[BHASE]

Alright so here is a rundown of what I know on the truck and how I came upon it. This truck a little less than a year ago came up for sale on Facebook market place. $3,500.1995 Cclb dually 5-speed. It has 219,xxx miles. The truck had a lot done to it and from my understanding it was very recent to what is happening now.
the truck has as follows
-17 degreee hpop swash plate
- full force 180/30 injectors
-php hydra tuner with custom dusty holgate tunes
-avp 9 blade compressor wheel
-New fuel system 48 gallon rear tank 18 gallon front tank
- 444 fab regulated return electric fuel pumps
-3” downpipe to a 4” straight pipe
-new radiator (degas bottle was not hooked back up)
-new uvch on both sides
-new glow plugs from ford
-new icp (unknown brand)
-new ipr (unknown brand)
The original add said it needed and oil cooler. Not sure how the guy came to that conclusion

A buddy of mine bought the truck planning to fix it. He has had it about 6 months and hasn’t touched it and wants to sell it because he found something else he wants more.
I love these trucks and this seems like it could be a good one. I talked to him and brought the truck to my house so I could try to do some diagnostics on it.

First thing I noticed was when I started it 60mph degrees outside there was no smoke, the engine was a lot louder than most 7.3 power strikes I’ve heard (sounded kinda like a knock on the top end) but it ran good. Drive the truck about 2 miles to my house and it was smoking white. That matches up with what he told me that it only smokes when hot.
About and hour after I got home I went back out to check fluid levels. Coolant was low, oil level seemed good and just smelled like oil (had slight brownness but I figured it was from it not being properly warmed up, buddy would start it and not let it fully warm up a couple times a month). I topped off the coolant (took almost 4 gallons and changed the oil. All the oil that came out was brownish but not really milkshake like.
Started the truck and it was just bubbling the coolant out the rad cap hole (cap was off) but ran good. After about 5 min it started to smoke. I started to unplug the harness to the valve cover to see if it would lesson the smoke. Didn’t change the smoke but made the truck run a lot worse. Went to do the driver side so I removed the air intake so I could get to the rear plug. Started the truck and milky sludge started coming out the ccv. I left it at that for the night as it was dark and getting cold.

next morning (22degrees outside) i went out and pulled the rad cap and could not see the coolant again. I put about another gallon in leaving it about 1/2” from the top of the rad. Pulled the dipstick and there was white foamy **** in the did tick tube but the oil on the dipstick looked good for the most part(had some of that foamy stuff on it) oil level was still good didn’t gain anything it seems. Later that day I got some hotshot stiction eleminator to put in the oil and some hotshot diesel extreme for the fuel, and fuel filters. Started the truck and it was smoking some but not terrible (it was cold and I didn’t plug it in) the smoke never cleared fully. It got better for a little and then came back strong again. I let the truck warm up to the bottom of the normal zone on the dash and put the rad cap on. About 10 seconds later it was really smoking and it smelled sweet. Ran it like that for about 2 min on high idle 1,100rpm. I slowly released the pressure on the cooling system. I saw a few drops of what maybe looked like oil or fuel possibly. I then went inside for 5 hours and didn’t touch it. In that time it lost enough coolant to just barely cover the fins in the radiator, oil still looks good and I don’t see any visual leaks outside the truck.

what could this be? Cracked injector cups, head gasket, cavitation, cracked head,?? Not real sure what direction to head. Another friend of mine thinks a headgasket is probably shot

 

[White95f250]

Highly highly doubt head gasket.

There was alot of work done to the truck and with no records I would assume it was done by your local lawn mower shop.

So it could be the oil cooler but that generally pushes oil in to the coolant. It sounds like you may need to pull the injectors and inspect the previous work.

Same goes for the other mods, check them over.

Oil coolers usually show leaks externally as a sign of failure. If the oil cooler was removed then hopefully they used the correct gaskets and O-rings.

 

[BHASE]

Highly highly doubt head gasket.

There was alot of work done to the truck and with no records I would assume it was done by your local lawn mower shop.

So it could be the oil cooler but that generally pushes oil in to the coolant. It sounds like you may need to pull the injectors and inspect the previous work.

Same goes for the other mods, check them over.

Oil coolers usually show leaks externally as a sign of failure. If the oil cooler was removed then hopefully they used the correct gaskets and O-rings.

