05-09-2014, 01:51 AM
Chappell,
Hang on a sec. Not that I distrust your mechanic, and he may have data you haven't included. Yes, DD later replaced the head bolts with different ones made of a higher strength steel. By all means if you go to the trouble of "torquing" the head bolts insist that you get the new ones.
Now, I could have totally misunderstood, but essentially what your mechanic is telling you is that exhaust gas is escaping into the coolant system and pressurizing it. If that is so, you will see two things. One the coolant will have black residue floating on top of it from the exhaust gas, and two you should be bubbling at the overflow tank unless you have put a high pressure radiator cap on.
If indeed you are pressuring the coolant from the engine, there are three ways I know of to do this and a leaking head is one. The second is a cracked head or cylinder liner, and the third is the air compressor can be leaking by. You may have joined the gang after I experienced pressurized coolant due to a cracked cylinder liner. I went through all kinds of diagnostics before tearing into the engine.
Your mechanic should be able to install a radiator cap that reads the system pressure. I wouldn't touch anything until I saw that. Feeling of a hose is not enough data for me. Second, with the engine cold, drain about a pint of oil into a crystal clear container. Let it sit overnight. coolant is heavier than oil and it will separate to the bottom. Turn the container gently so that it is slightly tilted to collect all the coolant into a bottom low point. Hold it up to the light. If there is coolant in the oil, you can see it. It you have that, tightening head bolts is not going to help for very long.
You can check the air compressor theory by simply disconnecting the big discharge air hose at the compressor and running the engine. If you had coolant system pressure before, and it goes away then you found the problem.
If I read you correctly, you said you lost about a gallon in a short drive. Can you confirm that?
Other things to consider in general, any time the head bolts are touched, the valves, injectors, and jakes have to be adjusted. No exceptions.
Call me at 817 223 2056 if you want to talk about this.
Hang on a sec. Not that I distrust your mechanic, and he may have data you haven't included. Yes, DD later replaced the head bolts with different ones made of a higher strength steel. By all means if you go to the trouble of "torquing" the head bolts insist that you get the new ones.
Now, I could have totally misunderstood, but essentially what your mechanic is telling you is that exhaust gas is escaping into the coolant system and pressurizing it. If that is so, you will see two things. One the coolant will have black residue floating on top of it from the exhaust gas, and two you should be bubbling at the overflow tank unless you have put a high pressure radiator cap on.
If indeed you are pressuring the coolant from the engine, there are three ways I know of to do this and a leaking head is one. The second is a cracked head or cylinder liner, and the third is the air compressor can be leaking by. You may have joined the gang after I experienced pressurized coolant due to a cracked cylinder liner. I went through all kinds of diagnostics before tearing into the engine.
Your mechanic should be able to install a radiator cap that reads the system pressure. I wouldn't touch anything until I saw that. Feeling of a hose is not enough data for me. Second, with the engine cold, drain about a pint of oil into a crystal clear container. Let it sit overnight. coolant is heavier than oil and it will separate to the bottom. Turn the container gently so that it is slightly tilted to collect all the coolant into a bottom low point. Hold it up to the light. If there is coolant in the oil, you can see it. It you have that, tightening head bolts is not going to help for very long.
You can check the air compressor theory by simply disconnecting the big discharge air hose at the compressor and running the engine. If you had coolant system pressure before, and it goes away then you found the problem.
If I read you correctly, you said you lost about a gallon in a short drive. Can you confirm that?
Other things to consider in general, any time the head bolts are touched, the valves, injectors, and jakes have to be adjusted. No exceptions.
Call me at 817 223 2056 if you want to talk about this.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home
)