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View Full Version : engine heats up@smell of antifreeze in cab


smcghan
05-06-2005, 21:44
Ok I hope I'm wrong here. The truck is a '82. It's always heated up on the slightest of grades and there is a slight smell of antifreeze in the cab. I know it still has the factory guages which are not always reliable. I've used a themal imaging camera that says the rad. is only 188 degrees. BUT I towed today (1st time w/ this p/u) a small tractor/backhoe. The guage (not to mention the 6.2) went straight to ****ed and the smell of antifreeze was strong. So do I have a blown head gasket or a cracked head? Thanks in advance.

Steven
ZZ
05-07-2005, 03:51
The easiest way to tell is to see if the water in the overflow tank is swirling around. It'll look like a hurricane with a cracked head or a blown head gasket.
john8662
05-07-2005, 21:14
Concentrate on the easy stuff first...

First off, the heating up could be other things besides a blown head gasket. They are usually always related to the old radiator getting too plugged up internally and externally to cool the engine. The next thing to check is going to be the thermostat. I've said it before and I'll keep preaching it, the Robertshaw thermostats are the only way to go in one of these engines. The "Extra Performance" model is the one you want, it's the hi-flow version. It actually looks like the AC-Delco stat. If you pull any, you will really want the 180 stat.

http://www.cooperstandard.com/us/en/images/Fluid/Aftermarket/thermostat2.gif

But as mentioned in the previous post, if you are curious about head gasket failure, just go for a normal drive. When the engine is up to operating temperature, pop the hood and leave the engine running. Open the coolant recovery tank and look inside for bubbles coming out. If you're geting gurgling and lots of bubbles, then you've got problems..
ZZ
05-09-2005, 17:04
My truck needs the thermostat with the spring on the bottom or my low water light stays on.
mpascino
05-09-2005, 19:07
what shape is your heater core in? Are you possibbly leaking coolant in the cab or ou the bottom of the truck?
smcghan
05-09-2005, 23:38
No the heater core isn't leaking. The smell of anitfreeze isn't strong and you only get whiffs of it when the temp guage is climbing. You can smell it a little stronger when the windows are down. It doesn't make sense to me?
smcghan
05-09-2005, 23:42
Oh ya. The H2o pump, timing set belts, hoses, inj. pump timing were all done less then 10k ago. It runs great until you come to an incline the temp. guage goes up and you smell the antifreeze? I'm sure the lower gears will help when I get the time to change diffs.
smcghan
05-09-2005, 23:43
Oh ya. The H2o pump, timing set belts, hoses, inj. pump timing were all done less then 10k ago. It runs great until you come to an incline the temp. guage goes up and you smell the antifreeze? I'm sure the lower gears will help when I get the time to change diffs.