Cavitation check

[vegas39]

Hi all. A couple months back, I reported hearing a hissing from my engine after shutoff and losing coolant. I pressure tested the system and had some coolant dripping from the front corner of the head, so for temporary measure, I poured in some Bars leak crap. The loss of coolant briefly went away but then came back. The last few days of driving, I had excessive pressure in the upper hose but not enough to make the overflow bottle bubble. I was probably using a gallon of antifreeze in just a few days of short driving. Other than a little puff of white smoke the last few days, I didnt see any obvious sign of where all the coolant is going.
I pulled the heads the other day and found lots of goopy coolant sludge in the valve covers, I also noticed that the freeze plugs between the intake passages on the driver side head, were pretty corroded and have been leaking. I didnt see any obvious signs of a blown gasket but did notice that both gaskets looked pretty tired in a couple areas. I also noticed some drops of coolant down around the lifters after I removed the valley pan but I think that may have come from the corroded freeze plugs in the head.

Now that the heads are off, is there any way I can check the cylinders for cavitation problems? Although this truck has never been an extremely fast cranker in the morning, I've never had a problem with the starter acting like it was fighting an internal issue. I'm hoping my problem is just head gaskets but I want to be sure before I drop several hundred bucks for nothing. Thanks.

 

[FoolhardyIDI]

You can check the walls of each cylinder. With the heads off rotate the engine and check each cylinder. If there is a pin hole in any of the cylinder walls you will be able to see where the coolant has been entering.

 

[vegas39]

You can check the walls of each cylinder. With the heads off rotate the engine and check each cylinder. If there is a pin hole in any of the cylinder walls you will be able to see where the coolant has been entering.

Thank you. I wasnt sure if it would be that obvious to see. I have the heads in the shop and am still waiting for them to call me and let me know if they are ok.
I still need to order new head bolts and made a stop at IH today to pick up the O rings and gaskets for the oil cooler.

 

[vegas39]

Gonna go out today and check all cylinders. I'm sure everythings fine but just want to be sure before I put it back together.
We also broke one head bolt off in the block, pretty rusted. I gotta get that out and then start prepping the block surface to put the heads back on.
Gotta leaky steering box and a torque converter issue, may tackle those while I've got the rest of the truck tore down.

 

[FoolhardyIDI]

Nothing like getting everything done at one time.

 

[icanfixall]

Kenny very sorry to see you broke a head bolt. Now you realize the head bolts are counter bored about 3/4 inch deep in the block. What I'm saying is there are no threads for the last 3/4 inches of the block at the deck. This design is so the head bolts wont pull up of the deck and create a bad head to deck seal on the gasket. I hope this broken bolt is on the exhaust side of the block. The lower row of bolts. If so heating up the outside of the block where the bolt lug is may help in removal. You might try grinding a flat blade screwdriver slot in the broken bolt. If that doesn't work drilling a hole ALL the way thru it and soaking it in Kroil for a few days applying heat to it may loosen it. the heating will expand the block. That allows the penetrant to seep in. Grinding the broken bolt flay will be real tuff that deep in the block. Maybe make up a special tool with a guide and flat grind bit on the bottom may work. One good thing is you wont be messing up and threads above the broken bolt because there are none.

 

[stealth13777]

May get lucky and get it out with one of those bolt extractor bits and a nice drill down the center of the bolt; got my broken one out that way without heat or damage to the threads. I realize I was lucky haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vegas39]

Kenny very sorry to see you broke a head bolt. Now you realize the head bolts are counter bored about 3/4 inch deep in the block. What I'm saying is there are no threads for the last 3/4 inches of the block at the deck. This design is so the head bolts wont pull up of the deck and create a bad head to deck seal on the gasket. I hope this broken bolt is on the exhaust side of the block. The lower row of bolts. If so heating up the outside of the block where the bolt lug is may help in removal. You might try grinding a flat blade screwdriver slot in the broken bolt. If that doesn't work drilling a hole ALL the way thru it and soaking it in Kroil for a few days applying heat to it may loosen it. the heating will expand the block. That allows the penetrant to seep in. Grinding the broken bolt flay will be real tuff that deep in the block. Maybe make up a special tool with a guide and flat grind bit on the bottom may work. One good thing is you wont be messing up and threads above the broken bolt because there are none.

Yes Gary, the broken bolt is one of the lower ones above the exhaust manifold. Weather permitting, I'll get out and fool with it this weekend.
Istopped at IH and bought the O rings and gaskets for the oil cooler, big mistake, spent 60 bucks on em! I know, I should have ordered them off the net.
Machine shop called me today and said the heads checked out fine as far as cracks. They are going to go ahead and shave a hair off them and grind the valves in a hair deeper. They also said that the exhaust valves were loose and they were going to replace the seats? Not too familiar with cylinder head lingo but they know what theyr'e doing, so I'll take their word for it.

 

[icanfixall]

Exhaust valves have replaceable stellite seats but the intakes have nothing. We can buy replacement seats for the intakes but cutting the heads for them usually cuts into the water jackets. Then a head is ruined. so do not allow any shop to install intake seats.

 

[vegas39]

Exhaust valves have replaceable stellite seats but the intakes have nothing. We can buy replacement seats for the intakes but cutting the heads for them usually cuts into the water jackets. Then a head is ruined. so do not allow any shop to install intake seats.

Ok, thanks!

 

[ZWilson07]

Exhaust valves have replaceable stellite seats but the intakes have nothing. We can buy replacement seats for the intakes but cutting the heads for them usually cuts into the water jackets. Then a head is ruined. so do not allow any shop to install intake seats.

So what do we have to do is the intake side valve seats are bad or cracked? I presume just forced to find another head no matter what?

 

[icanfixall]

So what do we have to do is the intake side valve seats are bad or cracked? I presume just forced to find another head no matter what?

Yes.. Sorry state but true.

 

[Sorro71]

I've got similar problems.
I can vouch that trying to put an insert in the intake seat doesn't work.
Here's a photo

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[icanfixall]

I've got similar problems.
I can vouch that trying to put an insert in the intake seat doesn't work.
Here's a photo

You must be registered for see images attach

Thanks for the great pic of why the intake seat replacement is usually never going to work. The coolant passages are just too close. Now I don't know if the new offshore heads will react the same. They are supposed to be thicker but I'm not sure if they are better in this area or not.

 

[IDIoit]

May get lucky and get it out with one of those bolt extractor bits and a nice drill down the center of the bolt; got my broken one out that way without heat or damage to the threads. I realize I was lucky haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FWIW, i use a die grinder on the bolt before i try to drill it, it ensures a nice center point to start drilling from.... and i would also drill it with a reversed drill bit, sometimes you get lucky and end up getting the SOB out while drilling.