Possible cracked head

[G. Mann]

Radiator pressure test will only test if the cooling system will hold pressure. You are losing coolant... quite a lot.. From your description, it has all the hallmarks of blown head gasket... Start the truck, pull off the radiator cap, and watch what happens. If the coolant surges in the radiator and makes bubbles, you have compression gasses coming into the cooling system... at about 300 psi... radiator cap is 16 psi.. or 13 psi.. in operation, the combustion pressure will push coolant past the cap.. out the overflow tank.. and the fan will blow it as a mist, so you don't see it... soon as enough coolant is missing, you overheat...

Simple test, just run engine with cap off and watch..

 

[Alwaysreadyrob]

Very detailed description, thank you... i will do this today .
How long until i should start seing the signs ?
5 min - 15 min

 

[G. Mann]

Depends on how big the leak is, if a section the the head gasket is blown out and you have two cylinders pumping gasses into the cooling system.. it will show up right away.
If it's a "little leak" it may take until you get the engine warmed up a little... or to full operation temp... again, depends on size of the combustion leak...

I have a 92 / 7.3 with a turbo that I bought that has a "really blown" gasket.. the radiator starts to surge and bubble as soon as it's started... and it also blows coolant out the exhaust at white steam... yours doesn't sound as bad... yet..

 

[Alwaysreadyrob]

No im blowing white steam now too. How much should i be prepared to pay a shop the fix it ? Depends huh.... if just head gasket or cracked head huh

 

[Hydro-idi]

I would forget about the tests if your blowing white steam out the exhaust. That’s enough of an indicator to know somethings wrong.
You need to get it fixed and you won’t know exactly what’s going on until you tear into the engine.
Plan on a bill of at least 3k to have a shop do it. That will include replacing headgaskets and getting heads checked for cracks & rebuilt.
I would recommend doing it yourself. You’ll save yourself lots of $ by going that route. I’ve done this job multiple times in frame and it’s not all that bad if you have a cherry picker to lift heads off.
It just takes time, patience, and lots of organization with the parts you take off & put back on.

 

[Alwaysreadyrob]

The pressure in the coolant test held at 14PSI for 4 minutes .
What about using the bars stop leak in a bottle ?

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[79jasper]

Depends, do you want it fixed? Or make things worse?

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[Alwaysreadyrob]

Video if i can upload it .fixed right

 

[79jasper]

Then no, no stop leak.

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[Sidewinded_idi]

Idk I’ve had some pretty good luck with eggs in the radiator!!!

 

[G. Mann]

If I understand your earlier post, you have white smoke out the exhaust [steam].. that tells me it's NOT a leaking radiator issue.. but a head gasket or cracked head issue...

If you add radiator seal.... it will goop up your radiator and speed up the overheat problem... but do nothing to cure the real problem...

Your truck....your call... good luck