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Head gasket problem? Cause??

tRustyK5

tRustyK5

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I'm almost sure the problem I have with the '83 is a head gasket problem. The thing is it's never gotten hot on me, hasn't been worked hard either. I don't understand how a head gasket spontaneously pukes.

Has anyone else had a head gasket fail "out of the blue" with a 6.2? I'll swap them out if I have to, but I'm just not 100% convinced yet. If they are gone it's horrible timing as we have the move to a new house coming up at the end of the month among other things I need the truck for.

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
I'm almost sure the problem I have with the '83 is a head gasket problem. The thing is it's never gotten hot on me, hasn't been worked hard either. I don't understand how a head gasket spontaneously pukes.

Has anyone else had a head gasket fail "out of the blue" with a 6.2? I'll swap them out if I have to, but I'm just not 100% convinced yet. If they are gone it's horrible timing as we have the move to a new house coming up at the end of the month among other things I need the truck for.

Rene
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Other than the black blue smoke you are getting, what is your reason to believe it's a head gasket?
Any sign in the coolant or loss of coolant?
Any sign in the oil?
 
After swapping out all 4 passenger side injectors I still get a grey/blue smoke...more when i rev it but it doesn't go away. At idle it's a constant light smoke, and at idle it's hard to discern exactly what color it is. It's not black at idle, and it's not oil burning (doesn't smell like oil). Smells a bit like fuel, but I don't know if I'd be able to smell coolant if it was just a little anyways.

I'm going to check the coolant level and the oil after dinner, and I'll post up in a little while.

Rene
 
OK, had my dinner and checked the oil and the coolant. Coolant is a little low, maybe 2" below the neck. :doah: Oil reads 3/4" above the full mark but still looks black as coal. I'm guessing because the 6.2's oil is always so sooty there is coolant in there, it just didn't turn that milkshake color. :doah:

So, either i have a crack somewhere or the head gasket(s) are fukked.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Rene
 
Cracked block? Yeowch! Can't remember but do you know if your block is a high nickle block? The very early ones were and didn't have cracked block problems like the later blocks.:confused:

Isn't there a litmus test for coolant in the oil? I think there is.

Wow, not much help, just foggy questions:o
 
tRustyK5 said:
OK, had my dinner and checked the oil and the coolant. Coolant is a little low, maybe 2" below the neck. :doah: Oil reads 3/4" above the full mark but still looks black as coal. I'm guessing because the 6.2's oil is always so sooty there is coolant in there, it just didn't turn that milkshake color. :doah:

So, either i have a crack somewhere or the head gasket(s) are fukked.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Rene
Click to expand...

sorry :eek1: :eek1: :mad:
And it was running so good...:o
 
Still does run good...fires right up and runs smooth too. :crazy:

All I can do is pull the heads and see what I can see. Hopefully just gaskets, although I'm not sure why they'd fail for no apparent reason.

Rene
 
Rene run an oil analysis to see if you have water in the oil. Here they are less than 15 bucks USD. The local caterpillar dealer usually does these in house. Fast turn around time, especially if you hand it to the lab and say I think I have water in the oil.

The other things is to do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if you have a leak internally. But generally speaking if its a head gasket it pushes water out the overflow, compression leaking into the cooling system. Water out the tailpipe is usually a cracked head.

Hope any of this helps.
George
 
smalltruckbigcid said:
Rene run an oil analysis to see if you have water in the oil. Here they are less than 15 bucks USD. The local caterpillar dealer usually does these in house. Fast turn around time, especially if you hand it to the lab and say I think I have water in the oil.

The other things is to do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if you have a leak internally. But generally speaking if its a head gasket it pushes water out the overflow, compression leaking into the cooling system. Water out the tailpipe is usually a cracked head.

