Cracked blocks

bigrpowr · Jun 3, 2013

Powerstroked162 said:
Weird. EOT and ECT were up no more than 5* on mine. I was 3/4 filled.

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Not really sure how that could be weird. I drove it to utah in the summer. It was hot. When did you drive yours ?

bigrpowr · Jun 3, 2013

Wayne said:
Clausen's engine, which is partially filled, has about 800 miles on it now has twice made the 150 mile round trip from our shop, up I-70 over the great divide (11000 ft at the peak), and back without cracking 220* on either coolant or oil. It's usually around the standard temp range of 195-205, but has seen as high as 220 when under sustained high power. Temps are right in line with other trucks that have been put under similar stresses, but with fully open coolant passages. I doubt we're filling it as much as some of you might think. All major passages allow for full flow. After the hard blok hardened, we went back in, and removed all possible scale from the walls of the water jackets, then sealed it to minimize the possibility of future flaking, which can cause the oil cooler to plug. It is very time consuming to do, but not an area to be compromised on. Granted, this is the first block we've done on a 6.4, but we're using tried and true methods. It might also be worth mentioning that with our approach, the cooling system still holds about 6 gallons. While I wouldn't recommend it for a truck that constantly had a 10K # load behind it, for the average guy we see no reason to be afraid to do it.

I think you might want to factor ambient into your equation. Hot summer day , big grade. If it handles that .. I assume the fan is working its ass off.

Powerstroked162 · Jun 3, 2013

bigrpowr said:
Not really sure how that could be weird. I drove it to utah in the summer. It was hot. When did you drive yours ?

Weird that the two are so different. For a 1/2 fill that's pretty gay. I drove it from Utah in the spring. It was warm enough for the AC to be on.

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Stroked777 · Jun 3, 2013

The build date on my truck is 04-07 and I have about 3k mile since studs were done. And we used arp lube and torqued to 275. I haven't lost any coolant yet and I have been beating the truck (sled pulled twice, raced an sti, and raced another car while pulling 6 tons) like its a rental. That's just my info to maybe help solve this little problem. We just cleaned the stud holes really really good ( vacuumed them out) and put them in finger tight

Erikclaw · Jun 3, 2013

bigrpowr said:
I think you might want to factor ambient into your equation. Hot summer day , big grade. If it handles that .. I assume the fan is working its ass off.

This alone makes me nervous. Since mine is the first 6.4 with the block partially filled, I will be keeping a close eye on coolant temps as I make my trek home. I will be going through Vegas and Utah on the way home. It will be 95 degrees or higher here so I will keep everyone posted on what I see. May make a thread on it once I get it home. I will be picking it up late this week. I should have paid more attention to the temps during DPC but during the dyno we were more concerned with overspeeding the turbos. The day we would have seen a high coolant temps would have been during drag racing, but that didn't quite happen as I would have hoped. LOL The 150 mile loop was spent at 30 mph for half the time due to snow.

Dzchey21 · Jun 3, 2013

Hopefully the cooling system being so big on a 6.4 will help a bunch to keep things cool. Cooling the cylinder head itself is most important but not cooling the block will raise oil temps for sure.

Wayne define a partial fill on Clausens truck... Seams to me to do the crack line its almost a full fill.

HD F250 · Jun 3, 2013

Someone please remind me why I want two highly modified 6.4's? :morons:

Morgan@Midwest Diesel & Auto · Jun 3, 2013

HD F250 said:
Someone please remind me why I want two highly modified 6.4's? :morons:

Because all the cool kids are doing it

HD F250 · Jun 3, 2013

Sledpull said:
Because all the cool kids are doing it

Let's hope I aint the kool kid with 2 cracked blocks!!!

madman1234509 · Jun 3, 2013

Stroked777 said:
The build date on my truck is 04-07 and I have about 3k mile since studs were done. And we used arp lube and torqued to 275. I haven't lost any coolant yet and I have been beating the truck (sled pulled twice, raced an sti, and raced another car while pulling 6 tons) like its a rental. That's just my info to maybe help solve this little problem. We just cleaned the stud holes really really good ( vacuumed them out) and put them in finger tight

My 2008 had the same build date, arp studs to 275, as directed in the directions with the new lube and I had 0 problems. Truck was done at 90ish K. Truck was always driven hard, and still is by my father, with probably 115+k now.

Seems a couple people with the issue torqued their studs more than the directed value. Not saying there isnt a problem, but itd be nice to differentiate between user error and a material/stress crack due to the material and manufacturing process.

Wayne · Jun 3, 2013

Rather than me continue to explain our procedures, or data we've collected, I'll just let Erik offer his report of how well the temps stay in check after he gets it back. It seems no amount of info from me is going to change any opinions, or opinions of facts.

Highroller54 · Jun 3, 2013

forcefed6.4ford · Jun 3, 2013

Would cryo treating help with this, or cast welding to build up the areas prone to cracking?

TERRCO · Jun 3, 2013

Are these main studs your talking about?

HD F250 · Jun 3, 2013

forcefed6.4ford said:
Would cryo treating help with this, or cast welding to build up the areas prone to cracking?

:whs:

Crack85 · Jun 3, 2013

TERRCO said:
Are these main studs your talking about?

Head studs

bigrpowr · Jun 3, 2013

Wayne said:
Rather than me continue to explain our procedures, or data we've collected, I'll just let Erik offer his report of how well the temps stay in check after he gets it back. It seems no amount of info from me is going to change any opinions, or opinions of facts.

perfect. i think until its tested not much can be said. i just think i wouldnt run around telling everbody a filled block is the answer until we do so.

claussen- my issue was going up baker grade towards vegas, it was 105 or so on the big thermometer.

ncollins64 · Jun 3, 2013

im loving all this info. ill be getting with elite when i do my build and hopefully by then there will be results out.

SSpeeDEMONSS · Jun 3, 2013

bigrpowr said:
perfect. i think until its tested not much can be said. i just think i wouldnt run around telling everbody a filled block is the answer until we do so.

claussen- my issue was going up baker grade towards vegas, it was 105 or so on the big thermometer.

I bet the drive to/from Laughlin/Havasu would get hot as well mid-summer on the 40.

Garrett

probably getting paid at work to post this from my bionic