blown head gasket on a Duramax???

[infinitymike]

Dont sound good bud. IF the truck had sat overnight there shouldn't have been any pressure left in the system. The block should have cooled along with the coolant and the expanded coolant "shrunk" back into the block leaving a void in the expansion tank replaced with outside air drawn in through the cap. A cold engine should not release coolant into the expansion tank when the cap is removed. Now a HOT engine will obviously.

In my opinion save the $130 flush and find a reputable diesel shop in your area that is familiar with duramax engines.

When cold you should easily be able to squeeze the upper radiator hose and feel/hear coolant.

 

[shmodaddy]

Sorry bud....I could be and honestly hope I am wrong! Find you a good duramax mechanic and see what they say hopefully they will tell you I'm a dumb ass and its something simple. Take it easy on her and put her back on the stock tune. Like someone said earlier the tuner may be upping the injection timing and causing elevated combustion pressures which won't help your situation out either.

 

[shmodaddy]

Check this out

http://www.duramaxforum.com/forum/0...lly-wont-build-heat-overheats-under-load.html

 

[infinitymike]

Check this out

http://www.duramaxforum.com/forum/0...lly-wont-build-heat-overheats-under-load.html

OH BOY, that sounds very similar to my story

 

[richg]

Thoughts and prayers are with you as based on the post in the Duramax forum, this is looking like a cashectomy. What I find so so disheartening about major car repairs is that after they are done, all you have is a vehicle that runs....you don't have anything new. It would be one thing if you dropped 5k on a Blaze King Ultra and a new splitter as at least you'd have some great new gear. Good luck.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

Good Morning,
Thought this truck would be fixed by Now

ok if you have a block heater.

run the truck tonight then park for night and plug in your block heater. check the hose in the morning. just curious.

the radiator shop may have a thermo imaging system also. lets you know temps before and after tstats,in and out of H core and Radiator.

 

[infinitymike]

cashectomy. .

???

Thanks for the thoughts and even more for the prayers. Hopefully this will work out with major expense.

 

[infinitymike]

Good Morning,
Thought this truck would be fixed by Now

ok if you have a block heater.

run the truck tonight then park for night and plug in your block heater. check the hose in the morning. just curious.

the radiator shop may have a thermo imaging system also. lets you know temps before and after tstats,in and out of H core and Radiator.

It would be if you would have come down here

I'll do that.

Ran the truck all day yesterday with good heat but still the display was saying low coolant.
Went out just now and the upper hose was no where as hard as it has been. It was pliable and I heard fluid squishing around.
I opened the cap and very little pressure was released.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

Well I was close to you yesterday. But hate to get grease on my Christmas sweater.

I looked up flat rate time for the head gasket job.

I am going to ask around the guys and family and see what they think of this situation your having. I am thinking that if you replace the gaskets you may not have solved the cause. I got buddies here that run the duramax and they are getting well over 200,000 with little troubles. 9' plows and sanders,dump trailers etc. most are stock some have bully dog systems. not to many Banks set ups that I have seen here.
I think your PDA tuner has a memory of how the truck has been running. The guys at Banks can probably evaluate the history.
The Long Island Expressway I would consider a severe duty for maintenance schedule.

When did you install all the Banks goodies? mileage?

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

http://www.alldata.com


I would also check for Technical Service Bullitins(TSBs) on this site with your vin#. see if anything is relevant to your truck. some dealer/jobber shops do this check automatically but some don't. GM dealer may look up for you if you got a relationship with them.

 

[infinitymike]

The Long Island Expressway I would consider a severe duty for maintenance schedule.

When did you install all the Banks goodies? mileage?

I consider LI to be a severe duty maintenance schedule

I bought the truck in 07 from a guy who moved from California to Connecticut.
He had it put on before he drove across the country with his 5th wheeler.
He had about 19k before he left. I got it with 22.5k
He used it to pull his toy hauler (35' 5th wheel camper with garage in back) out into the desert to play. He was selling the trailer also. But I passed on that since I already have my own.

Thank you for all the help and all the links to good reading.

Merry Christmas.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

Just my two cents from someone w worked for a Detroit Diesel distributor and did in frame rebuilds: that's a "bubble" in your water jacket. What caused te need or more coolant? Could be gasket, could be EGR issue. But, when you fill coolant leave the cap off the overflow and it run...and get hot. It'll suck the air pocket through and your coolant level will drop again. Then top it off.

 

[infinitymike]

Just my two cents from someone w worked for a Detroit Diesel distributor and did in frame rebuilds: that's a "bubble" in your water jacket. What caused te need or more coolant? Could be gasket, could be EGR issue. But, when you fill coolant leave the cap off the overflow and it run...and get hot. It'll suck the air pocket through and your coolant level will drop again. Then top it off.

Thank you.
I haven't done anything since the last post and also haven't had any issues with the heat either. I still get the low coolant display. Also I got this code from the on board diagnostic part of the Banks PDA diesel tuner. One a glow plug issue and one is a coolant temp issue.

