Head gasket?
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Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,111
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From: Yreka, CA
Head gasket?
To start off I'm posting this on behalf of my dad. He's got a 2003 F-250 with the 6.0l and the auto tranny. He's got the Bully Dog powerpup on it and runs it usually at 50 %. It's close to 130k miles now. His problem is he's using coolant pretty quickly. He says it's not in the oil so he figures it's getting burnt. Any thoughts?
Some more background: He's been towing a 33' fifth wheel for about two years with her now. A few months back he had an injector go out. I'm not certain, but I think it was the #3. I'll get back to you on that. He had the injector replaced but didn't have the money to do the other 7.
Also last fall he was towing through eastern oregon on vacation and had his oil sending unit go out. I believe the problem was the wires on the back of the sending unit melted which caused him to start dumping oil. He just kept filling it until he found a shop to fix it.
So with that said, what do you guys think?
Some more background: He's been towing a 33' fifth wheel for about two years with her now. A few months back he had an injector go out. I'm not certain, but I think it was the #3. I'll get back to you on that. He had the injector replaced but didn't have the money to do the other 7.
Also last fall he was towing through eastern oregon on vacation and had his oil sending unit go out. I believe the problem was the wires on the back of the sending unit melted which caused him to start dumping oil. He just kept filling it until he found a shop to fix it.
So with that said, what do you guys think?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
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Heavy towing w/ a tuner means that head gasket problem is likely. The real issue is with the weakness of the "torque-to-yield" bolts. These trucks need studs if they are going to be modded (or maybe even with towing heavy loads). You can almost always see evidence of the head gasket failure around the coolant reservoir. It will have a lot of white powdery solids around it from the additives in the evaporated coolant. The combustion gasses go to the coolant in a head gasket failure situation and then "blow out" the cap of the coolant reservopir (degass bottle).
The problem could also be an EGR cooler leak (or even both). You can see evidence of the EGR cooler leak by white smoke from the tail pipe and by pulling the EGR valve while parked on a downward inlcine.
The problem could also be an EGR cooler leak (or even both). You can see evidence of the EGR cooler leak by white smoke from the tail pipe and by pulling the EGR valve while parked on a downward inlcine.
Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
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From: Northern Arizona
I would guess blown head gaskets since he tows with a tuner and the coolant is disappearing rapidly.
Has it puked coolant in the past? Does the Visctronic fan come on more often now than in the past? Has he noticed the engine temp increasing, especially while towing?
Has it puked coolant in the past? Does the Visctronic fan come on more often now than in the past? Has he noticed the engine temp increasing, especially while towing?
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Kansas City/Breckenridge
Read bismics post. You will see where coolant has blown out of the degass cap.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
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This will happen w/ leaking head gaskets:
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - bismic's Album: Coolant Puking
Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - bismic's Album: Coolant Puking
Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
Likes: 5
From: Northern Arizona
Just throwing this out there:
My 6.0 has ARP studs, no tuner, EGR cooler/turbo/EGR valve/HG's replaced in October 2007, oil cooler replaced in October 2008, coolant level no higher than the 'Min' line on the Degauss bottle, and it still pukes when I tow and pull a long, steep grade (Grapevine and Cajon pass). It does not puke too much, just some white residue around the Degauss bottle cap, but it still pukes.
My 6.0 has ARP studs, no tuner, EGR cooler/turbo/EGR valve/HG's replaced in October 2007, oil cooler replaced in October 2008, coolant level no higher than the 'Min' line on the Degauss bottle, and it still pukes when I tow and pull a long, steep grade (Grapevine and Cajon pass). It does not puke too much, just some white residue around the Degauss bottle cap, but it still pukes.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Yreka, CA
No. It hasn't ever puked. I drove it around all day today. It still drives fine. The fan wasn't on more than usual today and the temp was fine all day. I'll ask him tonight if it's been hotter than usual while towing. He also has a tick. I noticed it before his injector went (at that time he claimed not to hear it) and since then it has gotten louder. It sounds to me like it may be coming from the fuel pump. It only ticks at low rpm's and idle really though.
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Joe Kucinski
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
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If he is losing coolant it is almost certainly from one of these three issues:
1. A leak to the outside from a hose, a fitting, the radiator, etc
2. The EGR cooler (will see white smoke) when it gets to be more than a seep.
3. The head gaskets (exhaust gasses leak INTO the coolant and blows the coolant out the degass bottle).
The fact that the oil temp sending unit melted tells me that he has seen high temperatures most likely from the coolant side of the oil cooler plugging up from casting sand. This will also cause the EGR cooler to fail and then result in leaking coolant into the intake, through the engine and out the exhaust. This, in severe cases, can hydrolock the engine.
You need to fix an EGR cooler leak ASAP (if that is what it is).
1. A leak to the outside from a hose, a fitting, the radiator, etc
2. The EGR cooler (will see white smoke) when it gets to be more than a seep.
3. The head gaskets (exhaust gasses leak INTO the coolant and blows the coolant out the degass bottle).
The fact that the oil temp sending unit melted tells me that he has seen high temperatures most likely from the coolant side of the oil cooler plugging up from casting sand. This will also cause the EGR cooler to fail and then result in leaking coolant into the intake, through the engine and out the exhaust. This, in severe cases, can hydrolock the engine.
You need to fix an EGR cooler leak ASAP (if that is what it is).
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From: Ohio
Link to the Horizontal Fuel Condition Module (HFCM)
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Kansas City/Breckenridge
I don't think our trucks usually burn the coolant (white smoke) when the headgaskets fail. White smoke would be an EGR cooler that has failed.
