timing question

[Trying my best]

Ok, i seen "coolant overflow and not overheating" then i hear "white smoke on acceleration" and that screams "headgasket" and maybe whispers cavitation, but im going to try and be optomistic on this one. when coolant gets hot it expands into the overflow, when it cools, the vacuum it causes pulls the expanded coolant back into the radiator. There are two reasons i can think of that it wont do this: 1) you have no coolant in the overflow to draw back into the radiator, or 2) there is a leak, either in the radiator cap, the line from the overflow to rad. headgasket, or worst case scenario, a crack / hole in a cylinder head /block. When the engine attempts to burn coolant, its white-ish, smell the exaust after its been running a minute, would you say it smells sweet at all?
Summary: head gasket failure, cavitation or a crack would explain the white smoke (coolant in the combustion chamber) and the unexplained coolant loss. Also, the unexplained pressure in the cooling system (the overflowing) could also be from pressurized exaust gases entering the coolant system via failed gasket or a hole somewhere it shouldnt be. Given that it seems the affected area is related to the combustion chamber, im going to vote that you had a head gasket go **** up on ya. Most cavitation issues ive heard of are about midway down into the block. Course that doesnt mean anything, and it still could be a cracked head or something.

Thanks, I wonder about combustion gasses in the coolant. How do test for that?

 

[Trying my best]

Do you have the spring in the lower rad. hose? That is a must or the hose will collapse, specially if it's old.[/QUOTE

It does not have a spring, but it looks relativity new.

 

[hairyboxnoogle]

Thanks, I wonder about combustion gasses in the coolant. How do test for that?

Compression test. There are adapters to allow it to thread into the GP holes. If you find a cylinder that is lower by 20psi or more than the other cylinders then you have a problem.

FWIW my lower rad hose doesnt have a spring in it and i havent had any issues thus far.

 

[OLDBULL8]

FWIW my lower rad hose doesnt have a spring in it and i havent had any issues thus far.

All I can say is, you've been lucky. Every vehicle I have ever seen has a spring in the lower radiator hose. It's very difficult to see if the hose is collapsing going down the road, it won't do that when idleing, it's when the t'stat is wide open and circulating a lot of coolant. Like I said, if it's old.

I took my hose off and and it seems "wimpy" I will try to pick a new one and see if that helps.

 

[Trying my best]

Will one of the kits with the blue fluid work? Here is an example of what I'm talking about. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1om5kFlT7E&feature=related

 

[RLDSL]

Will one of the kits with the blue fluid work? Here is an example of what I'm talking about. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1om5kFlT7E&feature=related

Yes, That is the type of kit you will find at Napa. ( same one I have) there is a slightly better type available as well that has two chambers that snap on carries for about $20 more that lessens the chance of coolant contamination. In either case, make sure you suck down the coolant level in the rad far enough so that it won't get drawn up into the the chamber of the test and slip a piece of cardboard over the rad to bring it fully up to temp so the coolant is fully circulating before running the test. On diesels it takes MUCH longer than what is listed on the instructions for a gas burner to thoroughly expose the test fluid. Roughly a minute and if it changes it will only change to a blue green, but it will change You will never get a full yellow on a diesel

Now, a positive for combustion gas does not always mean blown head gasket. Yup that's right, sometimes it can be a failed valley pan gasket Some of these things have heads where the valley pan seals the cooling system against the intake manifold and a leak at the valley pan gasket combined with excessive crancase pressure can permit blowby gasses and even oil residue to find it's way to the cooling system via the CDR under load.

 

[hairyboxnoogle]

Whoa thats a neat trick with the "chemical". Ill keep in mind the info about the valley pan, never heard of that before.

 

[Trying my best]

This falls under the "I must be the dumbest person in the world category."

Here's how today played out...

Got the test kit, no change in color. OK cool, hold the chemical next to the exhaust to check if the chemical is good, and it was.

Put a pressure gauge on the radiator to see if I get any spikes in pressure before the coolant comes to temperature. Pressure rises with temp. OK cool.

Check compression, pull all glow plugs and crank 5 times per cylinder. All cylinders are between 420 and 480. OK cool (I think, never done a compression test before)

What the heck is going on.

My "contractor" buddy comes over and asks why the hose going into the coolant overflow tank is so short. I pulled it out and it was only in the tank about 1/2" and I wonder why my coolant was not going from the overflow into the radiator.

