Magical Coolant.....

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Jan 17, 2007 | 01:45 AM

Highboosted

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Magical Coolant.....

I typed a much longer post....but FTE decided it would rather not post it.....

Anyways, my coolant is dissapearing. I lose the entire overflow/fill bottle in a few days and then heater stops heating. No leaks inside or out, not appearing in the crankcase, and no smoke so I don't think it's burning. I'm left fearing the worst (head gasket), chambers pressurizing the system and pushing coolant (but don't know how I can test this). Similar to head lift, but I don't hear about that on our engines.

I fear I'm going to have to replace the water pump soon because topping off is stirring up all the silica and I have no coolant filter yet....

01 F-350 crew dually, 145K miles, 3.73's and still bad milage, bone stock.

Jan 17, 2007 | 09:15 AM

Kwikkordead

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From: Rio Rico, AZ.

Does the starter sound like it's pushing against something on the first revolution of the first start of the day and then it clears up?

Jan 17, 2007 | 10:47 AM

99 7.3 towrig

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From: Maryland, WVU

if your going though that much coolent in a few days, i would think you could smell it/ see it if you were burning it, also the oil would be milky from coolent in the cylinders. mine has a slow leak at the T-stat housing, not enough to drip but i can smell it now an then when i park the truck an see the residue left when it dries up going down the front of the engine.

-Kurt

Jan 17, 2007 | 08:30 PM

Highboosted

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Eh, doesn't sound hydrolocked by my standards, rotates a little bit slower than my brother's 250, but he has new batteries and I'm still on the originals.

is there an easy was to gain access to the cylinders? I have a borescope I use to check my car's cylinders, but with no spark plugs I'm not sure I want to start pulling glowplugs without some more evidence....

Jan 17, 2007 | 08:43 PM

Uzumati

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From: Central, Al

Could a leaky degass cap be enuff to allow the evaporation of the water in the coolant? I dont know just a WAG doesn't really seem like enuff time for evaporation to set in. that fluid has to be going somewhere. Are you 100% sure there are no tell tell "white spots" anywhere on the motor (top, bottom, sides, under the WP Pully)?

Jan 17, 2007 | 10:45 PM

SpringerPop

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From: La La Land

Consider pulling an oil sample and get it into Blackstone to see if any coolant is getting into the oil. If it is, it's very destructive on the bearings.

Pop

Jan 17, 2007 | 11:00 PM

Tenn01PSD350

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From: Middle Tennessee

May want to check that tranny fluid too. A rotten radiator could be the culprit.

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Feb 26, 2007 | 06:57 PM

Highboosted

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Found it....well it found me kinda.

turns out the water pump bit the dust (I figured as much when all else failed), but not in the normal way it had before. it would drip VERY slowly when the engine was off (drip every couple of minutes), but while it was running it leaks pretty bad (I've been checking it when the engine was off). so all my coolant runs out on the highway and not my driveway. but thats not how I found it. My starter died (weird too, it would engage but not turn but a little bit) while checking everything with the engine running I saw the coolant peeing (technical term) out. Bought a pump today with the starter, going to install the pump when the coolant filter gets here so I can flush everything out during the install.