So I think its time for some HG's

[wsmithduramax]

I'll try to make this short, the other day I as driving and the "check coolant gauge light" came on and the gauge was pinned! So I pull over and lossen the coolant tank cap and tons of air some comes out and then alot of coolant comes rushing out after that. So I let it cool for a little bit while I wait for someone to bring me coolant, and I fill the tank and fire it back up, and was around normal temp, so I drive about 50 feet and it overheats again and has no heat in cab. So time to tow it home.

Next day I change the thermostats just for grins (truck has 160,000mi on it and they have never been changed) and bleed the cooling system, fire it up and let it run for a while and took about an hour to get to operating temp, then I put a little bit of a load on it "power braking in driveway" and it overheats again. same senario as the other day. I hooked up a pressure gauge while it was running and it never built more then 13lbs in the coolant tank. Radiator hose was a litle harder then normal when running but not to bad I thought.

Long story kinda short, used a block test kit from napa last night and came back showing that it had combustion gases in cooling system. I let it run for a little bit with the reservoir cap on it and then shut if off to see if the upper radiator hose got hard in the morning, and this morning it was soft just like normal.

It sucks but I knew the time would come, just wish it was winter time when I didn't want to drive my pickup.

So I asume it is time for some HG's. What do you think?

Oh and any tips to doing the job would be great. I've spent the last couple days on here reading everyone elses post from when the did it and doesn't seem to bad, just time consuming.

 

[crazycrew]

Wish I could help ya Wes!!!

 

[wsmithduramax]

Yea im still confused about the whole thing, it happend so quick, everything was good, and then just cruising home everything happened. I guess what bugs me the most is the upper radiator hose doesn't seem to be "hard" like everyone says it should be. And im also curious if the water pump took a Sh$% on me.

 

[1chevy02]

Is this on your 02? If so could be injector cup letting loose. Compression check it and find out which cylinder and pull valve cover to see.

 

[maine04max]

im betting water pump , pull the hose of the bottom and put a long screw driver up in the neck of it and see if you can turn the pump

 

[Bryce418]

im betting water pump , pull the hose of the bottom and put a long screw driver up in the neck of it and see if you can turn the pump

waterpump is my first thought if it isn't building more than 13 psi, everything you describe sounds like the gear spun more than headgaskets.

 

[RKTMech]

He said it pushed coolant out while power braking it in the driveway, i'm going with 90% HG 10% Inj cup. More info would be better, have you boosted it with eng temp on the colder side to see if you still blow coolant out the bottle? Either way there's no time like the present, with those twins and orig gaskets ur days were numbered anyway good luck. Its an easy job, don't rush, dont cut corners and take pictures of routing to help reassembly if its your first time.

 

[Chevy1925]

its alot easier to check and make sure the water pump is good before condeming it headgaskets. the block tests kit for the cooling system aint always right

 

[Bryce418]

theres a very good chance the headgaskets are blown< but as easy as it is to check the pump why not do that first?

I know I would be pretty pissed at myself if I put the time and money into headgaskets and find out it was a waterpump.

there are quite a few ways to test for blown fire rings but very few are extremely definitive. my personal favorite is power brake it stone cold right after startup, giving it hell for about 15 seconds then see if you get a coolant bath when you pull the cap.

 

[RKTMech]

theres a very good chance the headgaskets are blown< but as easy as it is to check the pump why not do that first?

I know I would be pretty pissed at myself if I put the time and money into headgaskets and find out it was a waterpump.

there are quite a few ways to test for blown fire rings but very few are extremely definitive. my personal favorite is power brake it stone cold right after startup, giving it hell for about 15 seconds then see if you get a coolant bath when you pull the cap.

Great idea.......

 

[whitetrash21]

fire rings?? on a duramax??

Hows that work with aluminum heads??

 

[Bryce418]

fire rings?? on a duramax??

Hows that work with aluminum heads??

???? what wouldnt work?

