died on road, what would be the cause

[13fcolt]

Had to make a trip back to arkansas last month, truck ran fine and has been running fine. Last night I hit the road to get back to florida and and all hell broke loose 20 miles down the road. Now its dead.
Was cruising along, then it started to sound strange. Then all at once she started shaking hard, lost power and blew the bottom rad hose off. Now it wont start at all and sounds like crap when I crank it. There was no boilover beforehand and the temps were fine except egt shot to just over 900 right before the hose blew.
Any guesses as to what happened and if she can be fixed?

 

[OLDBULL8]

It would help if we know what engine you have 6.9 or 7.3?

Could be you blew a head gasket or cavitation. Take the GP's out and turn the engine over, see if coolant shoots out of any one cylinder. That will prevent it from hydrolocking.

 

[icanfixall]

Its difficult to answer what happened by your description of what happened and what it sounds like... The motor shaking and blowing off the lower hose kinda tells me you may have dropped a valve. When that happens the piston breaks up and a rod usually goes thru the cylinder wall. If the motor is making a metal noise its time to tow it and give more information as to whats going on. Miles on motor... Year of motor.... Recent work done to motor.. Is it a 6.9 or 7.3 motor. Did you actually see the bottom radiater hose disconnected from the block or are you guessing thats what happened...

 

[13fcolt]

Its an 89 f350 7.3. The rad hose was off the rad at the bottom. I was able to just clamp it back on and refill it, but it would not start. Didn't hear any metal sounds, but. Cranking it sounds really different, just a sick coughing weak sound. Towing it now and will be digging into it later.

Thanks

 

[13fcolt]

Got cold and wet before I could get the heads off but so far it looks like the valves are still where they should be. Im hoping its going to be fine with new head gaskets.

 

[RLDSL]

Did you run a compression test and a leakdown test to see what kind of shape it was in and where you might be getting pressure from?

 

[13fcolt]

Nah, I don't have that kind of stuff in my tool box. Im having to get this thing running on a shoestring and prayer because it literally left me stranded. Just need to get it back to florida and eventually get rid of it. My favorite truck has turned into a nightmare lately.

 

[DeepRoots]

you sure the lower rad hose didn't blow off first and the rest happened afterwards?

 

[RLDSL]

Nah, I don't have that kind of stuff in my tool box. Im having to get this thing running on a shoestring and prayer because it literally left me stranded. Just need to get it back to florida and eventually get rid of it. My favorite truck has turned into a nightmare lately.

Where exactly are you with the thing? i'm in Arkansas and I have that test equipment here.

 

[13fcolt]

Im in ola, had it towed to my uncles place. Hoping the weather is less hostile and the head bolts more cooperative tomorrow, I still don't have those off.
yes im sure the rad hose blew off last. I had already started pulling off the road when it died on the shoulder and blew the hose.

 

[RLDSL]

Im in ola, had it towed to my uncles place. Hoping the weather is less hostile and the head bolts more cooperative tomorrow, I still don't have those off.
yes im sure the rad hose blew off last. I had already started pulling off the road when it died on the shoulder and blew the hose.

Small world. I used to live over in Casa about 18 years ago I had 40 acres over there. I'm not far from there now, if you head east past Perryville where you cross the river at Toadsuck we're right there before Conway.

 

[13fcolt]

Damn, I spent most of the day and a can of liquid wrench getting the y pipe bolts.
now, before I make it more broken, is there a write up on the head bolt sequence for taking them out, and putting them back in?
Also, any helpful pointers for pulling heads by hand? Did some searching and found i'll need rubber bands on the bolts in the back and the torque numbers but anything else?

 

[13fcolt]

Small world. I used to live over in Casa about 18 years ago I had 40 acres over there. I'm not far from there now, if you head east past Perryville where you cross the river at Toadsuck we're right there before Conway.

I remember, I been out to your place a year or so ago. Borrowed an injection line for a few months. Thanks again, that really saved my bacon.

 

[RLDSL]

I remember, I been out to your place a year or so ago. Borrowed an injection line for a few months. Thanks again, that really saved my bacon.

My Memory sucks, I can't remember who comes by half the time, this place is like grand central station sometimes.
Remove those head bolts in teh reverse order of what the torquing down order is, Losen them a 1/4 turn at a time until they can be spun freely after that you can put the air tools to them and zip them out. I have a bottoming tap you can borrow to clean out the bolt holes in the block if you need it. Chances are you'd have to come to Conway to Dimension Tool to get one anyway, it would probably be the closest place to have one.

 

[OLDBULL8]

here is the head bolt sequence if you don't have it. Start at #17 then count down as RLDSL said.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2596036560090356897tmPqLZ