truck. Oil pressure good, heated up fine. Ran good.
However, when I turned on the heater blower to warm up the cab smoke or steam entered the cab and the windshield quickly fogged up. It did this two years ago when I got it out of storage. What is causing this? I don't smell too good.... er, I mean my olfactory sense is not real good. I've had too many sinus surgeries. But it didn't smell like smoke so I am assuming it was steam. I have never seen a leak in my heater core?????
I store the truck in Woolrich, PA, home of the Woolrich Woolen Mills. It was until recently the oldest operating woolen mill in the country. It was family owned but several years ago a foreign company became the majority owner and this winter they shut down the plant. Woolrich is a beautiful former company town.
Glad to see your truck out of winter jail.
Did the problem just go away last time? Is there any moisture in the cab?
If you let it sit a couple of days and fire up the heater again, does it do it again?
I wonder if you have a leak so slow that it takes a couple months of sitting before enough moisture collects to get enough to cause it to steam up on you.
Yup, sounds like heater core. I'm surprised that you can see any leaks since it apparently leaks enough to steam up the windows.
Do the heater hoses connect to the core inside of the cab or outside? if inside, then maybe after sitting over the winter they dry up a bit and allow a leak until they once again get saturated.
If that's all you have to deal with after sitting for several months, you've gotten off lucky
Wow, Dennis, you got a good smeller, the whole way from Lititz!
Originally Posted by Harrier
Glad to see your truck out of winter jail.
Did the problem just go away last time? Yes Is there any moisture in the cab? No
If you let it sit a couple of days and fire up the heater again, does it do it again? No
I wonder if you have a leak so slow that it takes a couple months of sitting before enough moisture collects to get enough to cause it to steam up on you.
Originally Posted by bobbytnm
Yup, sounds like heater core. I'm surprised that you can see any leaks since it apparently leaks enough to steam up the windows.
Do the heater hoses connect to the core inside of the cab or outside? if inside, then maybe after sitting over the winter they dry up a bit and allow a leak until they once again get saturated. They connect on the engine side of the firewall.
If that's all you have to deal with after sitting for several months, you've gotten off lucky. True.
Some of you may remember my wing vent problem. The guy at the local Safe Lite shop either cut the glass too big or didn't seat the glass into the frame correctly. Last summer I used a belt sander to shave off about an 1/16 of an inch on the passenger side. The driver's side was more like an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch. Too much for me to sand off. So the day I took the truck to storage I took the wing vent out and put in a piece of cardboard. The Safe Lite guy replaced the glass at no charge. Today I put the vent back in. The first time I could close and lock the driver's side wing vent in over a year.
It may have just been some weird condensation in the heater box from being stored in a non-climate controlled environment, that went away quickly when you turned it on and is nothing to worry about. If it doesn't continue to be a problem, it's probably not. But what you describe is classic heater core failure symptoms. Just sayin'.
I agree with others.. Sounds like heater core or lines going to it. Usually, they are not fun to work on. Glad you got your truck out of jail. I can get to mine at will. 9 miles from home. Went to visit it yesterday. Started up after fuel pump fills and puts gas to carb. Usually 11 revs and starts right up. Battery is always on tender. Weather permitting, April 6th is the first show of the season. About 40 miles from here. I take back roads to keep off the main highway Never been to this one. I usually stick to stuff in town or very near by. My vent window does not lock either.
I am itching to get my truck and car out of winter jail but still too much snow here. I agree with others it probably is the heater core leaking, it's a relatively easy core to change ( compared to late models ). I had to have my core recored which isn't cheap...
It may have just been some weird condensation in the heater box from being stored in a non-climate controlled environment, that went away quickly when you turned it on and is nothing to worry about'.
I believe, and am hoping, that the problem is what 52 Merc says. I had the same problem 2 years ago when I brought it home. And it didn't rear it's ugly head again.... until this year. I only drove it around the block yesterday, not enough, not enough to warm up. Will keep you posted.
Another thing to check is anti-freeze fog is oily and doesn't clean off the windows well without some work and cleaners. It smears if you try to wipe it with a rag. If it's just condensation mist, then the clean up job won't be so bad.
It may have just been some weird condensation in the heater box from being stored in a non-climate controlled environment, that went away quickly when you turned it on and is nothing to worry about. If it doesn't continue to be a problem, it's probably not.
This was my thought as well. (Maybe some wishful thinking too.) Condensation on the heater coils.
We are so spoiled by modern defoggers, that use the AC to dry the air, that we sometimes forget the old trucks don't work that way. The moisture is trapped in the cab with you until something makes it go away.
Another thing to check is anti-freeze fog is oily and doesn't clean off the windows well without some work and cleaners. It smears if you try to wipe it with a rag. If it's just condensation mist, then the clean up job won't be so bad.
Originally Posted by EffieTrucker
This was my thought as well. (Maybe some wishful thinking too.) Condensation on the heater coils.
We are so spoiled by modern defoggers, that use the AC to dry the air, that we sometimes forget the old trucks don't work that way. The moisture is trapped in the cab with you until something makes it go away.
I had the truck out today. Went to the mill to get 4 bags of grass seed for our soccer club fields. Some idiot did doughnuts last fall and left some ruts. It smoked/steamed initially when it got warm for a about 2 minutes. But then no smoke/steam. And I was able to easily wipe it off with a towel, no problem. So I think it was water vapor.
03-27-2019, 06:50 PM
