PLEASE HELP ME

[barrett86]

Ight took my truck to the grocery store on the way back it started making this scary raddle noise from the engine compartment i babied it home and opened the hood up and my upper radiator hose is all sucked in like its pinched together from sucking from somewhere. could that be because i have no coolant or bad water pump, its brand new so idk what to do.

 

[Broncobill78]

OK my man, first thing to do is chill & give us more info. Now, first off, a number of these trucks have a spring sort-of-thing in the hoses from the factory designed to prevent them from being sucked flat (gosh, what a surprise). After years & years these spring thingies sometimes (well, more than sometimes) fall apart & disappear. If your hose is weak (read that as OLD) and it doesn't have any internal support then the suction from the water pump can **** it flat. This usually happens most frequently when there's a coolant issue (like it's too damn low). So, first off, let it cool (please, don't pop the cap while it's hot. I've worked in ER's and seen this $hit firsthand. DON'T do it, not even with a towel over the cap) then ck your coolant level. It's probably low. Next thing is to ck the condition of your hose (don't get foolish, you know what I mean & it's the damn RADIATOR hose). Chances are it's soft & doesn't feel just right, you'll see cracks on the surface & it'll feel "squishy". You probably need a new one & it *should* come from NAPA or whoever with a coil of wire inside of it. LEAVE the wire coil in there, it's designed to give it additional support against the suction of the pump. I'm willing to bet you need both coolant AND a new hose (if the upper is bad the lower probably is too, get both or we'll be having this conversation again). Check them WHEN IT'S COOL and let us know. It's freaking 2AM and I have nothing better to do, but damn it's late & I only have so much beer. SeaBronc & JSM84 will be up in a few hrs & so will Bidi & the rest of the forum. LISTEN to what they have to say. Take a look at what you've got & *someone* will post a response & if for SOME strange reason nobody else does then I'll be back up in a few hrs (gotta sleep *sometime*). If your pump is brand new chances are it's providing a LOT more suction than the old hoses are used to and you've just collapsed one because of it. NAPA is open on Sunday, don't sweat it.

 

[barrett86]

Ok quick note, everything on the front of my motor besides my plenum and valve covers are brand new, hoses, alt,PS,A/C,Dist(cap and rotor as well) the radiator isnt new, but i put half a bottle of coolant in there and it started to run through but the hose didnt flatten, and like i said 85% of whats under my hood is brand new.well 1.5 years ago but it sat for that long so it didnt get used so no harm done and when i got it shipped to me i replaced all fluids except the coolant in the entire truck.guys i love my truck and i dont want anything to happen i start college up again in less than a month and i need her running cuz its my DD. i think its because i had low coolant, but also i need ball joints bad. this sux cuz im chewing threw tires left and right. how much more coolant should i put in er i already put half a bottle.

 

[Broncobill78]

No problem. So since this happened you've added coolant correct ? Like I posted before I've seen this before but on;y with low coolant probs. A 1/2 bottle may not be enuf but it's a start. make sure it's full to the radiator neck & try again. Chances are you'lll still need an upper hose (those reinforcement coils do a lot more than you'd expect). I really do think you've got an old hose & low coolant but if anyone has an idea jump right on it. Anyways, it's freaking4:28, I'm $hit out of beer for the night and gonna crash. From everything you've said & described this is a coolant level prob combined with an old upper hose issue. Been there & done that. Ck with the moderators, Bidi or the other guys in the forumn who will probably be awake before I*I* am. SeaBronc & JSM84 will set you right. Send them a PM if they don't read this but I'd be surprised if they don't. Best of luck to ya bud, goodnight.

 

[barrett86]

ok heres the other thing its never been flat b4 ever, i would know, and the noise sounded like metal vibrating against metal or steel, would that be because no coolant and being hot.it just scares me cuz i cant afford for it to take a shit on me now, and i love it but i just need to know if im correct about what i heard and saw.thanks

 

[Seabronc]

OK, new day. Have you checked the coolant level yet?

I don't see any answers to Bill's questions. What is the status there?

The vibration, did that change with the change in RPM? In other words, did it get slower as the engine decreased in RPM? Sometimes an overheated engine has a loud vibration sound when it is blowing it's guts, water pump cavitating is also a possibility. We weren't there to hear it /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> .

Was there any white smoke coming out of the exhaust?

If the coolant seems full, I'd start by replacing the hose, thermostat and flush and refill the coolant. Get a flush kit and follow the instructions. It will add a hose T in the return heater hose line.

