Coolant pushing through overflow tank

[EasyRider01]

Hoping some of you knowledgeable fellows can help me with an issue I'm having on my new truck. First a little bit of history.

Purchased the truck in Nashville, TN last week. Its a 1987 F350 crewcab dually 6.9 with c6 automatic and ATS Turbo model H730441. Doesn't appear to be wastegated.

While driving it home to Kansas, I noticed that the engine wasn't getting up to temperature (yes I know the factory gauges can't be relied on) and every time I would come off the highway to lower speeds it would puke coolant out of the overflow tank. I didn't have any issues while maintaining highway speeds. I figured it probably didn't have a thermostat and I didn't have any proper tools with me to check the actual temperature. Just kept filling up the radiator and overflow with water for the remainder of the trip. I also couldn't get the truck to start in the mornings without very carefully using just a slight burst of starting fluid, brushed that off as bad glow plugs. Also noticed my pyrometer is not working, its a ISSPRO meter. Not sure how to diagnose and repair that?

Made it home with no issues. Went ahead and flushed out the cooling system, removing the block drains and all. Installed new motorcraft thermostat (thermostat was indeed missing) along with motorcraft glow plugs and a new 13 lb radiator cap. I do have the little ball in the thermostat housing, cleaned it up and moves freely. Still refused to start, diagnosed and found burnt connector on passenger side near starting solenoid. Bypassed and spliced the 2 yellow wires to the appropriate wires. Voila, started right up!

Now it pukes coolant out of the overflow all the time when its heated up causing it to overheat. I'm deaf so no idea if the ball in the thermostat housing is clinking but have no reason to believe it would not be since I cleaned it up and installed it properly. I did the cold start and shut off after 30 seconds and I am getting pressure in the radiator, air pushes out when I removed the radiator cap. Bypassed the heater core, simply to remove a variable in diagnostics. Air passes through the overflow hose freely. Installed the overflow hose into a water jug with the radiator cap on and started up the engine. After 7 minutes, air bubbles start to show up in the water jug. Temperature at that time is 110 at the CTS and 72 at the thermostat using a digital temperature gun. Blown headgasket?? I'm not losing coolant anywhere except the overflow tank. No oil in the cooling system and no water in the engine crankcase.

Any and all replies, opinions and judgements are welcome! Thank you all in advance!

 

[EasyRider01]

Well gentlemen, it seems I do have a head gasket leaking, so I think. Reason for saying I think is that I've pressure tested the cooling system several times up to 15psi in my search for any other leaks other than the coolant overflow tank and never found anything. Today after posting my questions above, I was turning the crank by hand and noticed a leak that I hadn't seen before on the passenger side of the engine dripping from the engine crossmember. I did not have the system pressurized, thought that was weird. Traced it to the front of the engine and looked like it was coming from the thermostat housing. Removed alternator and what I think is an air pump then installed pressure tester on it. Didn't get up to 10psi when I saw this.



I think that's pretty self explanatory?? Some more pictures..


Would you agree? Do you think maybe cavitation issue since it didn't show up until I rotated the crank?

So I guess my next question is what should I be knocking out while I have the heads off? I will be doing both heads, kinda dumb not to do the other one when you're already that far into the engine. Its my understanding that you do not want to have the heads machined as there's not enough clearance. Have the machine shop magnaflux and check for cracks, check springs and what else?

 

[Black dawg]

being that it is turbod, and a 6.9, head studs are a nice upgrade to avoid this problem again. Pretty easy to get at the oil cooler with the heads off also.

 

[79jasper]

Heads can be surfaced, just gotta make sure they do it right, and don't take too much off.
By the way, none of your pics are working. Sounds more like head gasket.
6.9 is rarer to have cavitation, although not impossible.

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[EasyRider01]

Black Dawg, studs are a good idea. Will add that to my list.

79jasper, sorry you couldn't see the pictures. I don't know what happened, but I'll try again. How do I explain to a machine shop how to resurface the heads?