I plan on starting to check over the previous work when it warms up next week. What all could cause coolant to be burnt tho? The white smoke smells sweet… especially after I put the cap on the radiator and it built pressure

 

[White95f250]

Cracked Injector cups

 

[BHASE]

it was cold last night but I got the valve cover off. Lost of milky stuff on the cover but the heads and injectors looked 10 times better than the cover.

started the truck (batteries are crap and it was like 5 degrees with a wind chill of -8. When it bogged like that it threw a check engine light but I don’t have a way of checking those right now

 

[Hydro]

Cracked Injector cups

Wouldn't a cracked cup put fuel into the coolant, rather than run coolant thru the injector ?
I mean the pressure difference should push from high to low

I would suspect a cracked head from the bubbling and coolant loss -- and while head gaskets are rare in the 7.3, it is not out of the realm of possibility

 

[White95f250]

Wouldn't a cracked cup put fuel into the coolant, rather than run coolant thru the injector ?
I mean the pressure difference should push from high to low

I would suspect a cracked head from the bubbling and coolant loss -- and while head gaskets are rare in the 7.3, it is not out of the realm of possibility

Coolant was low after shutting off but while on it could push fuel in.

The coolant system pressure would eventually overcome the fuel pressure if the motor is off.

 

[Hydro]

Yeah, I agree engine off -- but OP mentioned bubbling
possible multiple problems if the engine has been hot

 

[White95f250]

Yeah, I agree engine off -- but OP mentioned bubbling
possible multiple problems if the engine has been hot

Ah forgot that detail.

I always say the easiest way to hurt these motors is by overheating them and that may be the issue here. Just too many unknown factors to narrow it down.

 

[BHASE]

I have started the truck 3 times since and have neither gained or loss coolant on any of these times.
when I started the truck last night I only ran if for about 5 min (I know not the best thing to do) and it built a lot of pressure in the cooling system. Went out this morning to see if the pressure pushed coolant out of the system and made it low… it actually still had some pressure and was at the same level as when I started the truck
Both valve covers are off now and they had some milky slush on the bottom of the covers themselves but the rockers and everything looked clean. I will start pulling injectors and inspecting the cups next week hopefully

 

[Hydro]

Fill the radiator to the very top and start the engine with the rad cap off -- what do you see ?

 

[BHASE]

Bubbles for about 15 seconds then it stopped and it was about 1/8” below the spout, filled it back into the spout again and no bubbles for about 5 seconds then it bubbled for a few seconds and stopped bubbling. at that point the coolant was just rising and lowering a little

 

[BHASE]

Also there was a little film on the coolant when I filled it

 

[Hydro]

@White95f250 I wonder if the water pump housing has a hole into the crankcase ?

Also @BHASE , I figured you would have seen a fountain of coolant -- the sludge in the valve cover suggests either water in the oil or a crankcase vent that is not working -- tho the short run times will also cause this

You could rig up a "bubble tank" from a clear bottle, some hose and a stopper that seals the rad neck -- fill the bottle half way with water, place the hose below the water level and run the engine -- constant bubbling indicated a leak

 

[Hydro]

Just watched the vid -- I can hear one cylinder that sounds like it is hard to push over the top -- like it may have a partial hydro lock (fuel or coolant) -- does it always crank like that ? (uneven)

With the "sweet smell" of the exhaust, you definitely have coolant going into the combustion chamber -- possibly that cylinder I heard in your vid -- really dont see how you would get by without pulling the heads off the engine -- since you didn't report a geyser from the radiator -- I think you are looking at a cracked head

With the age of the truck and an unknown engine problem, the repair cost will exceed the value easily -- now depending on if you are doing the work yourself, you can overcome the monetary problem somewhat -- but consider the condition of the truck body and your ability -- if you don't know which end of a screwdriver is the pointy end, then pass on the truck

Elsewise you have a valuable resource here at the .org and people that are willing to share knowledge -- it only takes an eye for detail and not being afraid to ask questions, to be able todo the work your self -- you do not need fancy tools, just a basic set and a concrete pad to work on -- I have done work in far worse conditions, tho not optimal ...LoL

I would want to pull the engine and put bearings in the crank and cam -- with the miles the 7.3 is just getting broke in, they will easily run 500k with care -- I do think you are looking at putting on a head, but the other parts of the engine should still be serviceable -- tho need to be checked

 

[BHASE]

Here is a video of what the Rad does when it’s full. Right as I ended the video was when it stopped and remained about and 1/8” from the top.
I am 99% sure I have an injector sticking open. After I had the truck running for about 20min the other day I had just turned the key to the on position and didn’t start it. With the electric pumps on (key on without it running) I could hear what sounded like an injector still spraying. When the truck is colder or I have the rad cap off the white smoke smells like unburnt diesel. With the rad cap on it smells sweater and it has a lot more smoke.

I put some fuel additive From hot shot in the tank and some stiction eliminator in the oil to see if that would help with that issue

 

[Hydro]

Das a bad head gasket

 

[White95f250]

Forgot to mentioned another major way of damaging the motor....only water in the system and freezing the block.

That radiator tells me early 94.5, I haven't seen a 95 with the 460 rad.

 

[BHASE]

It has a new radiator from the previous owner, not sure why.

 

[White95f250]

It has a new radiator from the previous owner, not sure why.

I think we know why now