7.3 blowing collant out degas cap

[batmantech]

Have a 03 7.3 that blows coolant out degas cap. I have a programmer installed with p0605 codes. Now trans is burnt up slipping badlots of metal in pan . I am thinking that it needs headgaskets. I have never heard of a 7.3 do this. Has anyone had a 7.3 blow coolant out the cap becaues of head gasket failure. Or could I have other cocerns? I would assume that the programmer overboosting this thing over time is the problem. Any help would be appriciated Thanks

[Aaron]

It could be any number of things. Is it PUMPING the coolant out of the bottle?

 

Disable the engine (unplug the cam sensor) and crank it over, if it's blowing coolant out during cranking, then i'd say you have a problem.

 

Is it only doing it hot/cold/etc?

[batmantech]

You have to drive it and do heavy accel. The coolant was at the min line last week and now its about 5 inches low there is white film marks around the cap area. if I drive it 1-2 miles and do a few heavy accel then its at the bottom of the de-gas if you remove the cap then it comes back up.

[Bruce Amacker]

I've rarely seen this, but the programmer could cause it. Plumb a pressure gauge into the cooling system and observe coolant pressure during hard accel. If it jumps up, you have a problem. You might also power brake it in the shop and see if the coolant tries to purge, or use a combustion gas detector on it.

 

Good Luck!

 

[Aaron]

^^^^^ What he said.

 

Be the first 7.3 head gasket failure I've seen though.

[batmantech]

Yeah it would be the first one I ever heard of also thats why I thought I would bounce this off you guys. Not that there is some other thing I am missing. This guy is not to happy with buying a new trans and now this.

[GregKneupper]

I have only seen 1 7.3 blow a headgasket and it would blow coolant out the bottle on a cold engine big time. All you had to do was rev the engine and coolant would start to blow out from under the cap. It was the rh head on a e series bus. New head gaskets fixed it right up.

[batmantech]

WHat about injector cups could they be leaking press into cooling system? or AN overheat that is not showing up on the guage just plain pushing out coolant?

[mchan68]

WHat about injector cups could they be leaking press into cooling system? or AN overheat that is not showing up on the guage just plain pushing out coolant?

Is there fuel contamination into the cooling system?

[eastendpowerstroke]

I'll guess that the cylinder walls are rotted from lack of proper cooling system maintance. VC-8

[LARRY BRUDZYNSKI]

Is it pushing coolant after heavy accel. or during? It almost sounds like you have hoses collapsing under accel and have a rush of coolant afterward.

[Aaron]

I'll guess that the cylinder walls are rotted from lack of proper cooling system maintance. VC-8

 

GOOD CALL!

 

Never even crossed my mind!

[batmantech]

no fuel in coolant. The coolant was orange looking I assumed it was from orange coolant being added but maybe that was rust. Coolant was flushed (It has 92,000 miles)

[batmantech]

Driving with press guage in it the press comes up just after a hard accel. It will go up after the accel to over 16 then cap relaeses press. steady throttle stays even.

[Bruce Amacker]

Pull the glow plugs, inspect them and keep them in order. You may have a "clean" GP give away the offending cylinder. Pressurize the cooling system heavily. Leave it set a while with pressure on it and crank the engine over, you should see coolant shoot out of a GP hole. This will give you a direction to go. It's likely to be a head gasket or perforated block as EastEnd said. I've never seen an injector sleeve cause this, but anything is possible. Once you identify the cylinder you might want to pull the injector and sleeve out for inspection before yanking the head.

 

I don't know of a borescope small enough to get in the GP or injector holes, so you may have to go inside to find the problem.

 

Good Luck!

 

[batmantech]

Hey LARRYATSTI it is after heavy accel could you explain further about the hose colapse issue you are talking about. thanks

[Mikill]

I have seen radiators with cold spots overheat and force coolant out the bottle under load.

[batmantech]

Found it! It was a porous cylinder in the #8 hole. Can see it now with the head off. Thanks for all the input.

[Keith Browning]

Think you can get a REALLY good picture of the cylinder for me?

[zog]

The injector cups I just did had the symptom of fuel blowing out of the coolant resivior with authority.