Hope any of this helps.
George
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Yeah that is what i would do beore pulling the heads.
I learned the hard way that you don't start with the heavy jobs before you really know it is the problem.
:mad:
 
Rather than write up a big diatribe, I will simply give you a link: http://flashoffroad.com/Diesel/No8Cyl/CrackedBlock.htm

I realize that you have a 6.2, not a 6.5. 6.2's do NOT have this block cracking issue - only certain 6.5's were at risk. However, the info contained on that page is useful for any type of failure that allows combustion gases into the coolant and vice versa (i.e. failed head gaskets, cracked head, cracked block).

Early 6.2's supposedly had some gasket issues. The new gaskets (particularly the Fel-Pro's) are supposed to be far superior. Also, the stock TTY head bolts aren't very consistent in their clamping force, and they seem to relax over time. The 6.0L Ford PowerStroke uses TTY head bolts, and they have only 10 bolts per head. Want to guess what the primary mechanical (non-injection related) failure is on that engine? Yup - head gaskets :doah:

I would follow the info in the link I gave to diagnose the problem. If it is a head gasket, replace both with a set of Fel-Pro's and use new bolts, or better yet ARP studs :wink1:.
 
OK, as recomended in that article I ran it from dead cold for 60 seconds, shut it off and no pressure in the rad.

The worrying part is the extra ~quart of something in the oil. It's either fuel or coolant...I know for a fact it was normal the last time I checked it maybe 10 days ago.

I could see it being fuel if I had a bad injector, but after swapping all four of the passenger injectors I still have the same smoking on start up, then it clears. Once it begins to warm up i get a constant whitish smoke at idle. All this is passenger side only.

OK, checked the oil again, still high by a quart or so and still black. Checked the underside of the oil fill cap and see greyish gooey stuff, but not a lot. This indicates water/coolant to me. I think the sooty oil is masking the coolant content.

I'm leaning more and more to head gaskets.

Rene
 
Early 6.2's supposedly had some gasket issues.
Click to expand...

Well this one is an '83...

Just to get prepared, does ARP have a head stud kit with pn# or do you need to call them up?

Rene
 
Rene if you do the oil analysis the leading indicators are sodium and glycol in the oil. BTW if you have a quart of water or antifreeze in the oil it won't be black anymore.

here's an oldtimers test for fuel in the oil. Check the oil and take a lighter and try to burn the oil on the dipstick. If it burns easily thats supposed to indicate fuel in the oil. If it doesn't burn easily it should be normal. How accurate is this test? :dunno: but it is cheap fast and easy...
George
 
Welp, just tried to light the dipstick oil. No go, not even a flicker and I had the lighter on it for almost 30 seconds.

I still think the sooty oil is masking the coolant in the oil. I do have a greyish goo under the oil fill cap that wasn't there before...and my coolant level is down.

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck it's a pretty good bet it's a duck.

Fuel I could see if one of the 4 injectors I replaced had a blown tip, or if replacing those 4 made the smoke go away. Neither was the case though...

I'm 99% sure it's head gasket(s)...

Rene
 
Gonna do both, and use the ARP studs while I'm at it. I may have to hold off buying the gaskets to see if I need the .010" thicker version if the heads need a skim.

The studs should be a joy with the AC box where it is in relation to the head on the passenger side. :doah:

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
Gonna do both, and use the ARP studs while I'm at it. I may have to hold off buying the gaskets to see if I need the .010" thicker version if the heads need a skim.

The studs should be a joy with the AC box where it is in relation to the head on the passenger side. :doah:

Rene
Click to expand...

since the studs will only be threaded in the block and then the nuts tightened, you could put that side head on first and then thread in the studs, it will be more time consuming but it will be less hassle.
:D
 
imiceman44 said:
since the studs will only be threaded in the block and then the nuts tightened, you could put that side head on first and then thread in the studs, it will be more time consuming but it will be less hassle.
:D
Click to expand...
yup.gif


The ARP studs have socket heads on them. Put the heads in place, coat the coarse threads on the studs with ARP thread sealant (or equivalent), drop 'em in the holes and wind 'em in finger tight with an Allen wrench. Then slather ARP moly lube on the fine threads and the washers and torque the nuts up to the specs that ARP supplies with the kit. Use the same tightening order as for stock bolts. Piece of cake
Thumbup19.gif
 
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