Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Bad Tstat, Head G, or Cracked 53?

[rblomquist]

Hey guys. I popped the hood today to check the battery water level and noticed the radiator had blown a little bit of coolent out of the catch tank either driving home from camping (which I suspect) or driving the truck back and forth to work once this week. I usually keep a close eye on the gauges and I didn't notice any overheating either yesterday (unloaded to/from work) or when coming back from camping.



I inspected around the head and the block as best I could and I can't see any place where water is leaking. Could a bad t-stat cause blowout from the catch tank? I just put a new t-stat in about a month ago as my old one was going cold over time. I've pulled it today and boiled it in water and it seemed to open & close ok but I put my old one back in and went for a drive with the TT in tow just as a test... ..... I didn't overheat or blowout on the test drive although the trailer is probably 3k lighter than I was towing the other day. I wonder if the t-stat got stuck briefly or something?



About a year and a half ago I lost a head gasket which was fixed under warranty but the truck is out of warranty now. This truck has a 53 block and the truck has 110k but it had a new short block put in it a year or 2 before I bought it. I'm just wondering if I'm losing another head gasket or if the block is cracked or if the t-stat is bad (even though it's new).



I may put the new t-stat back in tonight and go for another test drive with the tt in tow. I'd like to get this figured out so I don't get on the road for some big trip and have it grenade out on the road with the wife and kids with me (like it did to us a couple years ago).



Thanks in advance!

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Your'e towing with your timing advanced.



I'd look at a new headgasket. Yours is blown and is leaking combustion pressure into the water jacket which in turn blows coolant out the recovery bottle.



Towing with any box that advances timing causes cylinder pressure to become astronomical. The headgasket can't handle it.

 

[rblomquist]

We'll I guess I was lucky to get 2 years out of it then. Still amazing to think it'd blow as the new engines are making much more power than mine with the mods I have. What about the thicker and marine gaskets and o-ringing? I hate to think about giving up the extra hp of the box, that's why I bought a box.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Don't get me wrong, I could be all wet.



It just sounds like what I went through is all.



Sounds exactly like it.

 

[SnoKing]

Your'e towing with your timing advanced.



I'd look at a new headgasket. Yours is blown and is leaking combustion pressure into the water jacket which in turn blows coolant out the recovery bottle.



Towing with any box that advances timing causes cylinder pressure to become astronomical. The headgasket can't handle it.

You are the first one I have seen post the "timing advanced" theory. There are alot of people towing with Edge EZ's! SNOKING

 

[jwilliams3]

A 53 block would have nothing to do with the combustion in the radiator/overflow tank.

 

[flattracker]

THROTTLEJOCKEY is right towwing with advanced timing is a headgasket killer and is reaffirmed by the fact this will be the third time this motor has had the head off in 110,000 mi. not exactly a steller reliability record.

 

[rblomquist]

THROTTLEJOCKEY is right towwing with advanced timing is a headgasket killer and is reaffirmed by the fact this will be the third time this motor has had the head off in 110,000 mi. not exactly a steller reliability record.

Tell me about it..... The fist time this motor was apart I didn't own it so I can't speak specifics on it but I do know it had a new short block put in it under warranty. I baby this truck and maintenance the hell out of it and it's not even a daily driver since last summer. My travel trailer only weighs about 11k and that's the heaviest thing this truck ever pulls. Plus, the only power mod I've ever run on the truck has been the EZ. So all we're talking about is like 230-240 total hp to the rear wheels and max 22lbs of boost or so. To me, it's flat crazy to keep having this HG problem.



I'm getting pretty frustrated with having failures even while still spending big bucks on beefing things up (trans, bigger pans, synthetic oils, etc etc) to keep from having problems.



Once again, I sure appreciate you guys' inputs.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

SNOKING, you are entirely correct and I don't mean to be the boy who cried wolf, but what I did to my headgasket was..... well,. . unsettling.



My wife wants me to frame it and hang it over my workbench.



Advanced timing in a diesel is fun on the dyno and hotrodding around, but don't tow with it advanced. The cylinder pressure becomes something out of a science fiction novel.

Advanced timing as a means of upping your HP will cut your longevity at least by a third. The combustion pressure will actually flatten rod and main bearings, requiring rebuilds every 80,000 miles or so. Yeesh.



