Condensation and milkshake in my trucks valve cover

[Jeepsinker]

Yes it sounds like a cracked head, but it may surprise you. Coolant loss can be a real booger to diagnose properly.

 

[rustystud]

My father had an old IHC tractor that had a couple of cracks in the head. It ran great ! Especially after it got good and hot. The downside was it would use coolant like crazy. You always had to have 2 or more gallons with you at all times . After running it for years like that, my father took the head in to get it welded up. It worked OK for a few more years before cracking again. That time though it really cracked bad !
Had to get a new engine.

 

[skinnyR1]

A cracked head sounds easy to me at this point. I hope I can identify that without actually pulling them. I doubt that will be the case though. But I cant pull the heads until March, as I need to use the truck regularly still.

 

[dabtl]

I had a head that cracked inside the intake port in the head. I located it by removing the injectors on the head one at a time. When I got to the third injector coolant boiled out. New head from TNJ Murray cured it.

 

[RAYZER]

A cracked head sounds easy to me at this point. I hope I can identify that without actually pulling them. I doubt that will be the case though. But I cant pull the heads until March, as I need to use the truck regularly still.

I would definitely pull them both instead of just one. All the work is getting to that point.

 

[skinnyR1]

I warmed the truck up today and pulled the valve covers again. I couldnt identify anything definitively. I can see the oil under the rockers does look murky. It seems that water or coolant collects on each rocker and drips down into the oil pool, making it look milky.
So i shut it down and pressurized the coolant system again. I am losing pressure when hot. I pulled all the injectors and ran out of sun light. I left 10lbs on the system an ill check it in the morning to see of any coolant collects in any cylinder combustion chamber.

 

[patracy]

Sounds exactly like mine did. Ran fine, just crap in the slobber tube and oil. Didn't take long for oil to get milky again as well.

 

[skinnyR1]

Patracy, how much coolant was yours collecting in the case? I get very little in the case.

 

[patracy]

It wasn't a ton, but it was enough that it would collect in the case. The oil would turn milky over time. But pull the rockers arms off and under the freeze plugs bosses where they mount I'll bet you'll find nice green coolant. Mine did, and thinking it through, on a cold start when the coolant gathered into the case, the oil pump would pump it up to the top of the engine first. The oil setup for the rockers would allow the oil to skim over the top and the coolant to collect in the "cup" of the freeze plug due to the difference in weight.

I "fixed" my cracked water jacket as well. But it was a patch job honestly. I ended up pulling the liner out (well I did a complete in frame) and drilling the ends of the crack. Then I welded it with a nickle rod very very slowly. Then ground it close to smooth. Then I went through the water jacket with a bore hone to clear it out. Then I lined the imperfections with marine-tex epoxy, sanded it back down flush. Then I took high temp silicone and covered the inside of the liner and water jacket with enough to lock the liner in tight. (I'd bet you'd never get it out without damaging the liner)

I never had any more oil/water coolant issues after that. But later on I had it overheat on me, I believe the heads got cracked as well. It was interesting to learn more about them. But honestly I'd just swap engines if there's not an easy fix.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Keep in mind that antifreeze eats bearing metal fast. If you really have to keep running it with antifreeze in the crankcase then you will end up putting an engine in it instead of repairing it. And it doesn't eat the bearings from lack of lube either, it is a chemical reaction that pits them violently.

 

[skinnyR1]

Ya I am not too optimistic about preserving this motor at this point.

 

[RAYZER]

There's two types of deuce owners, the ones that have replaced an engine, and the ones that will.
I wouldn't feel too bad.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yep. Mine has almost 70,000 miles on it now and I'll be happy if it lasts me until warm weather comes around again. It has served me well though. Quite a lot of blowby going on.

 

[skinnyR1]

Looks like I am going to be looking for a motor. Pressurizing the coolant with 10lbs overnight yielded no coolant in the combustion chambers. What I did observe, was that it only loses pressure when the engine is hot. Once it cooled off, it stabalized at 5 lbs overnight.
In the morning, I cracked the drain plug and another couple cups of antifreeze came out of my fresh oil change.
I will probably not do anything until spring, and ill drive it in the meantime as is locally. It has to be a cracked block, that is my best guess after running these tests and looking it over.

 

[RAYZER]

It will be interesting to see if some sealant will help.

 

[patracy]

Looks like I am going to be looking for a motor. Pressurizing the coolant with 10lbs overnight yielded no coolant in the combustion chambers. What I did observe, was that it only loses pressure when the engine is hot. Once it cooled off, it stabalized at 5 lbs overnight.
In the morning, I cracked the drain plug and another couple cups of antifreeze came out of my fresh oil change.
I will probably not do anything until spring, and ill drive it in the meantime as is locally. It has to be a cracked block, that is my best guess after running these tests and looking it over.

Bet you have a cracked water jacket, mine did the same thing.

And no, sealant won't fix it.

Get another engine, you'll be well ahead.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Strip it of all the good parts and scrap the block I guess. It may be weldable, but as Patracy experienced, it doesn't always work.

 

[mobileauto2000]

Stop leak is cheap. Put some in and try it. If it works you can start saving for a new engine. If not sell something less important like the wife and kids.

 

[patracy]

If it's a cracked jacket like mine was, no amount of stop leak in the world will fix it. Plus I'm sure the stuff in stop leak does wonders for bearings. It'll slow down the leak, but once it's warm and you're actually driving around and the engine flexes, anything sealing the crack will be forced out.

 

[mobileauto2000]

But for all we know it could be a pin hole casting flaw. He really has nothing to lose. I don't expect it to work. but I would try if it was my truck.