Is my block cracked?

DocBar · Mar 10, 2017

Hey guys, I'm having an issue with oil and coolant mixing. The coolant system is holding pressure and not bleeding off, compression is good in every cylinder, exhaust gasses aren't in the coolant and oil pressure is good. Injectors were recently changed and last winter the oil cooler cracked.

Any ideas or suggestions?

psduser1 · Mar 10, 2017

Cups?

OBS-Addiction97 · Mar 10, 2017

Oil cooler?

mandkole · Mar 10, 2017

Ah crappers.. X2 on checking the cooler.

cjfarm111 · Mar 10, 2017

So your saying your getting coolant into the oil correct? If it was an oil cooler wouldn't he have oil in his coolant?

DocBar · Mar 10, 2017

The cooler is being rechecked but wouldn't the cooling system leak down if the cooler was cracked or had bad O-rings?

DocBar · Mar 10, 2017

cjfarm111 said:
So your saying your getting coolant into the oil correct? If it was an oil cooler wouldn't he have oil in his coolant?

I'm getting oil in coolant and coolant in the oil. They are mixing somewhere.

DocBar · Mar 10, 2017

If the block is cracked, what's the going rate for one that has been checked out and deemed worthy of a competition build?

97f350stroker · Mar 10, 2017

DocBar said:
I'm getting oil in coolant and coolant in the oil. They are mixing somewhere.

I had this same problem and tore my entire motor down and still couldn't find a solid answer! I had some low compression numbers but not terrible and I think the cheapo harbor freight gauge contributed to that. I think I either had a hairline crack somewhere that I couldn't visually see or it looks like someone may have done a half azz job sealing the front cover and it was mixing somewhere.

Golfer had posted slot pics from engines he's see. With cracked blocks coming from the casting around the cam bearings.

Derek@Vision Diesel · Mar 10, 2017

DocBar said:
If the block is cracked, what's the going rate for one that has been checked out and deemed worthy of a competition build?

Take a stock block and stuff all your parts in it that you already own. With today's tuning and your current turbo/injector combo you could just go down to the nearest junkyard and find a low mileage stock engine in it and throw it in and probably have it last.

emev0l · Mar 10, 2017

I was getting coolant in the oil, truck ran great until it clogged the IPR, change the oil and cleaned the IPR and it would rip.

Mine ended up being cracks in 3 of the mains.

If it's coolant in the oil and nothing else is mixing then it could be something similar.

97f350stroker · Mar 10, 2017

emev0l said:
I was getting coolant in the oil, truck ran great until it clogged the IPR, change the oil and cleaned the IPR and it would rip.

Mine ended up being cracks in 3 of the mains.

If it's coolant in the oil and nothing else is mixing then it could be something similar.

On mine the whole rad was full of oil clear into the over flow bottle and the crankcase was WAY over full with oil/coolant mix.

morefuel · Mar 10, 2017

I have a motor from a person that was having problems with mixing also. He just drained the coolant and ran oil.

thewrubelator · Mar 10, 2017

somethings facked bud

DocBar · Mar 10, 2017

morefuel said:
I have a motor from a person that was having problems with mixing also. He just drained the coolant and ran oil.

WTF?? You can do that?

cjfarm111 · Mar 10, 2017

My have s cracked block like mine was.

cjfarm111 · Mar 10, 2017

I cracked a cylinder wall on my early 99. But I was pressurizing the cooling system and blowing coolant everywhere

Countrycar · Mar 13, 2017

Hey Docbar. Sorry to hear about the issues with your truck. Where yah at with it? Have you had a chance to isolate the problem yet?

ghohouston · Mar 13, 2017

DocBar said:
WTF?? You can do that?

I drove my obs 7.3 around with oil in the coolant for a long time. Had ruptured oil cooler o rings, i replaced the o rings, but never flushed the coolant system. Its a 7.3, whats it gonna hurt?

lincolnlocker · Mar 13, 2017

DocBar said:
If the block is cracked, what's the going rate for one that has been checked out and deemed worthy of a competition build?

Derek took the words right outta my mouth.. prolly 500 to 1k for a good used running 7.3..

Derek@Vision Diesel said:
Take a stock block and stuff all your parts in it that you already own. With today's tuning and your current turbo/injector combo you could just go down to the nearest junkyard and find a low mileage stock engine in it and throw it in and probably have it last.

live life full throttle

god bless america and the farmer who feeds your fat ass