Proper diesel towing requires increasing injector size by two or three, increasing manifold pressure, (Twins!) lowered compression ratio and RETARDED timing. A properly set up 5. 9 CTD will last around 500,000 miles with the HP up around 500 or so.



Wanna have some fun, call the people at Edge and ask them how long your headgasket will last towing with an EZ. Then listen to the dial tone.

 

[TractorNut]

I'd call and talk to DD. . I believe the timing is different on his box, because it has DD's program in it... I thought they had decrease the timing from Edge's program. . (I do NOT know this for sure. . call and talk to Keith. ) I've had my Comp box (DD's version) on my truck for almost 120K and used to always tow with in on. . in the last 30K I added DDIII's and either tow with it off, or on level one... Never had a problem...

TJ is right about what the timing can do...

Bryan

 

[HeavyHauler]

Well in light of all this, what is the best box to tow with? Is an adjustable TST ok? It doesn't adjust the timing at all does it?



Another thing about Edge, if you'll read the manual to the EZ carefully, it tells you to never tow heavy with the jumper in positions 2 or 3. I suppose that the 1st jumper setting gets the timing back down to what they feel is acceptable. That alone should tell you that the EZ wasn't made for monster loads.

 

[CumminsAholic]

Doesn't the timing issue have more to do with the HO motors than the standard output motors?

Corey

 

[rblomquist]

Another thing about Edge, if you'll read the manual to the EZ carefully, it tells you to never tow heavy with the jumper in positions 2 or 3. I suppose that the 1st jumper setting gets the timing back down to what they feel is acceptable. That alone should tell you that the EZ wasn't made for monster loads.

That statement was always assumed/presumed and or talked about to be in reference to dangerous EGTs (for those that don't have pyros). Also, if you buy in to this timing theory it really doesn't matter what setting the box is one as every setting tweaks the timing, the only difference is positions 2 and 3 add fuel to the timing.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Corey,

Yeah, your'e right. The HO has a higher CR than the SO.



I do know the absolute best box to tow with is the Blue Chip FMS.

No timing at all, the ECM handles all the variable timing chores like a stock truck.

That baby just adds the fuel.



I had pieces of headgasket in my piston cooling nozzles..... I had stacked timing boxes on though.



TractorNut is right about the DD 'EZ' and 'Comp' versions, pretty cool.

 

[AKDrifter]

So after reading this stuff on towing with timing box, I've decided to unhook the EZ for my trip south.



I should probably pinch off the boost elbow on the turbo as to not overspool... . correct ??



Went for a spin after turning the EZ off... ... ... ... no fun, but the safety factor pulling 12K down the AK hwy. seemes to be more of an issue.



Any more input on the theory of advanced timing and towing?? Have I done the smart thing ??



Paul

 

[ThrottleJockey]

So after reading this stuff on towing with timing box, I've decided to unhook the EZ for my trip south.



I should probably pinch off the boost elbow on the turbo as to not overspool... . correct ??



Went for a spin after turning the EZ off... ... ... ... no fun, but the safety factor pulling 12K down the AK hwy. seemes to be more of an issue.



Any more input on the theory of advanced timing and towing?? Have I done the smart thing ??



Paul

Look to see if your headgasket is the shape of ... . a, well, headgasket. Then you'll have answered your own question.



Don't pinch off the boost elbow. The reverse of your theory is actually true.

 

[nps]

So after reading this stuff on towing with timing box, I've decided to unhook the EZ for my trip south.



I should probably pinch off the boost elbow on the turbo as to not overspool... . correct ??



Went for a spin after turning the EZ off... ... ... ... no fun, but the safety factor pulling 12K down the AK hwy. seemes to be more of an issue.



Any more input on the theory of advanced timing and towing?? Have I done the smart thing ??



Paul

Paul,



Unplug the EZ CAN-BUS connector, but leave the EZ between the MAP and ECM. That way you still have the boost fooler inline and boost pressure will not be a problem.

 

[AKDrifter]

I unplugged the EZ at the rear of the block and put the origional plug back in.



I left the one by the VP plugged in... ... is this correct ??



Paul

 

[AKDrifter]

Sorry, I left the one by the VP plugged in to the EZ to clarify.

 

[SnoKing]

Sorry, I left the one by the VP plugged in to the EZ to clarify.

I think your have it backwards. The MAP is near the rear of the engine. SNOKING