Big Cooling Problem please help diesel down!

[EvergreenRanch]

ok boys i think i caught this fairly early on so im hoping there isnt too much damage if any. Engine prolly only ran for a couple hours in this condition. This is just an educated guess, but i think only thing wrong is a stuck thermostat. pulled it last night and it looked pretty much done for. i had two options as far as what themostat to put back in. i made a few phone calls and no one had either of the thermostats that i have seen posted here on the board. so i made more calls. Standt (sp?) makes one that is factory spec. and i found one. its a 195* operating temp and it looked extremly well made and engineered. all measurable dimensions were compared against the one i removed with a micrometer and its identical.

Ok next issue however. if the issue is not the tstat, what should i do? little bit more background: way i figured it out was there was high temp at top of radiator after a short distance, so out of habit i checked the lower return hose and it was cold. major red flag. Could this be a blocked radiator? if so whats my course of action? there was plenty of coolant behind the tstat when i pulled it which is why im wondering if it could be a block in the radiator.

what should i and can i check to see if damage has been done? i know you can fry pistons and rings with too much heat, but is there anything specific about our engines that i should change, replace, do anything to after this.

What is the Worst Case Scenario?


Also: is anyone near Contra Costa County California? East San Francisco Bay Area?

 

[apextrans]

you might want to post this in the "Diesel Down" board also. Might get a quicker response.

 

[Mont91]

There is a small bypass hole in the thermostat housing you took off. This allows some coolant past the thermostat and can cause the upper hose and tank to feel hot with a closed thermostat. How long did it run with the temp gauge pegged and the light on?

 

[EvergreenRanch]

the temp. guage is nonoperable, ive only had the truck couple months, new guages are going in very soon.

 

[Mont91]

Bummer. The engine over temp light is run by a seperate sender and wire and I believe grounds the gauge and light, so an open guage might disable it also. Any change in the way the engine ran before shut down? I would put the new stat in and fire it up and check the hoses.

 

[EvergreenRanch]

yeah thats certainly what im planning. just getting all the view that i can before i really get into it. Mont91, can you think of any damamge that may have been done? fewer trips to autostore the better.

 

[krawlr]

Man, get a gauge on there pronto with the new t-stat. The gauge will be a big help in diagnosing any other problems.

Are you sure it overheated ......... for a "couple of hours"? Did it boil the coolant out? I don't think anything runs a couple of hours with the gauge pegged.

 

[Mont91]

I can not think of anything that is checkable without the engine running. Over heated gaskets will not show up until used(water pump, valve cover, oilpan) if the motor was running unchanged then most likely nothing was damaged. A motor hot enough to damage will generally run funny, burn the oil and grease off the engine(if there is any), and boil the coolant out. Was the radiator still mostly full when you pulled the stat? I would definantly pick up a cheap temp guage and just lay it on the dash if nothing else. The temp sender is between the drivers side head and the water pump. Check the frapper site for those near you.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Huh, new paint and lift kit, but no $20 sender for the factory guage?

How do you know it overheated? Tell us what it did.
Put the new T Stat in and see what happens. If it runs at the proper temp (oh yea, no guage) See if the hoses are heating consitantly.
Might be a water pump, might be a radiator, it might just be a faulty T stat. Gonna have to try it and see what happens.

 

[EvergreenRanch]

Huh, new paint and lift kit, but no $20 sender for the factory guage?

How do you know it overheated? Tell us what it did.
Put the new T Stat in and see what happens. If it runs at the proper temp (oh yea, no guage) See if the hoses are heating consitantly.
Might be a water pump, might be a radiator, it might just be a faulty T stat. Gonna have to try it and see what happens.

Lol, I bought it with the lift, the new paint, and a brand new ZF-5.... its my project vechicle.....im getting to things as i can when i can and when i figure out somethings wrong. im new to the whole maintaining an older vechicle thing. i didnt anticipate this happening, and yes i know i should have gotten a temp guage sooner. again, had it barely 2 months and its not daily driver. engine compartment was hotter than ive ever felt it, top of radiator was incredibly hot, top hose was as hot as radiator, bottom hose was cold. as i said in first post, i think i caught this early before there was something catastrophic. guage is DEFFINITLY going in. suggestions for guage? mech or electric? brand preference? thank you everyone for suggestions and help. i searched but didnt find much on any issues surrounding overheating specific to our trucks but didnt want to over look anything either. f-two-fiddy thanks for the healthy criticizm lol.

 

[dsblack]

While you have the cooling system empty, remove the lower hose and run water through it with a garden hose and see if you get a flow. If you get flow, then the rad. should have moved a little heat.
Can you see the coolant move across the top of the radiator with the new t-stat in? Start with the easy and work up from there. Unless you have unlimited funds, I would not shot gun it...

 

[f-two-fiddy]

dude, just bustin on ya.

Any guage is better than none. But the factory ones are just glorified idiot lights. Go with some quality Autometers,VDOs, Isspro, ect.

I'd say that if you didn't blow a hose or gasket, your prolly going to be allright.
Put the new stat in and see what happens.

 

[Exekiel69]

For what you described, the engine got hot but did not overheat. Try to get the factory t-stat (stealership and international dealer) make sure you seal with the new gasket properly and run it. Also while you are at it, check the rad and see if you detect any deposits or you notice it has some build up inside. Again it dont look soo bad so run it with the new t-stat and post back.

 

[towcat]

before you worry yourself intoa frenzy, these motors are quite tough. otherwise they wouldn't survive fleet service. put in a new t-stat and see what happens. You will kill yourself playing the "what if" game.

 

[DeepRoots]

on another note, for those of us who care about our work trucks, but don't feel like dropping $100 a gauge.....

I saw one of those three gauge kits at carquest the other day, volts/watertemp/oil pressure, like $30.

those any good, or should i not waste my time?

thanks
dp