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6.4L possible hydrolocked

17K views 16 replies 3 participants last post by  drewactual 
#1 ·
I need some help. Today I was hauling my tractor down the interstate in my dump trailer. I probably ran it too hard. The turbo boost was pretty high for a few minutes. When I got off the interstate it jumped straight up to overheated on the gauge. I immediately shut it off and coasted off the road. I let it cool down then put some water in it. Tried to start it and it wouldn't crank. It turned over but hesitated. I figured it may have been hot so I let it sit a little while before trying it again. It did crank and run for about 5-10 seconds then made squeal noise and shut off. I went and looked at the exhaust pipe and had my wife turn it over. When she did it spit out water and white smoke so I told her to stop and got it towed home. Any ideas what I'm looking at a d any advice. Thanks. ... All stock 08 F350 srw 4×4
 
#2 ·
for future reference, one of teh worst things you can do when overheated is kill the engine... let her idle, always, to bring her back to her senses... if it's truly that hot, the efan will kick on (around 225* ECT) and you're seconds away from the low 2-teens, which is safe land... :)


anyway, my guess is you've either blown head gaskets (did it puke coolant?) or you've ruptured one of your EGR coolers... neither is good. Both are costly.
 
#4 ·
puking is usually reserved for blown head gaskets- but the problem is it is really just pressure in the system that could just as easily be caused by a ruptured EGR cooler.. the exhaust blowing wet is more indicative of EGR rupture, as generally there is too much compression during that stroke, and forced air in the cylinders on intake stroke, to allow fluid into the system (from a ruptured head gasket).... a wet exhaust is most likely, in your case, a ruptured EGR which can certainly happen when it gets stoooopid hot on an already badly designed system.
 
#6 ·
Dropped it off and spoke with the mechanic. He pretty much is on the same page as you as far as suspecting an egr ruptured at the very least. He is gonna get the water out tomorrow and try to get a diagnosis. Now I just have to ponder on if it is just a ruptured egr do I need to go ahead and do the head studs and new gaskets.
 
#7 ·
these mighty engines can handle a little fluid in the cylinders so long as it's low rpm and no load....

you may have survived, and that would be sweet if you did... here is how I can suggest such:

at the RPMs and load you were likely pushing, there is more pressure from the exhaust leaking into the cooling system than coolant leaking into the intake... that is very true at high RPM and high load, but NOT true at lower RPM and lower load, where it sucks into the intake just fine.... chances are you sipped a bit, but it's unlikely you gulped enough to bend rods, break pistons ect...

let's hope, huh?

cab doesn't have to come up for EGR coolers, though it's much easier if it does... in time alone, it's about a push, with cab on having a slight edge depending on the competency of the mechanic...

this is a simple equation: If the cab comes up, by all means do everything at once and your truck will near the reliability of a 7.3- that includes HG's, studs, up pipes and down pipes, machined heads and camshaft replacement with a sensible one, and rockers... this doesn't include pistons themselves, though that is another item that should be considered if the engine has to be plucked... the stock ones with their goofy lips are crap compared to the international/navstar ones- and especially if you have them coated. all new boots and seals, and get a good long and careful look at the turboset.

these things are simple to do on a rolling chassis, and SUCK to do cab on, if not impossible.

do yourself another favor: tune and delete... dump the crap that kills your investment. people can moan about pollutants all they want, but they can kiss my arse when it's your investment, and besides (i mean this), i'd put a reasonably tuned and deleted rig against a stock one any day over the span of a tank of fuel- this era of rig "doesn't pollute" most the time, then it pollutes it's arse off in one fell swoop called the regeneration process. go figure, right?
 
#8 ·
What is the ballpark figure on just parts for the work you said? The mechanic comes with a very good reputation and references. I have a friend who he did a complete 6.0 rebuild for $9100 and he says it runs better now than when it was new. (Go figure). He hydrolocked his and let it sit for 3 months and it had rust damage. This guy has pretty much got to where he makes his living on the 6.0 and 6.4s. That's a sad thought being a Ford man!
 
#9 ·
toss a new oil cooler in that list above... I somehow forgot it..

6oh's and 64's have a bad rap, some of it well deserved and some of it not at all, as ALL modern diesels have issues the older ones didn't have to contend with... if they did, it would be the same thing for them, too... I'll tell you this, though: Either of those engines treated properly and with precautions of 'enhanced' design are as solid as any engine ever made...

It's hard to say what the cost would be... I can guess time, though, with some hopes of ballpark: no particular order....

5 hours cab off... 5 more cab on... 10
egr removal replacement: (with cab off) 2
heads (sent to machine shop) 4 + wait time machine shop
camshaft w/ lifters 4~5
heads installed w/ gaskets and studs 4
oil cooler (cab off) 2
may as well do the HPFP- $2k+ 3 hours
up-pipe + down pipe: 1
rockers 1
boots and seals throughout...
inspect turbo

so... thirty'ish hours.... @ $150/hour= $4500
parts and pieces.... @ around $4...

around $9~10K...

add pistons push to around $12~13k, add new turbo set push to around $12~13k... add both push to around $14~15k....

that's a lot of coin, but if done right and followed up w/ maintenance, it would be the last rig you'd ever need to have...


consider deletes and supporting tune... +$2k... Do the CCV mod, for the love of all that's holy do the $10 CCV mod... replace gold coolant w/ red NOAT CAT ELC (EC-1) and add a filter... put a better lift pump on it (>$1k), religiously change filters... always run a lubricity adding additive... add/run a filter on the transmission... if you run long highway miles, consider a bypass oil filter to extend oil change intervals safely and cut down on costs while improving quality of lubricant...

you'll be golden for a long time and have all the power you can stand and economy you can hope for.
 
#11 ·
Update. Talked with the shop today. Turns out my truck wasn't hydrolocked. They said that they got the water out and had it running. It's looking like it's just a ruptured egr. They are going to finalize their diagnosis tomorrow but as of now it's looking like I'm quite lucky from what they have found. They are going to give me a parts list and quote and my options as far as deletes. Fingers crossed this stands true
 
#12 ·
So here is the update for today. I was quoted $2,700. This includes EGR and DPF delete. Coolant and oil. New Belts and water pump. Pro Flo down pipe back exhaust and a tuner. I requested to upgrade the tuner to the Livewire (with the display) and a 5" turbo back exhaust (FLO PRO). They said it shouldn't be no more than an additional 300 or $400 have to check prices. I am getting the radiator and thermostats from Ford dealership for $640 + tax and $50.
 
#14 ·
that's not a big price- and I'm glad to hear your rig wasn't ruined during the episode!!!

about the radiator and 'stats: Consider Mishimoto for both... they offer lifetime guarantee and they honor it. it's only a bit more than the fomoco, and fomoco has done nothing to replace or modify their product to address the issues with it...
 
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