help!

[need_a_dmax]

hey guys, i have a couple dif questions,

1 im loosing coolant, and im told 98% of the time with headgaskets im gonna be getting coolant in my oil and im not, im getting a puddle under the truck ive looked and the best i can see is the puddle is coming from the back of the engine and dripping down right where the engine and trans bolt together. the top radiator hose is staying hard over night, like real hard. what do you think... Head gaskets? is it safe to run the headgasket fixer temporarily?

2 ive also noticed a couple little spots of oil around the same area any thoughts?

 

[Kspen90]

Check the coolant lines on your turbo and all in the valley, when they leak thats where it comes out but if youre getting hard upper radiator hose then its most likely head gaskets

 

[jraymer]

I would say its gaskets. I have know a guy to run like over a year on blown head gaskets, just taking it easy on it and keeping extra coolant with him.

 

[TeaBagger2006]

i know that guy
x3 on head gaskets

 

[calabria69]

Maybe not tho...Ive seen loss of coolant and absolutely no puddles or leaks and turned out to be a head gaskets...

 

[need_a_dmax]

so i will be fine to keep driving until spring as long as i keep coolant in it? its not overheating and ive been trying to keep it topped of.

 

[MACKIN]

I would look at the turbo coolant lines for the possible leak. Could be leaking there also do to the pressurizing of your coolant system you mentioned. Just at the clamp and not have a bad cracked hose.

Just FYI I just had the same problem and I was told for $17 dollars replace the Radiator cap. When I mean same problem it was exactly the same. Leak where you see a leak and pressurized upper radiator hose. I replaced the cap and lucky lucky thank-a'you very much ,fixed my problem! You might not be as lucky,hope you are,but I'd replace the cap and see what happens.

Most times when a headgasket goes you will see bubbles in the over flow tan and also see fluid coming out of the tank running down the inner fender liner. That is a sure sign of a headgasket besides the others water in fuel ,hardly happens ,or smoke out the exhaust. Or loose of coolant you can not visually see. Normally a injector cup sleeve not a headgasket.

So I would change the cap first. If it doesn't help I have heard of some people altering their radiator cap so it doesn't seal completely allowing it not to pressurize to buy some time. I don't know exactly what they did. Something about putting a washer somewhere or drilling a hole? Don't know for-sure

Good luck

 

[BlkMax]

I had a small glycol leak that came from the o-ring on the oil cooler, it was giving me some drips on the driver side. When I did the water pump, I replaced the o-ring, and stopped the leak.

As for the oil leak, check the copper gasket on your oil drain plug. Your truck is old enough that you may simply need a new gasket on the drain plug.

 

[jraymer]

I would look at the turbo coolant lines for the possible leak. Could be leaking there also do to the pressurizing of your coolant system you mentioned. Just at the clamp and not have a bad cracked hose.

Just FYI I just had the same problem and I was told for $17 dollars replace the Radiator cap. When I mean same problem it was exactly the same. Leak where you see a leak and pressurized upper radiator hose. I replaced the cap and lucky lucky thank-a'you very much ,fixed my problem! You might not be as lucky,hope you are,but I'd replace the cap and see what happens.

Most times when a headgasket goes you will see bubbles in the over flow tan and also see fluid coming out of the tank running down the inner fender liner. That is a sure sign of a headgasket besides the others water in fuel ,hardly happens ,or smoke out the exhaust. Or loose of coolant you can not visually see. Normally a injector cup sleeve not a headgasket.

So I would change the cap first. If it doesn't help I have heard of some people altering their radiator cap so it doesn't seal completely allowing it not to pressurize to buy some time. I don't know exactly what they did. Something about putting a washer somewhere or drilling a hole? Don't know for-sure

Good luck

Very god points here, hopefully you will get lucky with one of these small things.

 

[need_a_dmax]

i did try the cap already with no luck

 

[Chevy1925]

If your truck has never had headgaskets done, it could have the old style which is prone to leaking like your talking about. Mine leaked internally (only by compression to cooling system) and externally where your talking. I hardly see trucks with head gaskets bad enough to get coolant in the oil, by that time you usually have warpped the head pretty good.

i would not run any fix-it stuff in your system, it will plug other stuff up besides jsut your leak (ie: radiator, passages in the block, ect) and can lead to cooling issues down the road. the damage has been done so if your real nice to her and turn the tuning to jsut about stock you might be ok, if it starts using more and more coolant, i park her right away because your either warpping the head more or getting to the point of oil mixing with coolant and visa versa. both those are not fun to clean out or cheap replace.

 

[MACKIN]

From what I understand on HG issues it was primarily early build dates in 01 that 'some' had issues. Late in 01 and 02 they made changes and rectified the problem from what I understand. This might be what your referring to as old style.


All that is thrown out the window if you were abusive and running nitrous and some will say propane also. I dunno the truth to the propane issue but it was something to do with making the gasket brittle. Again that i what I recall hearing.

Do you know what your build date was?

 

[DieselDummy]

Heat cycles is what kills gaskets and not letting it warm ip before romping on it, there are gasket issues Upto 05 LLY trucks, not just 01-02, mainly contributed to abuse and tuning. My current truck is an 03 and I checked GM and both previous owners and after 293k it has never had gaskets. Now it was used for a highway truck and traveled all over the country during it's life and was never shut off like a dd truck would be subject to.

Hope it turns out to be a small issue with yours but it sounds like HG to me. Good luck!


Sent from the road!!!!!
03 lb7 CC/LB

 

[llymax05]

I'd say headgaskets but check coolant lines just in case. As for the oil leak x2 on the plug gasket

 

[need_a_dmax]

i am being easy on it, thanks for the help guys hopefully i have about a grand drop into my hands soon so i can do studs an gaskets

 

[MACKIN]

Heat cycles is what kills gaskets and not letting it warm ip before romping on it, there are gasket issues Upto 05 LLY trucks, not just 01-02, mainly contributed to abuse and tuning. My current truck is an 03 and I checked GM and both previous owners and after 293k it has never had gaskets. Now it was used for a highway truck and traveled all over the country during it's life and was never shut off like a dd truck would be subject to.

Hope it turns out to be a small issue with yours but it sounds like HG to me. Good luck!


Sent from the road!!!!!
03 lb7 CC/LB

I think your talking about two different issues here.

One being a issue with GM and factory head gasket issues on stock trucks or slightly modified trucks and I do mean slightly like a tow tune mod and failure which IMO are far and few between and have been isolated to like I said early build dates in the LB7 year.

Second being trucks that are seriously modified. Although with all the rumors and worries about the Aluminum head being mated with a cast iron block NEVER came to be a problem. Also IMO the Duramax headgaskets have proven to hold up under an Extreme amount of modifications. Simply fixed with a set of head studs to eliminate lift or float. So I diss-agree with your statement as you make it sound like they are prone for failure. Unless your spraying or running a larger or twin turbo I wouldn't sweat the headgaskets for failure. I think many will agree with me.