Head Gaskets - Crap
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 101
Likes: 1
From: Northern Illinois
Head Gaskets - Crap
I have a question guys. I'm pretty sure I have a head gasket issue on my 6.0 now. I replaced the EGR cooler about a month ago to try and troubleshoot this thing myself and save a little cash. I have been watching the coolant tank really closely ever since with no problems......until yesterday after pulling my horse trailer. I lost some of the coolant in the tank. I'm going to clean off the tank and continue to monitor but I figure I have two possibilities.
1. Lost coolant due to expansion from heat. If this is true I should beable to put a mark on the coolant tank where it is now and see if it stays there now that it has dropped. (Most optimistic option)
2. Head gaskets. (Less optimistic option)
I have one question. I drove it for a month with no coolant loss. If it is head gaskets but it only pukes when I pull, how urgent is it that I get it fixed? Will I damage anything by driving it this way for awhile?
Any advice you guys have would be appreciated.
Thanks
1. Lost coolant due to expansion from heat. If this is true I should beable to put a mark on the coolant tank where it is now and see if it stays there now that it has dropped. (Most optimistic option)
2. Head gaskets. (Less optimistic option)
I have one question. I drove it for a month with no coolant loss. If it is head gaskets but it only pukes when I pull, how urgent is it that I get it fixed? Will I damage anything by driving it this way for awhile?
Any advice you guys have would be appreciated.
Thanks
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 10,626
Likes: 7
From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
Define "awhile"? I drove mine for a few weeks before I got it fixed and I would have assumed that it was alright. However I was told that the passenger side was pretty bad as far as how much they had to take off when the machined it. Some have gone a couple of yrs with head gasket problems and been alright, but I'm the type of person that doesn't like that, plus I don't think they were using it as a work truck so that does play into that. The only problem that I could think of that would happen if you didn't get it fixed sooner would be that you would run a bigger chance on having to machine the heads too much to were you'll end up having to replace them in the end.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 101
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From: Northern Illinois
Interestingly enough it puked down to the original MIN level of the tank, it was previously right about half way between the MIN and MAX.
I'm really holding hope that it was just lack of expansion and it got hot pulling the horse trailer. I'm going to clean off the tank and then I'll be driving it empty for a couple of weeks again before I need the trailer again. I can re-experiment at that time and find out if I need to take a loan out for head-gaskets.
I'm really holding hope that it was just lack of expansion and it got hot pulling the horse trailer. I'm going to clean off the tank and then I'll be driving it empty for a couple of weeks again before I need the trailer again. I can re-experiment at that time and find out if I need to take a loan out for head-gaskets.
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
From: Northern Ontario, Canada
Interestingly enough it puked down to the original MIN level of the tank, it was previously right about half way between the MIN and MAX.
I'm really holding hope that it was just lack of expansion and it got hot pulling the horse trailer. I'm going to clean off the tank and then I'll be driving it empty for a couple of weeks again before I need the trailer again. I can re-experiment at that time and find out if I need to take a loan out for head-gaskets.
I'm really holding hope that it was just lack of expansion and it got hot pulling the horse trailer. I'm going to clean off the tank and then I'll be driving it empty for a couple of weeks again before I need the trailer again. I can re-experiment at that time and find out if I need to take a loan out for head-gaskets.
Are you getting any whistling on accel or when you get off the throttle quick? I just had mine replaced and that was a symptom.
As for holding off on repair. The EGR coolant system is know for plugging and blowing the cooler. By allowing exhaust gases and the particles included to enter your coolant system is probably not the best thing for the new cooler you have. I am definitely not an expert on this motor but just seems like common sense, so take my advise with a grain of salt.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 652
Likes: 1
I had the same problem. mine was still under warranty. first they replaced EGR cooler then the oil cooler. my understanding is, the oil cooler gets plugged up and slows the water flow though the EGR cooler. Which does two things 1-boils the water in the EGR cooler ( this is want causes the coolant to puke out of cap) 2-The EGR cooler gets to hot and warps and starts leaking. I would check your oil cooler.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,834
Likes: 25
From: Middle Tn.
It has been said before that it is a good idea to replace the oil cooler at the same time as the egr cooler and that a coolant filter will help prevent the problem from returning if the coolers were plugged in the 1st place.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 14,582
Likes: 12
From: 21791
I had the same problem. mine was still under warranty. first they replaced EGR cooler then the oil cooler. my understanding is, the oil cooler gets plugged up and slows the water flow though the EGR cooler. Which does two things 1-boils the water in the EGR cooler ( this is want causes the coolant to puke out of cap) 2-The EGR cooler gets to hot and warps and starts leaking. I would check your oil cooler.
The most logical answer is the fact the coolant superheats and boils inside the EGR cooler, when a 200* liquid is trying to cool up to 1200* (on stock tune) exhaust temperatuers, it doesnt work well for that small of a cooler. A good idea when you go in to a non-ford shop to get the headgaskets done, buy head studs, and the EGR delete tubes and blockoff plates, and be done with leaking coolant problem.
