Head or head gasket ?

[Will L.]

I’m with warwagon- I still wonder if the heads came off too soon.
Blown gasket should have hydro locked engine, overheated drastically (which would be excessive heat from heater core not less), finally exhaust gasses in coolant system is the test to verify. Pressurized coolant hoses so the cap keeps popping overflow or radiator hoses blowing off.

I hate to say it but I think you just had an air pocket. Especially with the heater core is higher than the engine.

Did you do a combustible gases in coolant test?

 

[MrMarty51]

Nope, none of the usual tests.
I most likely shot myself in the foot on this poorject.
Lesson learned I guess.

 

[Will L.]

Nope, none of the usual tests.
I most likely shot myself in the foot on this poorject.
Lesson learned I guess.

Can’t say I never did it.
I mean, I could polish up my skill set of telling lies- but since I am not running for political office I don’t see the point.

 

[Will L.]

Three types of people:
Those who have jumped over a diagnostic procedure

Those who will jump over a diagnostic procedure

Those who don’t touch tools and pay someone else to do one of the above and sometimes both.

 

[SnowDrift]

Three types of people:
Those who have jumped over a diagnostic procedure

Those who will jump over a diagnostic procedure

Those who don’t touch tools and pay someone else to do one of the above and sometimes both.

Ha!

 

[MrMarty51]

Three types of people:
Those who have jumped over a diagnostic procedure

Those who will jump over a diagnostic procedure

Those who don’t touch tools and pay someone else to do one of the above and sometimes both.

Like people that masturbate.
There are those that do, and, there are those that lie.

 

[MrMarty51]

Wrong thread.
Moved the replies over to the other tread.

 

[MrMarty51]

I installed quite a reply about the heads in a different thread, Whats Up Today.
Anyhow, the machine shop baked the heads in some kind of an oven for cleaning components. He checked them for flatness and said that they were near perfect. Magnafluxed them and no cracks, sharpened the valves and ground the seats.
They are assembled and ready to install.
I’ve got the new gaskets and it’ll be now setting until I get in the new headbolts.
They will not be arriving until a week from Tuesday, so the parts person said.
And so I’ll test my patience and kick back until then.

 

[MrMarty51]

Running thread chasers through all the bolt holes in the block and heads.
And pulling the heater hoses to where they can be available to flush the heater core.
It was then that I realized that maybe the PO had had a problem with the heater not putting out heat.
Tight next to the firewall there is one of those garden hose flush adapter devices. So most likely the heater was not warming and so the PO had attempted to flush out the cooling system.
The flex hoses for the transmission cooler lines too had been leaking. The hoses was crimped on one end and clamped on the other. Sawed the crimping devices and used oil rated hoses to connect them back together.
Thats about enough for today.
Now to take that thread chaser set back to Oriellys and maybe take a nap.

 

[MrMarty51]

Is this an anode plug ?
This is what is screwed in for block drain plugs.
I had both plugs out of the block and forgot this was the style of plugs that was in the drain holes.
Also, on the top of the coolant pump, where the lower radiator hose attaches on, there is a nice flat spot that would be an excellent place to drill through, tap to 1/8” NPT and screw in another anode plug.

 

[dbrannon79]

That might be what's left of an anode.

Something I have learned with cast aluminum in cooling systems is it corrodes no matter what you do! what really gets it is when the coolant goes sour (PH too high or low) 99% of folks never check this on gassers nor do they know they need to. when this happens the coolant turns very corrosive. at work we had a truck blow a head gasket (was an affiliate truck we didn't service at our place) the truck was driven into the shop. I could see where it blew since the side of the block was wet where coolant was slowly leaking from the head gasket out. the engine still ran great only the driver called in over "disappearing coolant" before we started tearing apart the engine, we took it out to the wash bay and power washed everything as normal. These trucks were Freightliners Columbia cabs with Mercedes inline 6's the blocks were painted silver from the factory. that coolant ate through the engine enamel where everywhere the coolant touched was bare clean cast iron!

 

[MrMarty51]

Probably be wise to get some PH strips and check all of the vehicles in my possession.

 

[dbrannon79]

usually the changes in PH isn't gonna happen very fast. it takes a few years for it to get that bad!

 

[dbrannon79]

When you fill the coolant back up, use distilled water unless you choose to go with the 50/50 premix stuff. Tap water can attribute to these issues over time.