Blown Head gsket??? Need help

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Guys,


The other day I had coolant leaking from the radiator hose at the radiator, no big deal tighten it and keep movin'. The next morning on the way to work my heater started blowing out cold air. The truck never showed temps above normal. When I got to work, the hood was steaming. I opened it to find the overflow jug full and coolant had comeout by the cap all over everything. I put coolant in it and started home. I got @12 miles and it started getting hot. So I left it at my friends house. I've been out of town all week and am just starting to look at the problem. A new radiator cap did not fix it. Is it something wrong with the thermostat or a blown head gasket. Need help from the experts. I thought I saw a post on this the other day, but now I can't find it. Any help would be appreciated.

thanks
Don


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1989 D 250 Ice blue met. 5 spd 3. 54, 135,000, Banks stage III powerpack straight exhaust, pump adjustments, still looking for more power
1999 3500 4x4 Chassis cab Emerald green ISB 5 spd 4. 10 K&N Filter straight exhaust 9 ft flatbed WARN fenderflares,Let the BOBMing begin!!! 275hp injectors on order, need gages and a VA box.

 

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With your engine cool, take off the radiator cap and start it up. If you immediately begin bubbling and spitting, it's a very good chance you have a blown head gasket.

If nothing happens until it gets warm, but it thn overheats, you may just have a stuck thermostat.

Check for anti-freeze in the oil (foamy tan gunk on the dipstick).

 

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Big Don: I'd suggest a quick test:
Top up the coolant with the engine cold.
Start it up with the radiator cap loose, and observe the coolant in the full radiator. When cold (thermostat closed) the fluid should appear fairly stable (little if any movement) and cool or luke warm to touch.
When the thermostat begins to open, the flow will begin, and coolant will increase in temperature. What you want to see is no bubbles, no foaming, or turbulated aeriated coolant. If you do, this would indicate combustion chamber gases being forced into the coolant chambers via a leaking gasket, or worse, a crack in the block or head.
Lastly... check the coolant reserve system. Check the hose for kinks, the vent hose for blockage. Both would cause low gage temps, and coolant overflow.
These tips are offered as a first look, and hope the problem is not serious.
Good Luck.

 

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Sorry Big Don, sounds like a head gasket leak to me. The bubble test outlined earlier may only work if the thermostat is open. Like already stated, check your oil as it may get contaminated when you shutdown. The pressure pushes the water into the engine and in the oil. If there is glycol in the oil STOP #ad
, that stuff will eat your bearings like now!
Good luck man!!!

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Jason's Lil' Mack - 89 D250LE 2WD 5Spd 3. 55 Reg Cab. K&N,"tweaked pump", 3. 5" Exst straight,E&M Custom seats. Bosch H4, HDI Plasma-white HdLites. Bosch 100W Driving. Bosch 55W Fogs.
210,000 miles

 

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Thanks All,

I will try the test tomorrow. I did not get much sleep on my trip. I was in Detroit, MI and 'Ol Blue was here in the driveway sick. I have another post you guys may want to look at "hopup Q/A"


later
Don

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1989 D 250 Ice blue met. 5 spd 3. 54, 135,000, Banks stage III powerpack straight exhaust, pump adjustments, still looking for more power
1999 3500 4x4 Chassis cab Emerald green ISB 5 spd 4. 10 K&N Filter straight exhaust 9 ft flatbed WARN fenderflares,Let the BOBMing begin!!! 275hp injectors on order, need gages and a VA box.

 

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Sometimes the first place you see milky oil from water in it is a high place, like inside a valve cover, or the oiil filler. And, true, the ethylene glycol eats bearings and pistons fast. If it has been spraying into a cylinder, check carefully for pistons eroded above the ring lands.

Another member asked about changing his head gasket a month so ago, also on the 1st gen forum. I was the only one who answered him. Maybe I'm only list member who has changed the head gasket? (Actually I think Piers has also!) #ad
I'll pull that thread to the top for you.

