Missing coolant, no start, dead truck

[SKimballC]

My truck has crapped out suddenly while I am out on a trip. It ran more and less fine from TN to Columbia MO. Right outside of here I noticed that it was missing a bunch of coolant, the overflow tank was empty and I fit a gallon in the radiator. It was running at about 200-205 F the whole way. I got to my pal's house and parked it and the next day it wouldn't start. It would crank, but slowly, so I got the batteries tested and charged, pulled the starter, got it tested, they said it was bad so I replaced it. No difference. I then checked the coolant again and it was real low. There are no leaks anywhere thaat I see. So I assume that its a head gasket failure or cavitation allowing the coolant into the cylinders. It turns slooooow. I pulled a couple glow plugs and they look a little reddish I assume from having water on them. I didn't notice any coolant in the oil. I don't really know what to do, since I can't really do anything else. I can't test compression if it will barely crank. I don't know how I am gonna get it back to Memphis like this. Any ideas or suggestions on what to check or do at this point?

 

[EvergreenRanch]

hey man sorry to hear your bad luck, but i think ur diagnosis is correct on the coolant leak into the cylinders and the engine hydrolocking im sorry to say. get it to a shop quick

 

[f-two-fiddy]

If coolant leaked into the cyl, it'd prolly hydrolock. Meaning no crank. Pull the plugs and spin it, while awatching for spray from the plug holes.
It might be the oil cooler. Have you checked the oil? Got milk?

 

[SKimballC]

After letting it sit for a day I found a ton of coolant when I pulled the drain on the oil pan. Head gaskets I presume. For the cost I was quoted to do them I would be better off buying another engine. Like a Cummins.
So where is the oil cooler on these things?

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Drivers side, right below the exhaust manifold

 

[Freight_Train]

How much water would you say you lost?If it was a gallon or so I would say Head gaskets,If it was more than that it is lower than the head gaskets.The water will only drain out to the level of the leak.The key thing here is DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE PERIOD.Even if you drain the oil/water from the crank case and refill.Any water in the oil will distroy the bearings in very short order.But definatly drain the crank case right now along with the coolant system.Even sitting with water in the oil will cause bearing failure.Coolant and oil create a weak acid and will etch the bearings.

 

[SKimballC]

Way more than a gallon. At the very least 2. The engine is junk as far I am concerned. I would just as soon swap the whole motor out than try fixing or tearing into what I've got. IF and when I can get the truck back home. This is a messy situation, and will inevitably be an expensive one as well.

 

[Freight_Train]

Doesn't have to be expensive.You can do like I did,Find a truck that is Cosmetically distroyed(Sorry Whitehorse!) but in top notch running condition for a good price(in mine $500 for the truck,another 500 for the extra parts that I could pretty much have lived without but figured I would go ahead and replace like gaskets,seals,studed the heads,New injectors(All G codes since I already had 4 NIB but if I was thinking LONG term engine I would call ken and get a stage one fuel system and be done with it.But since you don't want to bother rebuilding I would suggest a 6.9L swap over and forget all about Cavitation.

 

[SKimballC]

My ATS turbo will work on the 6.9. That's good.
What about the exhaust manifolds and all the accessories and stuff? Anything squirrely about swapping the 7.3 for 6.9 or is it straight?

 

[towcat]

My ATS turbo will work on the 6.9. That's good.
What about the exhaust manifolds and all the accessories and stuff? Anything squirrely about swapping the 7.3 for 6.9 or is it straight?

All the stuff will swap over from one longblock to another.
If the motor is condemmed and you need to get home, crank over the motor with the glowplugs removed and get the water out of the cylinders. Get a couple of jars of bar's leak and dump it into the cooling system. fire up the truck and then fill with water. It's not going to be pretty, but it will get you home. Yes, there are pundits who rail against Bar's leak and starting fluid, but when that is what takes to get the truck home, you do what you have to do. I drove from TX to CA a couple of years ago with a very sick motor, I flat out killed it on the run back, but being an IDI....once you get her started and can keep her running...you are going home. That is the beauty of our trucks.

 

[Freight_Train]

Yea,Dump whatever stop leak junk you can get a hold of and dump her in.They even sell the stuff to fix leaking head gaskets......If I was in BFE half way across the country and had a major failure like this.I would be buying a bottle of about everything they have.Drop it in,Fire it up drive 60-100 miles and check.If it didn't work,dump something else in,drain the watery oil again and try again(might want to buy a couple cases of house brand cheap oil).

 

[Freight_Train]

oh yea,I am doing....well,having done this exact swap.Putting a 84 6.9L(not a normal 6.9L that everyone has but a 6.9L-A engine.The Original one year engine with the funky precup chambers,Compression ratio and piston crowns.Everything is a simple unbolt and rebolt type deal.There is a couple items that are actually better on a 6.9 than a 7.3L.One,you don't have to worry about Cavitation as bad and two,head studs are so much cheaper.

 

[SKimballC]

How do you fully drain the cooling system? Lower radiator hose or are there drain plugs somewhere? I gotta get that stuff outta there.

 

[towcat]

How do you fully drain the cooling system? Lower radiator hose or are there drain plugs somewhere? I gotta get that stuff outta there.

I am not quite sure what you are trying to achieve by draining out the coolant completely. But the block drain plugs are just right below the freezeplugs in the middle of the block. If you have coolant in the oil, a oil change will get most of the stuff out except for the condensation in the valve covers.

 

[SKimballC]

I ask because the Bar's Leaks instructions say to drain and flush ALL coolant out for it to work. Only water can be in the system. As is the coolant will keep draining into the oil, but I don't see how only an oil change would remove almost all the coolant without draining the block too. If I am going to try the Bar's Leak and drive it home 437 miles I would feel a wee bit better knowing that I followed the instuctions on the bottle. What's more though, is that water will drain back into the oil while I add the Bar's Leak before it sets up, and I'll get to drain the oil again. I wonder what that stuff might do when it drains into the oil with the water before it attempts to fix the cracked head or failed head gasket. I don't know, just trying to figure this all out before I get cracking.