By that time all the parts stores are closed, so maybe tomorrow I'll see if that fixes it, but for now I'm hoping thats my problem.

It just goes to show sometimes a good contractor is priceless

 

[RLDSL]

This falls under the "I must be the dumbest person in the world category."

Here's how today played out...

Got the test kit, no change in color. OK cool, hold the chemical next to the exhaust to check if the chemical is good, and it was.

Put a pressure gauge on the radiator to see if I get any spikes in pressure before the coolant comes to temperature. Pressure rises with temp. OK cool.

Check compression, pull all glow plugs and crank 5 times per cylinder. All cylinders are between 420 and 480. OK cool (I think, never done a compression test before)

What the heck is going on.

My "contractor" buddy comes over and asks why the hose going into the coolant overflow tank is so short. I pulled it out and it was only in the tank about 1/2" and I wonder why my coolant was not going from the overflow into the radiator.

By that time all the parts stores are closed, so maybe tomorrow I'll see if that fixes it, but for now I'm hoping thats my problem.

It just goes to show sometimes a good contractor is priceless

Relax, kick back , have a cold beverage of choice, and be thankful that's all it was We'll *try* to hold off on the jokes about the only problem being that you had too short a hose

 

[icanfixall]

Although this isn't a common problem is does tell lots about a cooling system. I'm wondering how you ended up with a short hose...

 

[Trying my best]

Although this isn't a common problem is does tell lots about a cooling system. I'm wondering how you ended up with a short hose...

My contractor buddy told me that I had a short hose . My theory is that the previous owner saw the the hose was cut or kinked so he just cut it.

 

[rhkcommander]

Get a Ferret pulse timing adapter and with that and a high quality advance type timing light ( Ferret , Craftsman, MSD, etc are best bets for accurate performance) you will be all set to do your own timing jobs

Does that clamp on the line or does it require the adapter that goes on between the #1 injector and fuel line? From what I've read it just clamps onto the line..?

 

[RLDSL]

Does that clamp on the line or does it require the adapter that goes on between the #1 injector and fuel line? From what I've read it just clamps onto the line..?

It just clamps onto the #1 or #4 injector line. the base model shown comes with the correct size clamp for the injector lines on our engines, there are also other size clamps available that you can purchase to use the thing with other size lines ( the size it comes with is standard for most /merican diesels )
The clamp has a piezoelectric sensor in it that is triggered by the expansion of the metal injector line when the fuel pulses through it on the injection stroke, the little amplifier box converts that into a high enough signal for a timing light to pickup.

 

[Agnem]

...
My "contractor" buddy comes over and asks why the hose going into the coolant overflow tank is so short. I pulled it out and it was only in the tank about 1/2" and I wonder why my coolant was not going from the overflow into the radiator. ...

Don't feel bad. When I bought the Lady Moose from Plaza Ford in Lexington NC, the only thing I saw wrong with her was that the overflow tank hose was cracked. So I convinced the saleswoman to get that replaced for me before I drove off with it. So I pulled it into the service bay, and this 20 something "Ford Quality Plus technician" proceeds to replace it for me. I watch him cut the hose off a spool, and he made it long enough just to reach in the top of the jug. I let him finish, because I was going to give him every benefit of the doubt, but when he went to close the hood, I blocked it with my hand and said "your not done yet." He gave me that deer in the headlights look and I proceeded to tell him that the repair was not satisfactory. He of course said it was, and I told him "that will not work at all". He proceeded to challenge me and he explained that it would indeed work and that I should not question him. I then asked him how old he was, and proceeded to explain to him that I was driving an IDI around while he was still ******* in his diaper. I then asked him to explain in the highest level of technical detail possible, how the vacuum created by the cooling water would draw the fluid back into the radiator, while the hose was supended in free atmosphere and not submerged in the bottom of the tank where it belonged. He got about 3 words out before I saw a few synapses short out behind his eyeballs. His head cocked a time or two, then he went and got the spool of hose he had already returned to the parts department. Not another word was spoken.

 

[SparkandFire]

He got about 3 words out before I saw a few synapses short out behind his eyeballs. His head cocked a time or two, then he went and got the spool of hose he had already returned to the parts department. Not another word was spoken.