 

[wsmithduramax]

"1chevy02" this is on my 02 and I've thought it could be an injector cup but just wanna narrow my options down. I don't have a problem doing the head gasket's and have accepted that one point in time or another I'm gonna have to do them any, but this just seems to be very weird circumstances. "RKTmech" I Have power braked it and built boost up when te temp was on the colder side and it did not blow coolant out. It would only blow the coolant out when it was warmer like 190* then while boosting it it would blow coolant out of the tank and then over heat almost instantly. I am gonna look into the water pump a little more just cause its a simple fix, and I would for sure kick my self in the ass if I did head gaskets, and came to find out it was the water pump. I'm gonna put a piece of clear hose in on one of the heater core lines and I should be able to see if the water is circulating, or I might do what "Maine04max" said and try to turn the pump with a screw driver. I assume if I can turn te pump with a screwdriver then te pump is bad? thanks for the ideas guys.

 

[duratothemax]

fire rings?? on a duramax??

Hows that work with aluminum heads??

hes talking about the "ring" part on the head gasket that does the actual sealing of compression gases.

 

[wsmithduramax]

also I forgot to mention, when I got home from work last night, I check the coolant level and added maybe a cup, and started it up and drove it around the block a couple times. and then let it idle for about 2-3 minutes and then checked the upper radiator hose, and it was not firm in anyway other then the rubber was cold from sitting all day when it was a little chilly out yesterday.

 

[Bryce418]

hes talking about the "ring" part on the head gasket that does the actual sealing of compression gases.

Exactly.

Thanks Ben, I lacked the proper vocabulary after several beers into last night.
:thumb:

 

[dirttymaxx]

water pump / headgaskets
if the gear spun on the pump you should be able to here a grinding sound some where up front.

take the belt off,start truck,and if the sound is still there,its the water pump. 90%

if the truck will set and idle with out getting hot then i would also say it the water pump.

but if the truck runs like 20 min and its up to temp i would lean to headgaskets

this was also on a 04.5 lly


wile your in there put a set of studs in it for me. . . .:thumb:

hope this helps

 

[wsmithduramax]

water pump / headgaskets
if the gear spun on the pump you should be able to here a grinding sound some where up front.

take the belt off,start truck,and if the sound is still there,its the water pump. 90%

if the truck will set and idle with out getting hot then i would also say it the water pump.

but if the truck runs like 20 min and its up to temp i would lean to headgaskets

this was also on a 04.5 lly






wile your in there put a set of studs in it for me. . . .:thumb:

hope this helps

Thats whats weird is I hear no grinding or funny noises at all in the front by the water pump.

The truck will idle for about 45min to get to normal operating temp and about an hour before it actually gets hot, maybe longer, I had it running the other night for an hour but also had the high idle on for about 10 minutes and also power braked it a little under a load in that time as well, but still took upwards of an hour before the temp gauge got to 210*+.

And I will for sure put in a set of studs, got them ordered just incase it is HG's:thumb:

 

[dirttymaxx]

if it took 45min to get up to temp i will bet you anything its the pump!! our truck would do the same thing,but we had a sound also.
ours would take up to 60min to get hot.

this is what i would do if i was you,the pumps dont cost the much,just put one on it,heck even if its not the pump you wont have to do it down the road.
if you do put one on take a mig weilder and spot weld the shaft to the fins that will fix the spunning prob.

 

[wsmithduramax]

if it took 45min to get up to temp i will bet you anything its the pump!! our truck would do the same thing,but we had a sound also.
ours would take up to 60min to get hot.

this is what i would do if i was you,the pumps dont cost the much,just put one on it,heck even if its not the pump you wont have to do it down the road.
if you do put one on take a mig weilder and spot weld the shaft to the fins that will fix the spunning prob.

Yea I kinda hope its the pump. I don't mind doing the gaskets at all, Just wasn't ready this soon and would rather do it during the wintere when I don't drive it that much.

Luckily I just replaced my water pump last july, and I work for a GM dealer and its still under "parts warranty" so its a free pump for me just my time is all I'll have in it.