Blow coolant from degas cap

Jonathan302 · February 16, 2012

Hi guys!

I have a 2008 6.4 F250 came in today to check a coolant lost.

Top off degas bottle to the line and add a dye to see where it leak.

I take it for a road test tonight.

I do few WOT 80 to 130 KM/H on the way home.

Heavy coolant smell after leaving the highway so i stop on the side to see what happen under the hood.

Wow!!! coolant all around the degas bottle and along the frame and fender wheel on the left side.

It seem like this 6.4 caught a 6.0 sickness.

I check the cap with pressure tester and it open at 17 psi.

I will do more test tomorrow at the dealer.

I'm thinking about head gasket for now but i will see tomorrow ...

Have you ever seen a 6.4 with this concern ???

That's the first time i see a 6.4 do this ...

Thanks!

Bruce Amacker · February 16, 2012

"Tee" a 30lb pressure gauge into the cooling system with a long hose going into the cab. Take it out and romp on it, and see if the gauge jumps up indicating a head gasket. I'd also do some preliminary EGR cooler diag to rule that out.

Good Luck!

Posted Image

ktmlew · February 16, 2012

I ask again...why not just check at reservoir with combustion leak detector?

joshbuys · February 16, 2012

I ask again...why not just check at reservoir with combustion leak detector?

You will have 'combustion' in the cooling system with a blown egr cooler, you need to do a vacuum test to see if the coolers are holding vacuum. And per hotline "vertical coolers NEVER leak...." (bold/italics added) Posted Image

ktmlew · February 16, 2012

Originally Posted By: ktmlew

I ask again...why not just check at reservoir with combustion leak detector?

You will have 'combustion' in the cooling system with a blown egr cooler, you need to do a vacuum test to see if the coolers are holding vacuum. And per hotline "vertical coolers NEVER leak...." (bold/italics added)

Ahhh! Good point. I suppose the same would be true fro the 6.0L?

Jonathan302 · February 17, 2012

Update:

Did some test today.

Pressure cooling system at 17 PSI for 1 hour,no drop.

Put vaccum at 22 inch of mercury with rad kit+ for 1 hour, no drop.

Remove EGRT2 and EBP, no sign of dye on these 2 sensor.

Road with the PVT connect to cooling system, 23-24 psi under hard acceleration.

This truck really need new head gasket.

Thanks guys Posted Image

I will post the result of the repair later ... 3 trucks is waiting for major repair this week Posted Image

mchan68 · February 17, 2012

3 trucks is waiting for major repair this week

I don't envy you one bit John. Are they all 6.4L trucks? And since you're in "la belle province", parlez-vous Francais? I was just in Montreal this Christmas that just passed, and I don't recall seeing too many diesel powered Ford trucks. It seems that you Quebecers are not too into diesels.

Jonathan302 · February 18, 2012

-09 5.4 F150 drop an intake valve in the cylinder.

-06 6.0 F550 need head gasket.

and this 08 6.4 F250 also need head gasket.

And yes, je parle francais, in fact it is 100% french where i live and work.

95% of the time i work on PSD truck, the rest of the time i see some F150,it's a truck place here Posted Image

In Montreal, you will see more car and SUV than F-Series.

PSD is a major seller at my dealership,we sell around 10 truck for 1 car here.

I like what i do here Posted Image

lmorris · February 23, 2012

Reads like what we had/have lined up. Guy next to me just swapped out a 5.4L that had dropped an intake valve. He found the stem in the intake manifold.

Got a 6.4L blowing out the degas as well, headgaskets for that one.

Got a 6L here as I type with what looks like an external coolant leak from the rear of the right head. Just had intake off to change EGR cooler and Oil cooler gaskets/ o-rings for leaking only 2 weeks ago. Seems it may have a couple of other leaks...

Mbl35 · February 24, 2012

The shop around the corner from my house had a truck with an external leak from one of the heads(so they say). I didnt beleive it becuase I never heard of it. Its an 05e350 box truck. I told.them the engine needs to come out-they thought it can be done without rnr the motor. Now they want to sell the customer a complete engine. The customer is not sure if he.wants to do the job now.

Jonathan302 · February 25, 2012

External leak on the right side cylinder head ... take a look at the little hose between the oil and EGR cooler, i bet you will find your leak.

I also found the valve stem in the intake of the 5.4 and another piece a i was unable to remove, so i replaced the intake to take no chance with that.

The 6.0 is done too, so i started to tear down the 6.4 this afternoon.

Jonathan302 · March 1, 2012

I think i found my problem.

I have a notch in the head exactly were the cylinder #1 fire ring goes.

Close to the front cooling port in the head.

I don't know why this happen ... casting porosity ... quality control ???

So i ordered a new head but she is on backorder ...

Keith Browning · March 1, 2012

Casting, maybe. I just had a 6.4L in that got a short block... and a head after discovering cracks in the head... point is I photographed the cracks and in viewing the pictures you can see a lot of pits in the machined surface that apparently are from the casting. I noticed this in past years when photographing 6 Liter blocks at the bed plate. I would not say that this is a problem given the number of engines produced so one every so often that develops a problem is to be, say expected?

cbriggs · March 3, 2012

Quote:

I noticed this in past years when photographing 6 Liter blocks at the bed plate.

Ya no doubt. Every bedplate reseal I have ever done has had some sort of porosity or machining problem cause the leak. I have been applying sealer since the first one I did, and have never seen one even moist that I have sealed.

lmorris · March 5, 2012

Casting, maybe. I just had a 6.4L in that got a short block... and a head after discovering cracks in the head... point is I photographed the cracks and in viewing the pictures you can see a lot of pits in the machined surface that apparently are from the casting. I noticed this in past years when photographing 6 Liter blocks at the bed plate. I would not say that this is a problem given the number of engines produced so one every so often that develops a problem is to be, say expected?

When we first saw the 6L, we had a PDI pouring oil down the back of the engine. Traced the leak to the oil cooler gasket and when I removed the cooler I found a nice casting hole where the gasket runs. Not sure how that got past quality control. That thing got a new engine.

Also had a 7.3L with a valve cover leak. The top of the head had a chunk missing,new head for that one.

Aaron · March 12, 2012

Remember, after 5 business days, that bitch is eligible for an engine due to insufficient supply of parts allowing you to step up to the next available assembly to keep the customer's ride rockin.