360 Help
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Redding, CA
360 Help
I have a 73 360 in an F250 Camper Special with 166,000 miles on the original engine. The valves may have been redone once at around 100,000 miles.
The motor loses coolant. There are no visible leaks on the radiator or engine, and the water pump and all of the coolant hoses have been replaced as well as the radiator cap. There is no white smoke out the exhaust. I think there may be a head gasket leak. The engine is not burning oil, and the oil is not milky colored.
For reference, there was a gallon coolant loss driving 125 miles towing a 5000 pound boat.
I have done two compression tests, six months apart. Here are the results:
Test #1 (1/3/04) (Cylinder/psi)
1/120 psi
2/115 psi
3/90
4/100
5/120
6/120
7/120
8/90
Test #2 (1/3/04) (Cylinder/psi)
1/120 psi
2/115 psi
3/95
4/103
5/120
6/115
7/120
8/95
Questions:
1. What should the compression be?
2. Any ideas why the coolant may be leaking?
3. How should I fix the problem?
Thanks for the help.
Chris
The motor loses coolant. There are no visible leaks on the radiator or engine, and the water pump and all of the coolant hoses have been replaced as well as the radiator cap. There is no white smoke out the exhaust. I think there may be a head gasket leak. The engine is not burning oil, and the oil is not milky colored.
For reference, there was a gallon coolant loss driving 125 miles towing a 5000 pound boat.
I have done two compression tests, six months apart. Here are the results:
Test #1 (1/3/04) (Cylinder/psi)
1/120 psi
2/115 psi
3/90
4/100
5/120
6/120
7/120
8/90
Test #2 (1/3/04) (Cylinder/psi)
1/120 psi
2/115 psi
3/95
4/103
5/120
6/115
7/120
8/95
Questions:
1. What should the compression be?
2. Any ideas why the coolant may be leaking?
3. How should I fix the problem?
Thanks for the help.
Chris
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
your comp should be around 130 a cylinder and all within 10% of each other. cylinders 3 and 8 are low. a gallon of coolant in 125 miles is a lot !!!! if its not leaking anywere, doulble check, it is burning it. its just not pouring enough in to blow white smoke. if the heads were done 60,000 miles ago i can't see the headgasket being bad, but somethings not right with cylinders 3 & 8. try doing a leakdown test. see if its holding pressure.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 29
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From: Redding, CA
Thanks for the reply led sled.
When performing the compression tests, I inspected all of the plugs and they all had normal wear.
I will replace the head gasket in the near future. Hopefully the problem is just the gasket and not a crack in the block. While I have the engine apart to replace the head gasket, is there anything else I should do to to it?
Thanks, Chris
When performing the compression tests, I inspected all of the plugs and they all had normal wear.
I will replace the head gasket in the near future. Hopefully the problem is just the gasket and not a crack in the block. While I have the engine apart to replace the head gasket, is there anything else I should do to to it?
Thanks, Chris
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
re-chris73
i would check to see how the tops of the pistons look. make sure there not loaded with carbon, check to see if the intake gasket sealed properly. i would go as far as having the heads diassembled and looked at. just make sure everything thing is in good mechnical order, and inspect what you take apart.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 29
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From: Redding, CA
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 796
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From: Anderson Northern Ca
Coolant loss
Chris,I went thru the same search looking for the coolant leak on my Daughters 360.As it turned out the top of the radiator where it is soldered together would weep coolant only when the engine was hot.For months I looked to see where the coolant was going but could find nothing,it was losing almost as much as you are,then finally the leak at the radiator got bad enough I could see it after the engine was shut down.It was hard to see the area where it was leaking unless I got a step up and looked back and down where the fan shroud passes across the back side of the radiator.During normal running the radiator got hot enough to evaporate all of the coolant that came out,now it leaks enough to see the problem.Hope this helps.
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Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 29
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From: Redding, CA
No leak in on radiator (checked today), but I noticed a puff of white smoke out of the tailpipe when someone else started my truck. Bad rings at 166,000 miles??
Also, if I wanted to go from a 2bbl to 4bbl carburator, is it as simple as changing the intake manifold and carb?
Chris
Also, if I wanted to go from a 2bbl to 4bbl carburator, is it as simple as changing the intake manifold and carb?
Chris
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,268
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From: Eureka, Ca.
White smoke might be steam. you could lose water out the head gasket and not really see it all the time. If you are going to switch to a 4 barrel intake you might as well change the head gaskets too. You would be 2/3s the way there anyway
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 367
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re-chris
the rings could be worn at 166.000 ! thats a lot of miles, but white smoke usually means antifreeze thats burning. to change to a four barrel you have to remove the rocker arm shafts and the pushrods, because they go through the intake, otherwise its not hard to do
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 48
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From: South Central N.D.
How about a cooling system pressure pump ? you could pressurize radiator and maybe
see where there might be a leak . Remove the spark plugs and put pressure on over
night . next day spin engine over and watch if moisture sprays out spark plug holes .
just one tip i was given .
see where there might be a leak . Remove the spark plugs and put pressure on over
night . next day spin engine over and watch if moisture sprays out spark plug holes .
just one tip i was given .
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,565
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From: Sun River St. George
Wait a minute! 166000 miles on a FE is chump change. These engines easily go double that with clean oil and minimal care. There are millions of these engines going to work every day. I'd guess you have simply added to much coolant and it is pushing out the overflow. Don't worry about it as long as you do not have overheating. Coolant level should be about 1/4 inch above the coolant tubes. Slap on a new cap 8-12 pounder. Fix the cheap stuff first.
