rowingdude
Registered User
Hi everyone, so I just got back home without my truck 
Here's the story. A few weeks ago, I bought a truck from a "mechanic" who buys cars at auction and repairs them and then sells them. This particular truck was apparently his, it was registered in his name since the year 2000.. regardless. It seemed to be in proper working order. I got it home, added coolant, some coolant additive, and did a total filter and oil change.
I got the feeling from the guy that the motor was having subtle issues, new glow plugs, batteries, alternator, and then a collection of other things like injector o-rings were all recently replaced... so I started to shop for a new motor.
I found a new motor in Wisconsin (a 4 1/2 hour drive). I worked out a time and all and today, this morning, at 0700, I rolled out. I made North Chicago about 11am, and then the truck started acting REALLY funny. I heard what I thought was an exhaust leak, so I crawled under the truck and found a hole in the exhaust, looked as if it rusted out.. no biggie, so I get going again and the Oil Temp (or is it the pressure gauge) bottomed out. I'm on the highway at this point, so I get off the highway and take US41NB so that if I have trouble, I can find assistance and not be on the damned expressway. So I was limping the truck along US41 and then the truck starts losing power. I jammed the accelerator thinking it was something environmental (the road was crap) and then I heard a knock... and the motor ceased turning. I safely steered with my remaining inertia into a business park lot and set about looking things over.
There was coolant on several surfaces on the driver's side of the motor. I could not discern the origin of it. I did not drain any fluids to check for coolant in oil or vice-versa..
My questions:
1. Does this sound like "cavitation"?
2. Was this maybe from poor upkeep by the previous owner?
3. If a truck sits with untreated coolant, will the untreated coolant eat the cooling passage walls like acid?
Rich bit of irony: I was on my way to buy a "new" motor and a manual transmission when this one died
Here's the story. A few weeks ago, I bought a truck from a "mechanic" who buys cars at auction and repairs them and then sells them. This particular truck was apparently his, it was registered in his name since the year 2000.. regardless. It seemed to be in proper working order. I got it home, added coolant, some coolant additive, and did a total filter and oil change.
I got the feeling from the guy that the motor was having subtle issues, new glow plugs, batteries, alternator, and then a collection of other things like injector o-rings were all recently replaced... so I started to shop for a new motor.
I found a new motor in Wisconsin (a 4 1/2 hour drive). I worked out a time and all and today, this morning, at 0700, I rolled out. I made North Chicago about 11am, and then the truck started acting REALLY funny. I heard what I thought was an exhaust leak, so I crawled under the truck and found a hole in the exhaust, looked as if it rusted out.. no biggie, so I get going again and the Oil Temp (or is it the pressure gauge) bottomed out. I'm on the highway at this point, so I get off the highway and take US41NB so that if I have trouble, I can find assistance and not be on the damned expressway. So I was limping the truck along US41 and then the truck starts losing power. I jammed the accelerator thinking it was something environmental (the road was crap) and then I heard a knock... and the motor ceased turning. I safely steered with my remaining inertia into a business park lot and set about looking things over.
There was coolant on several surfaces on the driver's side of the motor. I could not discern the origin of it. I did not drain any fluids to check for coolant in oil or vice-versa..
My questions:
1. Does this sound like "cavitation"?
2. Was this maybe from poor upkeep by the previous owner?
3. If a truck sits with untreated coolant, will the untreated coolant eat the cooling passage walls like acid?
Rich bit of irony: I was on my way to buy a "new" motor and a manual transmission when this one died
