Head gasket question

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Can a HG fail and not show any big signs of failure?

i was fixing one of my return line caps this morning and my dad took the radiator cap off and the coolant was down below the top of the fins. oil level is not increasing, no coolant leaks from rad, water pump, etc, i have a little puff of white smoke on cold start up but ZERO white smoke after that. engine runs good. water temp runs consistently at 190*F.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

BTW, i don't know for sure the last time i looked at the coolant but it was right up to the cap on the rad when i did.

also, does the engine HAVE to be pulled to do HG's?

 

[itsacrazyasian]

no the engine does not have to be pulled to do head gaskets. the heads are heavy as hell though. Top it off and keep an eye on it first before you jump to conclusions...

 

[icanfixall]

We have many places where coolant can leak and leave no trace of it. Because of the coolant I run and the distilled water when I have a leak its nearly impossible to find. Usually its a loose hose clamp.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Water pump seal. It'll leak the coolant when running and pressure builds up, seee if it drips after running.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

everything around the water pump is bone dry.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

this is the drivers side rear of the block and head. the silver/whitish streaks was kind of concerning. they are more apparent in person. the pic didn't pick them up good.

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[jhnlennon]

Look around the rear corners of the cylinder head where it meets the block. If you see any white residue, your leaking coolant out. Pretty common place for the HG's to leak. Every Ford IDI I have ever had developed a leak there eventually, especially the 6.9's.

 

[jhnlennon]

this is the drivers side rear of the block and head. the silver/whitish streaks was kind of concerning. they are more apparent in person. the pic didn't pick them up good.

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You beat me too it, looks like you found your leak....

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

pretty sure i just heard the cash register go "cha-ching"

any body wanna buy a '94 factory turbo? 212K miles.

 

[jhnlennon]

pretty sure i just heard the cash register go "cha-ching"

any body wanna buy a '94 factory turbo? 212K miles.

Its a do-able job, if you like the truck just tear into it. But Ive sold trucks for the same reason, its not exactly a walk in the park doing HG's on these motors, especially in frame.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

it's not that i can't do the job, but i have to buy another vehicle while this is down.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

a couple more pics. i think i will clean off the block the best i can and then see if the stuff comes back.

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[itsacrazyasian]

Eric, drop a bottle of K Seal in the motor first, top the coolant off and keep driving. The one motor i built that started leaking there sealed until i got my other motor back from the machine shop, assembled and then some!

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

i topped off my radiator and it took almost 1.5 gallons.