Uh oh! Confirm my fears or lift my spirits

[1Sinner]

So I've been fighting a couple small coolant leaks here and there. First was a freeze plug, then one of the head transfer manifolds was leaking from a gasket and an old hose along with the thermostat housing weeping. Got to take it for a spin tonight to get it up to temp and get home to inspect for leaks....

I had noticed the wetness at the front of the block on the lip between the block and the head, along with some oily wetness down the side of the block by the motor tag and just behind the tag. I also noticed a few bubbles of green (antifreeze) at the front of the head. I had believed these were due to the other Previously mentioned leaks. After coming back tonight, everything was fresh with no leaks from other areas.

I believe this to be a failing head gasket. Is it worth attempting a retorque on the heads? Or am I looking at a top end teardown.

No water in oil, no oil in radiator.

Pics for reference. Sorry it was dark outside.

 

[cattlerepairman]

Re-torque. You have nothing to lose. It might still eventually fail but you might buy time. I bet you will be surprised about what you find when you put the torque wrench to the head stud nuts.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

[Menaces Nemesis]

Looks just like mine did before I replaced the head gaskets, which is the same way lots and lots of otherwise perfectly functioning multifuels do. Taken from one of my recent posts...

"This is often called "wetting the block". Multifuels are known for doing this, lotsa folks drive deuces that are doing this, some even with brand-new, new-style head gaskets, and it's not necessarily a problem unless you're getting oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil, or it's blowing compression to the atmosphere. Many people will not change head gaskets for merely wetting the block, so, it's up to you what you want to do."

Your truck has the old weep-tab head gaskets on it now. The new-stlye gaskets with integral fire rings are said to seal much better. From what I've gathered, whether installing new-style gaskets will end your block wetting forever, or you'll never have to replace them again, isn't guaranteed. So, it's a matter of what you're comfortable with. Are you okay with letting the current gaskets go until/if they blow? or would you feel more comfortable replacing them with new-style gaskets (which may still leak and need replaced in the future also).

 

[Mullaney]

So I've been fighting a couple small coolant leaks here and there. First was a freeze plug, then one of the head transfer manifolds was leaking from a gasket and an old hose along with the thermostat housing weeping. Got to take it for a spin tonight to get it up to temp and get home to inspect for leaks....

I had noticed the wetness at the front of the block on the lip between the block and the head, along with some oily wetness down the side of the block by the motor tag and just behind the tag. I also noticed a few bubbles of green (antifreeze) at the front of the head. I had believed these were due to the other Previously mentioned leaks. After coming back tonight, everything was fresh with no leaks from other areas.

I believe this to be a failing head gasket. Is it worth attempting a retorque on the heads? Or am I looking at a top end teardown.

No water in oil, no oil in radiator.

Pics for reference. Sorry it was dark outside.

Also have to remember that the fan blows anything fluid toward the back of the motor. A leak on the thermostat housing could as easily as not be the problem. Stranger things have happened before. With no "chocolate pudding" on the dipstick or oil filler cap - you either caught it early - or maybe the easier, cheaper things are a good place to start.

 

[1Sinner]

Looks just like mine did before I replaced the head gaskets, which is the same way lots and lots of otherwise perfectly functioning multifuels do. Taken from one of my recent posts...

"This is often called "wetting the block". Multifuels are known for doing this, lotsa folks drive deuces that are doing this, some even with brand-new, new-style head gaskets, and it's not necessarily a problem unless you're getting oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil, or it's blowing compression to the atmosphere. Many people will not change head gaskets for merely wetting the block, so, it's up to you what you want to do."

Your truck has the old weep-tab head gaskets on it now. The new-stlye gaskets with integral fire rings are said to seal much better. From what I've gathered, whether installing new-style gaskets will end your block wetting forever, or you'll never have to replace them again, isn't guaranteed. So, it's a matter of what you're comfortable with. Are you okay with letting the current gaskets go until/if they blow? or would you feel more comfortable replacing them with new-style gaskets (which may still leak and need replaced in the future also).

After chatting with a few people, going to attempt a hot torque before going further as I just don't want to spend the money on parts right this second, as I had just changed the oil and all filters. If I can get by for a little while with a retorque until I can gather the parts (better studs, new style gaskets, oil, filters, etc.) and budget for a head rebuild (if needed when I pull them off) or find a full gasket kit and do a complete reseal on the engine if I'm going to dig that deep anyway.

 

[1Sinner]

Also have to remember that the fan blows anything fluid toward the back of the motor. A leak on the thermostat housing could as easily as not be the problem. Stranger things have happened before. With no "chocolate pudding" on the dipstick or oil filler cap - you either caught it early - or maybe the easier, cheaper things are a good place to start.

It was definitely weeping out of the thermostat housing, I had just overlooked the possibility that it was leaking out of the head due to the nature and location of the leak.

 

[cattlerepairman]

After chatting with a few people, going to attempt a hot torque before going further as I just don't want to spend the money on parts right this second, as I had just changed the oil and all filters. If I can get by for a little while with a retorque until I can gather the parts (better studs, new style gaskets, oil, filters, etc.) and budget for a head rebuild (if needed when I pull them off) or find a full gasket kit and do a complete reseal on the engine if I'm going to dig that deep anyway.

Great time to set valve clearances as well!

You made me smile when you mentioned "engine reseal"...doing the head gaskets is one thing and I admire the "disciplined" people that can do just that and button everything back up.