Good luck. If compression is leaking into the water jacket/radiator, you can see bubbling or pressure will constantly be overcoming the 15 lb cap. If the leak is from a water jacket place in the gasket to the outside, that will be seen only as a leak to the outside, or into the oil.

 

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thanks Joe,

Any tips on replacing?? I'll do the work myself. I am not a "Certified" mechanic but I do alot of work on tractors. I have never pulled the head off of a might "B" it will be interesting. I thought while I had it off, I'd have it checked for cracks and have the valves checked and reseated if necessary. Is there any performance mods any of you would recommend while it is down???

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1989 D 250 Ice blue met. 5 spd 3. 54, 135,000, Banks stage III powerpack straight exhaust, pump adjustments, still looking for more power
1999 3500 4x4 Chassis cab Emerald green ISB 5 spd 4. 10 K&N Filter straight exhaust 9 ft flatbed WARN fenderflares,Let the BOBMing begin!!! 275hp injectors on order, need gages and a VA box.

 

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I was the one that asked about the blown headgasket. You would have to have a REAL blown gasket to get the symptoms you describe. The headgasket has three different sealing areas. One for oil, one for coolant and then the firing rings. On mine the gasket was blown on number two. If you look on the passenger side of the engine,at the block/head interface, there is a little slot in the gasket. I am guessing that it is a tattle tail as that is where the little spray of air/oil shot out[one slot for each cylinder]. I guess it was unburnt fuel as the oil passages are on the drivers side of the engine. To get from the cylinder to the coolant it would have to go to a separate area gasket for the coolant. I have heard that the heads sometimes crack between the intake and exhaust. Tips: The head is REALLY heavy. I had to use an engine hoist to get the head off. It popped right loose, but the thing is more then one guy can lift in the engine compartment. The rear hook is upside down on the back of the intake manifold, I hooked there and at the hook at the thermo neck. When I took the head to Cummins NW, the first thing they ordered was a pressure test. Didn't matter as the head was grooved from the gasket working around after it blew. I didn't catch the problem as it never got hot, and didn't miss or smoke abnormally. I caught it when I noticed a hissing/popping noise under the hood at idle. I found a popped exhaust gasket, but then noted the streak down the side of the engine and the sprayed oil by the air cleaner pipe to the turbo. Right now I am waiting for a Cummins recon head [$647. 10 OUCH!+ injectors and a $130 gasket set] and a new set of injectors. No definite cause was found as the head and block are flat, but it is surmised that since I don't have a exhaust pyro, I got the exhaust too hot. Just the machine work for the head was $410, so for the difference I'll get the whole head. PS when you call Cummins, have the serial number ready, they do EVERYTHING by the engine serial number.

Bill red904x4 stock except for K&N and a Banks stinger

 

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Check for cracks near the valve seats, especially in #1 between intake and exhaust valves. On some other thread a few weeks ago (probably the 12 valve forum) I posted some suggestions for head porting, but this may be beyond your intentions. Just getting a good valve job and bronzewall guides should help. See my responses to the other thread in this forum (first gen) for tips on r&r the gasket.

 

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Don the Cummins headgasket usually goes right in the area by the oil cooler. The new head gaskets are reinforced in that area as well as several other improvements. They even have an updated head gasket out for the 24 valve engine. My buddies 98 12v had a 0. 060 dip in the block in this area and the block had to be pulled and decked. Sorry to hear about yours blowing.

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Piers

 

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What's the thickness of the 24 valve head gasket?? I would like to lower compression to keep things cool. Any other specs on other years would be appreciated! Thanks

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'89, CC, SB, 5sp, 3. 54, 16cm2 housing, maxed fuel, KN, Banks exh w/muffler, Autometer liquid filled gauges, Factory tach option, 100% Dyna-Mat, Horton fan clutch, Firestone air bags, Chrysler V-twin air comp, 2. 5" lift, Rancho Shocks, Alcoa LTS, BFG 255/85/R16 MTs (33. 3")

 

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The headgasket comes in three thicknesses, that must be matched if the head is machined to correct a surface defect [std, 10 and 30 mm over], but I am not sure you can control temp by reducing the compression ratio...