2nd attempt at pictures seemed to work? Not really sure what I'm doing and seems all the pictures ended up at the bottom of the original post? Please let me know if you can't see the pictures, more importantly tell me how to fix it.

 

[79jasper]

They're there this time.
Someone more knowledgeable will have to give you an answer.
Gary/icanfixall would know for sure.

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[EasyRider01]

I'm trying to calculate how much I'm gonna need to get this head job done. Looked at ARP studs, holy cow, not cheap! Is there another company that sells these studs? I'm wondering if I'll even have the clearance to install the heads with studs without removing the engine? If I remove the evaporator cover, I should have enough clearance to pull the heads. Not so sure about getting them back on with studs. I've never installed studs so not sure if they have to be installed before the head or if I can just put the last remaining studs in after dropping the head in?

Are these heads prone to cracking? Is that a possibility I need to be prepared for? Just want to be prepared for the unexpected.

I've done a lot of head gasket jobs on gassers and have had positive results with Fel-Pro gaskets, are these suitable for diesel?

I'm assuming that any machine shop should be able to do these diesel heads. Am I correct in assuming that? Still curious in how to explain to the machine shop what I want done to the heads since there is minimal clearance and you don't want too much resurfacing done??

I'm sure these questions have been asked before and apologize for bringing it up once again. I've done countless searches and read through many threads but feel like the search engine here is too generic with its results. Its time consuming trying to read them all.

 

[tbrumm]

Here is link to an article on another site which is all about what you will be doing to your truck. I hope nobody minds me posting this link. The article is by Mel Agne, who is an administrator on this forum and also owns Conestoga Diesel Injection. This article will provide you with first hand information regarding pulling the heads and replacing the head gaskets. I am sure others here will chime in with their knowledge of what to do as far as machining and reconditioning the heads. While studs are expensive, they are well worth it considering all the work you will be putting into this project.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?6.9L%20Gasket%20and%20Turbo%20Install

 

[stealth13777]

Since you have a 6.9 ill pm a link to the site where I'm gonna buy head studs soon as my short block is back together. Little bit more manageable price.


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[EasyRider01]

Thanks Tbrumm, some good information in that article. Could turn out to be useful should I hit a snag. Mel didn't use studs so still wondering about head install with them while engine is in the vehicle. I understand how studs are worth it but if they will get in the way of reinstalling the heads then I will have to go without them. Doing head gaskets is not really all that difficult, just a little time consuming, so not really a problem for me if I need to redo them in 100k miles as opposed to 200k+. Biggest obstacle I foresee is the size and weight of the heads so will plan on taking my time, removing the hood and using a hoist.

 

[EasyRider01]

Stealth, would be mighty kind of you if you could send that link. Hopefully someone will be able to tell me if I can install the studs with engine remaining in vehicle. Many thanks.

 

[snicklas]

It has been discussed, and done before. You can use head studs and with the engine in the truck, however, is it a different process. You will have to install the head studs after the head is sitting on the block. Also, you have to drop the studs in the head that are all the way back by the firewall and use something to hold them up. There are a couple holes that do not have enough clearance between the head and the firewall to be able to drop them in. Some use a rubber band around the stud, or you might be able to use a spring type clothespin or a binder clip. Normally when you install studs, when it is out of the truck, all the studs go in the block, then you drop the head down over the studs and slide them down onto the gaskets. There is not enough clearance to use this method in-frame. You will want/need to remove the evaporator box for more room on the passenger side.

One other important reminder. These are cast iron heads. They are extremely heavy and awkward. It is very difficult to just reach in and snatch out of the engine bay. Several in the past have used a cherry picker to lift the head up and out. Or have a couple friends come help.

 

[tbrumm]

Here is another good article from another member of this forum, the Warden. This details his head gasket replacement project.
http://www.dieselwarden.net/ford/index.html