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+--- Thread: Losing Water and Running Hot (/showthread.php?tid=8361)
Losing Water and Running Hot - Jpeavy314 - 08-07-2022
Looking for opinions, truck is in the shop but I want all the opinions lol. I have a 2007 Cummins ISX 400 ST. Ran warm on day 1, around 200-220 degrees water temp for 12 hours mostly. Day 2, ran hot, temps got up to 225-245 water and oil got up to 250-270. It’s losing water and I’m getting a low water alert on the dash after about 4-5 hours of operation. It runs perfect as long as the water levels stay up, around 190 degrees. I see absolutely no signs of water leaking from the engine on either side or the front, it’s dripping a tiny bit (maybe 2 drops per 60 seconds) from the overflow tube on the water reservoir. I have no white smoke from the exhaust, no loss of power, no water in my oil, and it doesn’t appear that I have any oil in my water. The water is definitely going somewhere. This truck has a new air compressor, new EGR cooler, new turbo, new rear main seal, new bell housing gasket, new clutch, fresh oil change, new air filter, new cam shaft, it’s been gone through with a fine tooth comb. After letting it sit and cool down after it heated up for about 3.5 hours, I filled it with water in the resivoir and started it it with the radiator cap off, the engine temp was probably 130-140 degrees. It immediately starting blowing water out of the top of the reservoir. I know this shows signs of the cooking system being pressurized. Do you guys think cracked head, head gasket, stuck thermostat, etc? I’m at a loss, if it were a head or head gasket I feel like I would have more signs, right? Thanks for your help! Truck has been de-mandated but still has Egr cooler
RE: Losing Water and Running Hot - Nilao - 08-08-2022
When I dropped a liner I could run with the cap loose and only lose a gallon a day. I had no symptoms other than loosing coolant from the overflow.
A friend of mine blew his a few months ago....same issue, start the truck and it would geyser the coolant out of the reservoir within 15 seconds of starting the truck. No other symtpoms. Still ran good, no misfires and no coolant in the oil. Only way we found either issue was to drop the pan, pull the stiffener plate and pressurize the coolant system to 20 psi overnight then bar the engine over. Each time there was coolant running down cylinder #5.
RE: Losing Water and Running Hot - Rawze - 08-08-2022
ISX engines do not like being overheated. Sounds like you ran yours in that state for hours on end. NOT good for it at all... and 245+ oil temps is too high too.
and WHY is it running so hot all the time?. It is supposed to run at 185F unless your climbing a hill.. where it should not be getting more than about 218-220 ~ish or so max. Oil temps should not be exceeding 218 or so going down the roads and about 235-F max or so even in a hard sustained pull. - Is it being over-worked>?? can the front end of the truck not breathe properly?... thermostat going bad?... it has to be something.
Is this engine de-mandated? (deleted)?.. If so then that is priority one to have the program checked to see if it is contributing towards liners and head gasket issues. More than 90% of all de-mandate programming results in significantly shortened engine life leading to dropped liners, cracked head, cracked pistons, repeating turbo failures, and/or other serious problems. Bad de-mandate programming can and will make one overheat far more easily... + make the oil temps run too hot all the time due to excessive internal engine friction.
ref: https://youtu.be/sQESWU3_wAI
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the proper way to check the coolant system is to pressurize it to 20 psi./. fix any external leaks.. and then pressurize it again with the oil pan off of it over night like mentioned above.. check for coolant seeping around one of the pistons the next day while someone turns the engine with a wrench.
and NO.. there is hardly ever signs of a blown head gasket / dropped liner, etc., so expecting white smoke, power loss, or other signs is nothing but a fools tale except if it is really really severe.
RE: Losing Water and Running Hot - Jpeavy314 - 08-08-2022
Thanks, we’re going to go ahead and replace the head and head gasket in it and see what happens. I’ll post the outcome.
RE: Losing Water and Running Hot - tree98 - 08-08-2022
(08-08-2022 )Jpeavy314 Wrote: Thanks, we’re going to go ahead and replace the head and head gasket in it and see what happens. I’ll post the outcome.
I can tell you what the outcome will be if you aren't going to cut the counterbores and shim the liners up and do it correctly
The outcome will be another blown head gasket in a short amount of time. And the head your about to put on will be junk as well due to fretting.
So all you will have accomplished is wasting a bunch of time and money........Do it right by following the procedures recommended here on this site and make it last a million miles.
RE: Losing Water and Running Hot - Rawze - 08-09-2022
(08-08-2022 )Jpeavy314 Wrote: Thanks, we’re going to go ahead and replace the head and head gasket in it and see what happens. I’ll post the outcome.
THAT (only replacing the head and/or gasket) is the dumbest thing you can do to an ISX engine.. !!!!!!!... THE HEAD GASKET WILL NOT FAIL ON AN ISX UNLESS A LINER IS DANCING IN THE BLOCK!!!...
All someone will be doing is wasting a WHOLE LOT OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEYS if all someone did was replace the head and gasket!.
THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE FIXED!!!.. THE PROBLEM IS NOT AT THE HEAD GASKET WHERE IT FAILED!!!.. IS IT DOWN IN THE ENGINE BLOCK!!!!
It will end up just like this scenario ....
ref: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=4797&pid=41315#pid41315
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and ANYTHING LESS THAN 100% OF WHAT IS RECOMMENDED ON THIS FORUM FOR REBUILDING IT.. AND YOU ARE NOT BUILDING IT RIGHT!!!... IT WILL FAIL AGAIN PREMATURELY!!!.
REF: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=8105&pid=70606#pid70606
Otherwise, it is nothing but a half-arssed repair that any OEM shop can do.. and the truck owner eventually hating their truck, their engine, and everyone for all the time, efforts, and moneys wasted!... on my forum here crying about how they have spent $70,000 on repairs only to have it broken again!.