I am so in danger of falling into the "while I am in there and have this apart, I can also do...." - trap. Heads off, oil pan off....clearly you do rings..and bearings...maybe new pistons....maybe LDS pistons and liners....ummmmmmmm

 

[1Sinner]

Great time to set valve clearances as well!

You made me smile when you mentioned "engine reseal"...doing the head gaskets is one thing and I admire the "disciplined" people that can do just that and button everything back up.

I am so in danger of falling into the "while I am in there and have this apart, I can also do...." - trap. Heads off, oil pan off....clearly you do rings..and bearings...maybe new pistons....maybe LDS pistons and liners....ummmmmmmm

For sure. I'll be checking valves and everything else. I'm horrible at fixing "just one thing" I want my stuff done right. Last time I dug into my 7.3 it cost me 8k. Lol. New turbo, new injectors, 4 line fuel feed, fuel bowl reseal, billet intake plenum. New gaskets, sensors, seals. But its a 2001 and doesn't leak a drop of oil or burn any.

 

[Mullaney]

For sure. I'll be checking valves and everything else. I'm horrible at fixing "just one thing" I want my stuff done right. Last time I dug into my 7.3 it cost me 8k. Lol. New turbo, new injectors, 4 line fuel feed, fuel bowl reseal, billet intake plenum. New gaskets, sensors, seals. But its a 2001 and doesn't leak a drop of oil or burn any.

I understand that concept... Going to replace a simple set of spark plugs on something and it ends up getting a new cap, button, wires and anything else that looks like it might need attention. Always from $20 to $200 in a flash! Or more.

Still, nothing beats fixing it right...

.

 

[pitpawten]

For sure. I'll be checking valves and everything else. I'm horrible at fixing "just one thing" I want my stuff done right. Last time I dug into my 7.3 it cost me 8k. Lol. New turbo, new injectors, 4 line fuel feed, fuel bowl reseal, billet intake plenum. New gaskets, sensors, seals. But its a 2001 and doesn't leak a drop of oil or burn any.

Does this 2001 happen to be an excursion with a 7.3 in it?

 

[1Sinner]

Does this 2001 happen to be an excursion with a 7.3 in it?

No, it's the f250 in my avatar. And the 8k was just parts. I did all the labor. Sitting around 450hp and 1100 ft/lbs to on the hot tune. Its always in tow tune though. Always dragging a toyhauler or a gooseneck.

 

[WillWagner]

To me, It looks like the hose from the WP to the intake manifold is leaking....see the white streaks on the hose and the wet at the upper part of the hose? That indicates a leakat the wet and the streaks indicate the coolant is drying as it runs down the hose. Yes, old style head gaskets are....well, they are '30s technology, leave a bit to be desired. If it were me, just to make sure it is the gasket, I would let it cool and go over all the clamps and mounting hardware then give it a test flog. Simple things first and yes, the fan blows that stuff everywhere. Check your radiator cap pop off. NORMALLY they fail to a lower pressure, but if it fails so the vent doesn't vent, you will push coolant from all sorts of places.

 

[1Sinner]

To me, It looks like the hose from the WP to the intake manifold is leaking....see the white streaks on the hose and the wet at the upper part of the hose? That indicates a leakat the wet and the streaks indicate the coolant is drying as it runs down the hose. Yes, old style head gaskets are....well, they are '30s technology, leave a bit to be desired. If it were me, just to make sure it is the gasket, I would let it cool and go over all the clamps and mounting hardware then give it a test flog. Simple things first and yes, the fan blows that stuff everywhere. Check your radiator cap pop off. NORMALLY they fail to a lower pressure, but if it fails so the vent doesn't vent, you will push coolant from all sorts of places.

Thanks Will. Already checked that, went over all clamps. The wet residual on the water pump housing is from before I changed the thermostat. It's definitely coming from between the block and head. Dried it and wiped it down before the test drive, freshly wet afterwards.

 

[WillWagner]

Another thing, the copper vent pipe coming out of the radiator neck can crack at the solder joint and blow stuff everywhere. If coolant or oil for that matter, gets blown across the engine it will seep under the heads/gaskets/between the deck and gaskets, and make it look like a leak due to the bubbling as it warms up. A good dousing in simple green and wash off can stop that and give you a clean slate to look at.

 

[WillWagner]

Head gaskets ain't too bad, a day and a bit to do.

 

[WillWagner]

And if you need to do them, I have....somewhere around here...a wrench for the FP side short nuts.

 

[Mullaney]

I was looking for something else and came across a 2010 post about head gaskets. TONS of information!

Head gasket repair walk through - go to post #31!

What I am interested in - and probably other newbies that have not done a head gasket job on a multi - are tips for what to do and what not to do and how to do it, from people that have done this job. I would like this to turn into a walk-through for the head gasket job. Seeing that you...

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[1Sinner]

I was looking for something else and came across a 2010 post about head gaskets. TONS of information!

Head gasket repair walk through - go to post #31!

What I am interested in - and probably other newbies that have not done a head gasket job on a multi - are tips for what to do and what not to do and how to do it, from people that have done this job. I would like this to turn into a walk-through for the head gasket job. Seeing that you...

www.steelsoldiers.com

Thanks!

 

[1Sinner]

Update, did a retorque and fired it back up. Small air bubbles forming while running even at low rpm at front passenger corner of the head. Looks like gaskets in my future....

 

[cattlerepairman]

Yes likely, but it can run like that for a looong time - as long as there is no oil entering the coolant. You ought to have bought yourself sufficient time to collect the info, tools and supplies to eventually do the head gasket(s). How loose/inconsistent were the head nuts?