groundhawg
Full Access Member
My 05 Stroke has been a great truck for me...I bought it new almost 7 years and just over 70k miles ago. I have never had any issues and it only went to the dealer once for the new degas bottle decal.
The first thing about my truck that I found odd was with the coolant filter. I had read about all of the casting junk and goop that had been captured in the filter...mine didn't have that. I am on my fourth or fifth coolant filter and I never had the nastyness like I had seen pics of before.
Anyway, a few months ago I noticed I was low on coolant. Actually, I noticed the smell of coolant for a little while before hand...thinking it was the wifes Jeep...only to realize it was my truck.
I did locate two small leaks that had developed in my coolant filter lines. I took care of them and hoped that I had it done...wrong.
I filled it with water until I could check it out and try to determine where it was coming from. To start off, there is on occasion some chalky remants of coolant overflow on the degas bottle.
I downloaded the liveload and piggybacked the laptop to the ECM to check for the coolant tempurature readings for the EGR and the EOC and they were within 10* of each other even when romping it.
Next, I made up a pressure guage for the coolant system as I had seen online somewhere. A hose Teed into the coolant overflow tube between the degas bottle and the radiator. I turned the ball valve for the coolant filter off and connected it in and ran the truck again. It did very closely approach 16 psi several times, but I did not see it exceed it...even on my highest HP tune.
So, at that point I had thought (hoped) that the truck was fine. I flushed the coolant system out and went to the Peak brand ELC. I rinsed everything down good and tried again but I still have a coolant smell coming from the truck.
At this point, I thought that the cap for the degas bottle had went south, so I replaced it. On the way in to town that day, ECM returned to stock programming, mild weather, and driving the truck easy, it blew alot of coolant out the degas bottle. So, I figured I was on the right track...but the new cap didn't fix it either.
Obviously, it's not a massive leak, except for when she decides to blow off. Unfortunatly, I can not quantify that loss. Coolant level remains up where it should be and I at least have not yet seen another leak. I have also not noticed any white smoke or different smells coming from the tail pipe since before this started...and the oil level is not moving.
For what it's worth, at this point I am leaning toward head gaskets still. I know there is still the possibility of warped or cracked heads, but until that point I don't know.
Anyone have any other tests, thoughts, or suggestions that I can do for her before I start buying parts to do a headstud/EGR delete?
I know that if I do start to tear down, it is getting worked over for all of the know weak spots. That is the good part. I just don't want to drop the $ if I don't need to because I missed something.
The first thing about my truck that I found odd was with the coolant filter. I had read about all of the casting junk and goop that had been captured in the filter...mine didn't have that. I am on my fourth or fifth coolant filter and I never had the nastyness like I had seen pics of before.
Anyway, a few months ago I noticed I was low on coolant. Actually, I noticed the smell of coolant for a little while before hand...thinking it was the wifes Jeep...only to realize it was my truck.
I did locate two small leaks that had developed in my coolant filter lines. I took care of them and hoped that I had it done...wrong.
I filled it with water until I could check it out and try to determine where it was coming from. To start off, there is on occasion some chalky remants of coolant overflow on the degas bottle.
I downloaded the liveload and piggybacked the laptop to the ECM to check for the coolant tempurature readings for the EGR and the EOC and they were within 10* of each other even when romping it.
Next, I made up a pressure guage for the coolant system as I had seen online somewhere. A hose Teed into the coolant overflow tube between the degas bottle and the radiator. I turned the ball valve for the coolant filter off and connected it in and ran the truck again. It did very closely approach 16 psi several times, but I did not see it exceed it...even on my highest HP tune.
So, at that point I had thought (hoped) that the truck was fine. I flushed the coolant system out and went to the Peak brand ELC. I rinsed everything down good and tried again but I still have a coolant smell coming from the truck.
At this point, I thought that the cap for the degas bottle had went south, so I replaced it. On the way in to town that day, ECM returned to stock programming, mild weather, and driving the truck easy, it blew alot of coolant out the degas bottle. So, I figured I was on the right track...but the new cap didn't fix it either.
Obviously, it's not a massive leak, except for when she decides to blow off. Unfortunatly, I can not quantify that loss. Coolant level remains up where it should be and I at least have not yet seen another leak. I have also not noticed any white smoke or different smells coming from the tail pipe since before this started...and the oil level is not moving.
For what it's worth, at this point I am leaning toward head gaskets still. I know there is still the possibility of warped or cracked heads, but until that point I don't know.
Anyone have any other tests, thoughts, or suggestions that I can do for her before I start buying parts to do a headstud/EGR delete?
I know that if I do start to tear down, it is getting worked over for all of the know weak spots. That is the good part. I just don't want to drop the $ if I don't need to because I missed something.
