Oil change nightmare!

[machinist75]

Last Saturday I went to change my oil for the first time and boy was I in for a big surprise. I had everything I needed for the change, six 5 quart jugs of rotella, new spin on filter adaptor, fleet guard filter, and some Lucas oil additive. Put a 5 gallon bucket under the pan and loosened the drain plug and to my surprise out came twelve gallons of coolant and oil. Luckily I had two more buckets handy. I inspected the drain plug and found a couple of steel pieces hanging on. I just about lost my lunch. After draining I inspected the drain hole with a flashlight and a telescoping magnet and pulled out a few more plus there was a larger piece that wouldn't fit. These pieces had machine marks on them like they came off of a lathe. So I'm expecting its a liner that came apart around the orings. The truck was running like a top and no weird noises. I am going to pull the pan off this weekend and see what I can see. Anyone ever replace a liner? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Suprman]

I watched a friend do a liner in an 8.3 for me. I bought the sleeve puller/installer kit so he could do it. One cylinder had eaten a ring. There was no fluid mix. I bought the upper and lower gasket sets and a sleeve/piston set. Had to have the head redone. I don't know the 250 motor but I can tell you chances are you need more than a sleeve with that much coolant mixed and the odd chunk that came out.

 

[Coffey1]

**** what a nightmare. Headgasket for sure.I guess you will know more when you pull the pan and pull the head.
Looks like if it had broke liner the rings would be gone and smoking like a freight train.

 

[machinist75]

**** what a nightmare. Headgasket for sure.I guess you will know more when you pull the pan and pull the head.
Looks like if it had broke liner the rings would be gone and smoking like a freight train.

Lit wasn't smoking at all, running like a top. Never would have known anything was wrong.

 

[mahdey]

Ehh, it happens. Luckily you can inframe these very easily.

 

[WillWagner]

Before you go and pull it apart, troubleshoot it. Drop the pan, fill it with water and watch where the water is coming from. If it doesn't leak, put pressure on it.

 

[m16ty]

Pulling a liner isn't that big of a deal. A puller works best. I have been told that you can use a block of wood and a jack under the truck to pop them out but I haven't tried it (You don't have much room to get wood it there with the crank still in). It doesn't take much pressure to pop them out.

I like to put the new liner in the freezer overnight and heat the block a little with a torpedo heater before I install them. I'm really unsure how much it helps on wet liners (like the NHC 250 has) though. On dry liners it's a must.

A good visual inspection with the pan off and a pressure test like Will said should revel your problem.

Depending on how long it ran with all that water in there, you may need bearings also.

 

[bigbird1]

Liners just don't break you have more problems, Like everyone has said pull the pan. It shouldn't be hard to find the problem with that big chunk . I bet a used engine will be cheaper before your done.

 

[machinist75]

Before you go and pull it apart, troubleshoot it. Drop the pan, fill it with water and watch where the water is coming from. If it doesn't leak, put pressure on it.

I've tried a couple snap on pressure tester fits and even the one they loan out from oreillys and no luck finding a adaptor to fit the expansion tank to pressurize it.

 

[juanprado]

I am not by my truck but I think it is a 2 1/2 which would use a stant 12015 adapter or NAPA balkamp 700-1302

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...sure-Tester-Adapter/_/R-BK_7001302_0361174093

 

[machinist75]

Thanks Juan. Should be at my local napa at 2:30 today.

 

[74M35A2]

Coolant eats the plating off of bearings. You should plan to do at least the rods and mains, as they should be reasonably inexpensive. I'd be worried about the cam bearings also, but that probably requires engine removal to do. Judge it by how the rod and main bearing journal surfaces look. I have rebuilt many engines which had coolant in the oil, and it is downright scary what the bearing surface looks like after anti-freeze hits them.

Like others said, find the coolant intrusion source first, even before you pull it apart, if you can. Could be oil cooler, air compressor (?), head gasket, block cracked, head cracked, etc...

 

[machinist75]

I am just amazed at how good it was running.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I bet the very bottom of a liner crumbled and a crack ran up the liner from there. That would be why you have the coolant leak without having eaten a ring. It is interesting though because if that was the case I would think that the combustion pressure would have pressurized the cooling system and blown the cap off or blown a hose. But then again, if the crack doesn't extend very far upwards there would be no pressure passed into the cooling system to speak of.

 

[machinist75]

I bet the very bottom of a liner crumbled and a crack ran up the liner from there. That would be why you have the coolant leak without having eaten a ring. It is interesting though because if that was the case I would think that the combustion pressure would have pressurized the cooling system and blown the cap off or blown a hose. But then again, if the crack doesn't extend very far upwards there would be no pressure passed into the cooling system to speak of.

This is what I am hoping for. That it broke down at the bottom around the orings where the coolant flows around them. on my way to Napa to get coolant pressure adaptor.

 

[Ord22]

It would be cheaper to replace the liner w/ piston, along with rod and main bearings rather than a engine. Look at everything carefully. I work on Diesel engines, expect the unexpected. Keep us inform.

 

[machinist75]

We'll got the oil pan off, that was a booger. Found a lot more chunks of steel in the bottom of the pan. Sprayed bottom end with brake cleaner and took a peak with a flashlight. From what I can tell from under there is that the second from the rear cylinder liner came apart on the bottom. Looks like the bottom of the piston is nicked up also. All the other liners look fine to me. Will get some pics when I get out of the shower.

 

[machinist75]

Here's the pieces of good ole American steel that was in the bottom of the pan.

 

[davo727]

Alright , hopefully one liner- piston assy will do it. If it was me I would change all 3 of the head gaskets though also while youre out there. check or replace the oil pump and make sure none of that steel messed up any accessory gears.

 

[bigbird1]

I assume the 250 is a wet sleeve? If it is there is a good chance the lower ring land is messed up where the o rings seal. This can be fixed but only with a lower counter boring and sleeve pressed and then machined to the org specs. The block has to be bare to do this. Then there is the what caused the problem to begin with and will it do it again if we put a new piston and sleeve in? There is a lot of chunks like a whole sleeve maybe?
My vote is find a used engine, you will save money in the long run. If you decide to fix this engine make sure you or someone who knows diesel engines takes a look at it first. I have seen a few where they thought they were experts and cost them a few thousand in mistakes before it was over.