[Davemcfarland]

I am having no trouble with miliage and the truck is running as it always has but I was one of those that tried the diablo early on and may have hurt my truck.. I am getting coolant out the overflow cap and it seems to me that this is what folks were expiriencing when their head gaskets were going south... is this true ?? and also what is the best fix for this... the head studs and or firerings and ?? I am hoping to fix it once and forall... any comments welcome.

 

[chadcma350]

could be a puker, check your oil see if you can see any water in thier,and about fire rings ,personaly i think thier a wast of money ,a set of good head studs and a stock head gasket will do the trick,when i said stock head gaskets i mean new ones ,but oem that is good enuf for 40 + psi of boost

 

[Davemcfarland]

never any oil water mix... never after hard, hard driving high revs, .. I have put 75k miles on this in 12 months and all hard miles.. but no water in oil.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

[Black05]

Dave -- There is a recall (O5B35)for a coolant bottle sticker that changes the coolant level to the minimum line in order to stop the puking. Try lowering your coolant level to the minimum line and see if quits puking.

 

[Davemcfarland]

thanks but I had to add coolant to bring it up to the min level several times.. Now I have had to add coolant twice when the truck temp was running hot enough to bring on the idiot light to check guages.. I immediatly added coolant and it will bring it back to min line but after a few weeks its back down and I see on the hood blanket where its puked..

 

[Black05]

Dave -- Sorry, I was hoping to point out an easy and cheap fix! If there is no mixing of coolant with oil, then your coolant must be disappearing out the exhaust. This makes me think there may be a leak in the EGR cooler allowing coolant to escape through the exhaust. IIRC, there were a couple of threads on this a month or so back.

 

[ritschner]

There are several reasons for puking, from bad radiator caps to bad EGR valves causing flash boiling to head gaskets. If you are using the same cap (especially OEM) then start cheap and replace the cap. I have seen several trucks stop puking with a new cap, especially if the old one has been removed a time or two. Stant makes one that is $5 at most auto parts stores. If that doesn't do it have the EGR valve checked. Head gaskets would be the last resort and would be checked by looking for combustion gasses in the coolant.

 

[Davemcfarland]

the egr plug has been **broken all of these miles after the dealership replaced it because of poor idle. When I got it back the plug ended up being apart and I never got it back together **

the cap may be the problem and I will replace it next....

Would a typical diesel fleet mechanic doing a compression test show the bad head gasket if they did their test??

I have what I feel is a great shop I can take it to but they typically do big trucks and fleet trucks not my little oversized work truck.

is there a sure way to show why it pukes.. I know it didnt do this or at least as much as when I got it.. I do hammer on it somewhat and now the filter minder plug must have gotten splashed because it is cracked now.. right into!

 

[ritschner]

If the head gaskets are causing the puking it will show up while testing the coolant for combustion gasses. It is easier and quicker to do than a compression check. I am not sure if a leaking EGR cooler would cause combustion gasses to show up in the coolant. Maybe one of the techs can answer that question. The truck I had, that was stolen, started puking after I removed the cap to install a coolant filter system. A new cap cured that issue. After looking at the design of the OEM cap and the clutch mechanism to prevent over tightening, it is my conclusion that many of the puking problems may just be a bad cap. For about $5 it is at least worth a try. The Stant replacement does not have the clutch mechanism and can be snugged up tighter.