Any more thoughts.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

http://www.obd-codes.com/p0128

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

http://www.obd-codes.com/p0677

 

[infinitymike]

NE Wood, Thank you.

Great stuff, this forum is amazing.
Not only have I learned about wood burning but I get help with anything else.

 

[shmodaddy]

NE Wood, Thank you.

Great stuff, this forum is amazing.
Not only have I learned about wood burning but I get help with anything else.

Glow plugs are super easy to chang on our trucks. Just like changing a spark plug in your lawn mower. The cylinder numbers are backwards on d maxes. Number one is on the passenger side. A glow plug is like 20 something or so. Go ahead and get Ac delco not a AutoZone or O Reillys. AC Delcos last longer.

 

[shmodaddy]

oh and dont worry about changing it right away either. I've been driving mine with 4 out for about two years and have not had any starting issues, even in 0 degree weather, but really change it sooner than later.

 

[shmodaddy]

As far as the low coolant light still on even with the tank at or near the proper level maybe the sensor is bad.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

This is not a small block chevy. It is a VERY expensive and sophisticated engine. Get to a real diesel mechanic or a good dealer and spend the relatively small amount of money to dignose your problem. When things break on a diesel you are looking at several thousand dollars for each component. Stop guessing, you are further risking damage.

Yea, i love these diesel trucks but im afraid to buy one. When its time for repairs "look out". MY son has several thousand into a tranny job on his. MY truck(which does have a small block in it) hauls just as much without the premium repair bills.

 

[infinitymike]

Glow plugs are super easy to chang on our trucks. Just like changing a spark plug in your lawn mower. The cylinder numbers are backwards on d maxes. Number one is on the passenger side. A glow plug is like 20 something or so. Go ahead and get Ac delco not a AutoZone or O Reillys. AC Delcos last longer.

So does that mean number 7 is the second in from the radiator on the drivers side? Or is it the second one in from the firewall?

 

[infinitymike]

As far as the low coolant light still on even with the tank at or near the proper level maybe the sensor is bad.

The tank has never been at the proper level since the coolant display has been on.
Today was the first time I have ever seen anything under the truck.
There was a small wet spot under the front drivers side. I did some deeper looking and saw the lower hose was wet and so was some of the surrounding area. Ya think I might have looked a little harder sooner. I never even laid on my back to look around. But In defense to myself it's really hard to see the lower hose from the top and I was always looking at the overflow box and upper hose.
So hopefully that is where the fluid is going and maybe sucking some air in from which may be causing the high pressure and maybe is what licked up the thermostat.
Maybe this weekend if we don't get slammed with snow I can peek around a bit more.

 

[semipro]

The tank has never been at the proper level since the coolant display has been on.
Today was the first time I have ever seen anything under the truck.
There was a small wet spot under the front drivers side. I did some deeper looking and saw the lower hose was wet and so was some of the surrounding area. Ya think I might have looked a little harder sooner. I never even laid on my back to look around. But In defense to myself it's really hard to see the lower hose from the top and I was always looking at the overflow box and upper hose.
So hopefully that is where the fluid is going and maybe sucking some air in from which may be causing the high pressure and maybe is what licked up the thermostat.
Maybe this weekend if we don't get slammed with snow I can peek around a bit more.

On many engines coolant on the lower hose may indicate a leaking water pump. I'm not sure how this engine is laid out but a leak from the weep hole on a water pump will run down the lower radiator hose that is connected to the water pump.
As I said though, I don't know this specific engine so it may be different on the DuraMax.

Edit:
Check out this link for photos specific to the Duramax: http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/63...-lb7/447965-seeping-water-pump-weep-hole.html

 

[shmodaddy]

quote="infinitymike, post: 1619258, member: 18321"]The tank has never been at the proper level since the coolant display has been on.
Today was the first time I have ever seen anything under the truck.
There was a small wet spot under the front drivers side. I did some deeper looking and saw the lower hose was wet and so was some of the surrounding area. Ya think I might have looked a little harder sooner. I never even laid on my back to look around. But In defense to myself it's really hard to see the lower hose from the top and I was always looking at the overflow box and upper hose.
So hopefully that is where the fluid is going and maybe sucking some air in from which may be causing the high pressure and maybe is what licked up the thermostat.
Maybe this weekend if we don't get slammed with snow I can peek around a bit more.[/quote]

Hopefully that will just be the lower radiators hose! That will be an easy fix....the water pump in that area also...look aound there for the weephole. If you can see coolant coming from there you would be looking at replacing the water pump.

 

[shmodaddy]

you all are fast! Yes that indicates a water pump. If u replace, replace the pump eith one with a WELDED impeller, not a plastic impeller pressed on the shaft. Those are prone to spinning on the shaft. The pump.is bolted to block and is gear driven.