condensation or water?

[icanfixall]

Best I can suggest is something was missed with the front water pump gear cover plate. Reason I mention this is you did have a tight block after testing with the block off plates. Then it tested good so you put it on the road and tested it. Now something has failed. I suspect a pushed out timing cover gasket. If you had a Plasma cutter you sure could very easily make a timing gear cover from stainless be using the original as a model. The timing tab is really easy to remove and weld on the new plate or make another one. Might end up a nice cottage business too. These timing gear water pump covers do get eaten up from bad water and errosion over the years. We have seen some really bad ones here too on this forum. Saw one where the member JB Welded it smooth again. Never heard how long that lasted either.

 

[IDIoit]

so..... threatening my truck with an engine swap, has shows the faces of a new demon.

I decided to check some stuff out this morning....
not been a good day.

but I found a leaky heater core hose,
went inside the truck to find dribblets under the heater box.
I decided to spend the rest of the day pressure testing, AFTER I set the replacement engine right next to the truck.

I will pressureize each cylinder if I can find an attachment to the glow plugs. if not, I will pull the injectors and pressurize through there, since I have the attachment.
at wits end.
but the heater core is bypassed, and pressurized once again.

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[IDIoit]

water in the oil could easily be from before.
I don't know.
I think im plagued with this engine.
the oil has set undisturbed since yesterday, I will pull the plug and check the oil.
but the oil level hasn't risen....
going bonkers.

 

[IDIoit]

definitely water in the oil.
dont know if its the front cover, cavitation or head gasket.

I have the glow plugs out.
front cover off as pictured w/ block off plates.
heating deleted.
pressureized it to 15 lbs, and its now holding again.
since the last issue, I have only been running drinking water.
not exactly distilled, but better than well water.
im gonna spend the next 8 hours rotating the crank 90@ every 2 hours.
if at that point its still holding pressure, I will be making a glow plug adapter
and pressurizing each cylinder and looking for bubbles.

1/2 of me says just do a f'n engine swap.
the other half says to find the f'ing issue!

if it holds pressure with the WP block offs
im tempted to put it together again.
with a different timing cover.
I still need to straight edge everything, but first things first.

 

[laserjock]

All I got to offer at this point is moral support.

 

[79jasper]

Take a glowplug and make your own adapter.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[IDIoit]

All I got to offer at this point is moral support.

Thanks buddy! I'll take all the help I can get!

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[DaveBen]

I would like to add my moral support, also. I have been in your shoes and it is no fun.

 

[IDIoit]

well, ive rotated the engine 6 times now, at an hour an interval
still holding pressure.
glow plugs out.

shawn said to compress the cylinders and look for bubbles.
think im going to take it a step further and put 100 psi into the cylinder.
which should put piston at BDC.
leave 15 psi in the cooling system and watch the gauge.
in theory it should rise above 15 if theres a leak, and 100 psi in the cylinder, if there is cavitation.
any objections?

3 timing covers looked at.
the timing cover I pulled off, has a 1/8" bend to it vertically on the block.
not much horizontal bend.

one on the mock up block is fubared 3/8" gap inbetween both water ports.

the other was straight as an arrow, but pitted bad.
I don't believe the cover is at fault.
I think its operator error.
rtv......
hard headed..
*******...

im also going to check the block when the pressure testing is done.

off to the store to find a fitting.

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[laserjock]

Right or wrong, I did mine with rtv on both sides of every gasket. Just the way I was taught and have always done it. I guess we will find out soon enough if it is a good idea in this application. I wonder if you aren't pressurizing the system either due to HG or cap not working right and its pushing the WP gasket out.

 

[IDIoit]

Right or wrong, I did mine with rtv on both sides of every gasket. Just the way I was taught and have always done it. I guess we will find out soon enough if it is a good idea in this application. I wonder if you aren't pressurizing the system either due to HG or cap not working right and its pushing the WP gasket out.

everyone swears on the permatex, aviation.

im in the same boat as you Mike, RTV both sides and get it together, set it up, then tighten.
hundreds of times before.
I do see evidence on how RTV could have peeled away from the metal cover on the inside.
2x now its leaked.
gray and black RTV.

this time im going to put the cover on with the permatex.
I just cleaned a cover with something like that and a gasket.
was hell to get off.
that's what I want!
it was almost like epoxy.

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[MTKirk]

I think you're on the right track with the pressure test.

Also I agree with the use of Aviation permatex on both sides of the gasket on the timing cover & water pump. Yes it is HELL to get off, but I believe it is better at holding pressure than rtv. I use it anywhere there is a gasket exposed to cooling system pressure, and that is what most factory manuals recommend as well (they call it other things, but pretty much the same gooey stuff).

At some point you have to figure out whats happening with this engine even if you were to swap in a new engine. I mean, whataya gonna do leave it out in the driveway or sell it for scrap not knowing if it's a $3 part away from being perfect? Hang in there, you'll figure it out. It's just bits of metal that must obey the laws of physics.

 

[DaveBen]

I have used Aviation Permatex and I find it works great. BTW, you are checking Sheet Metal for flatness. You are going to have to look at a lot of sheet metal to find a flat one.

 

[Shawn MacAnanny]

The gm rtv I used here doing head gaskets on my old duramax is the hardest rtv I've ever had to remove. It's expensive, but i even had trouble getting it off with a brass wire wheel

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Fluid-12378521-Engine-Sealant/dp/B000QIR5OA

The stuff I normally use is a little runny but I had tried to wash some off my greasy hands so no avail the larger clumps landed in the wash sink basin and so this day are still there stuck to the dirty bottom. Even with no prep the stuff seals like you wouldn't believe. I let it tack up 10 minutes or so before assembling

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001...words=1194&dpPl=1&dpID=41jqnrqkR8L&ref=plSrch

 

[IDIoit]

I have finished all pressure tests.
Block held 15 psi all day, rotating block 90*at a time.

I've took the valve train off, they need to be cleaned again.
Applied 100 psi to each cylinder.
No increase in pressure.
I've also took the pressure tester off.
Pressurized each cylinder and looked for bubbles.
There were none after 2 min each.
I have not checked the block yet.
That's on the list for tomorrow