Let us know and answer the questions that are posed to you so we can come up with some reasonable possibilities. We are not interested in what you changed a year and a half ago. New stuff sometimes fails right after it is installed.

Good luck,

>-

 

[barrett86]

no white smoke, NO COOLANT, added half a bottle but didnt drive after that, i am adding another bottle tomorrow so ill let you know from there, no it didnt change with RPM, it may have been my water pump making the noise /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> the noise was short then longer then gone but it was all the time nor was it in intervals it came and went. i think it just didnt have coolant, it sounded better after i added half a bottle so i think thats my issue, and once i again i hate the cold, its way too ******* older vehicles, and none of this crap happened when it was hot outside, when it was my truck ran like an animal, it feels stronger when its cold but overall better during the summer. thanks again.

 

[Seabronc]

no white smoke, NO COOLANT, added half a bottle but didnt drive after that, i am adding another bottle tomorrow so ill let you know from there, no it didnt change with RPM, it may have been my water pump making the noise /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> the noise was short then longer then gone but it was all the time nor was it in intervals it came and went. i think it just didnt have coolant, it sounded better after i added half a bottle so i think thats my issue, and once i again i hate the cold, its way too ******* older vehicles, and none of this crap happened when it was hot outside, when it was my truck ran like an animal, it feels stronger when its cold but overall better during the summer. thanks again.

OK, that's better. The sound may have been the coolant blowing over the side.

You need to not just add a bottle. If you are adding premix 50/50 then keep adding until it is full. A seriously low system would explain the collapsed hose but as Bill said, you probably should replace it. Once you get it filled, run the engine and add more as there is space for it. Turn your heat fully on to make sure you clear any air trapped. Don't stop adding fluid until it over flows and then put the cap on. After you have run the engine a while, wait till it cools down and check the level again, you may have to add a little more.

If you are changing hoses, this is the time to replace them all, (a cheap preventive measure), rather than a blown head gasket or worse, (hopefully you haven't already blown it). Change the heater bypass hose on the water pump also, (it is that small sort of L shaped hose from the top of the pump to the water neck), about 4 inches long. Check the condition of your heater hoses as well.

Now after you have done all that, keep an eye on it on a daily basis for a while. Check it in the morning before you start the engine. If you are losing fluid, find out why, check for leaks, smoke in the exhaust, a Carmel smell inside the truck (heater core leak), etc.

I still suggest you get a flush kit and make sure the whole engine is cleaned out. Also add a bottle of water wetter and pump ***** it won't hurt. I realize that is a few bucks, but you did say, "I love My Truck :wub: ", didn't you? /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Good luck,

>-

PS. A new radiator cap wouldn't hurt

 

[barrett86]

Thanks, but ill add this since its cold i can see the smoke, and its white so but when it was summer i saw nothing, buttttt i add that when it sat if i ran it at idle since it wasnt leagally able to be driven, the smoke was white and it was thick if i applied the gas pedal.so what would that mean, and now that its cold i have a tick that goes with the engine lower half sounds like, sounds towards rear lower of motor, whats back there. it goes away eventually after warming up. grrr i guess i need to save up money til summer comes so i can do some replacing and possibly preventative maintence.lol.

 

[Seabronc]

Thanks, but ill add this since its cold i can see the smoke, and its white so but when it was summer i saw nothing, buttttt i add that when it sat if i ran it at idle since it wasnt leagally able to be driven, the smoke was white and it was thick if i applied the gas pedal.so what would that mean, and now that its cold i have a tick that goes with the engine lower half sounds like, sounds towards rear lower of motor, whats back there. it goes away eventually after warming up. grrr i guess i need to save up money til summer comes so i can do some replacing and possibly preventative maintence.lol.

From what you say, I suspect the coolant is leaking into a cylinder. If so, then it is head gasket time :huh: . Tick or knock? A tick could be a leaking exhaust gasket or cracked manifold. By white smoke, I'm not talking about what you see while the engine is warming up on a cold day, I mean thick and will also have an odor to it, that is a leak in one of the head gaskets from the water jacket to a cylinder.

Good luck,

>-

 

[4X4RedNeck]

Check the coolant level. Your engine creates a vacuum in the coolant system, usually around 15 psi. If your coolant level is low it will collapse the hoses. That is how you full up a system as well. They **** the coolant system dry(collapse the hoses) and then full it up to make sure you have the proper amount in the system. As Far as the knocking, you would have to describe it to me and the general location of the sound.

 

[Broncobill78]

I hate to second the motion but it sounds like you cooked a head gasket. When it was making these noises did you by chance notice what the temp gage was reading ? The rattle was probably the water pump with no water. For one reason or another the water level got low, the pump had no water & started making noise and also sucked the hose flat. Overheating an engine is the main reason guys lose head gaskets. Now whether you blew the gasket and caused the water to leak into the head & lower the level until it ran hot or if the coolant went somewhere ELSE first & then ran hot & blew the gasket is really a chicken or the egg issue now. You're gonna be learning a lot about how your engine is put together in the next few weeks. One way or another you'll have to replace the gasket that blew.

 

[Shadow_D]

I hate to agree with Seabronc & BroncoBill but it sounds like you will be learning how to replace a set of head gaskets real soon.

Check your oil level. You will prob find coolant in there as well, hopefully the noise you heard from the back lower part of the motor is do to a large amount of coolant in the oil preventing the parts from getting lubricated.

I highly recommend NOT running the truck till the gasket is fixed AND the oil gets changed!

If you caught it fast enough then you shouldn't have to worry about the lack of lubrication, you will only know that when the gaskets are replaced and the oil and filter are changed. Once there is fresh oil in the motor the noises should stop but you should really pay close attention to the sounds of the motor.

I hope this helps

Good Luck

 

[4X4RedNeck]

I hate to agree with Seabronc & BroncoBill but it sounds like you will be learning how to replace a set of head gaskets real soon.Check your oil level. You will prob find coolant in there as well, hopefully the noise you heard from the back lower part of the motor is do to a large amount of coolant in the oil preventing the parts from getting lubricated.

I highly recommend NOT running the truck till the gasket is fixed AND the oil gets changed!

If you caught it fast enough then you shouldn't have to worry about the lack of lubrication, you will only know that when the gaskets are replaced and the oil and filter are changed. Once there is fresh oil in the motor the noises should stop but you should really pay close attention to the sounds of the motor.

I hope this helps

Good Luck

It sounds more like he just ran out of fluid. Wrong ratio of fluid and neglect and it just ran dry and the water pump went dry and started to make noise? Many factors. I don't think that a head gasket is going out.

 

[Shadow_D]

Thanks, but ill add this since its cold i can see the smoke, and its white so but when it was summer i saw nothing, buttttt i add that when it sat if i ran it at idle since it wasnt leagally able to be driven, the smoke was white and it was thick if i applied the gas pedal.so what would that mean, and now that its cold i have a tick that goes with the engine lower half sounds like, sounds towards rear lower of motor, whats back there. it goes away eventually after warming up. grrr i guess i need to save up money til summer comes so i can do some replacing and possibly preventative maintence.lol.

Right but he is talking about another "tick" from the lower rear part of the motor. If the head gasket is blown and coolant filled the crank case that might cause the noise.

 

[4X4RedNeck]

Right but he is talking about another "tick" from the lower rear part of the motor. If the head gasket is blown and coolant filled the crank case that might cause the noise.

Maybe. But his black may be cracked too. A compression test is in order to see where they leak is coming from. no offense, but a head gasket at this time doesn't seem like the problem. If we get that figured out then we can figure out the tick.

 

[Shadow_D]

You are absolutely right, I hope I'm wrong for his sake and the head gasket might still be ok I don't think the block is cracked though. A compression test is in order but a quick way to check the head gaskets is to check the oil level, if there's coolant in there then he most likely has a bad head gasket.

 

[4X4RedNeck]

You are absolutely right, I hope I'm wrong for his sake and the head gasket might still be ok. A compression test is in order but a quick way to check the head gaskets is to check the oil level, if there's coolant in there then he most likely has a bad head gasket.

You are right about that. A compression test and an oil change can be a cheap effective way to check for his problem. It's all about troubleshooting.

 

[Broncobill78]

Well, I'm not so sure there's a cracked block involved. Granted it IS a cold climate & if his coolant was too watered down it may have frozen up, but every block I've ever seen crack leaked either oil or coolant (or both) directly from the block & it was fairly noticable. Same thing when you pop a freeze-plug. There hasn't been any comment about coolant or oil leaking from the engine. It runs but it raps & billows out clouds of white smoke. That's textbook for a blown head gasket. Chances are the coolant has contaminated the oil & the bearings don't much like the new mix. If the oil is a sort of milky color then you know for sure (that & the level is all screwed up) now a *small* coolant leak into the oil will usually show up as small greenish bubbles on the dipstick when you check the oil.