Just bought a new truck to me with a cat c-15 acert in it. Creating pressure in engine coolant. Am assuming a head gasket, but I would like to make sure that's what it is before I tear into it. Is there a way to tell for sure?
Put a pressure tester on coolant tank and start engine. If it builds pressure quickly chances are good it's a head gasket. Do it when engine is cold. I've also heard of the air compressor putting pressure in coolant but I've never dealt with that.
Cracked heads are real common on those
I stuck a hose in radiator into a jar full of water to see if I had air bubbles. Not much for air bubbles, but it started pushing antifreeze out right away. When I pull head will I be able to see where leak is easily?
It only has 200,000 on it.
Blocked radiator perhaps?
How do you know it only has 200k on it? Paperwork from a dealer or previous owners word? If it's dealer work it might have warranty. If you pull the head you may find a blown head gasket but I'd have the head checked either way
Paperwork from dealer. I'm going to pull head and go from there. I have had several Cummins apart, but I have never been in a Cat. I'm a little hesitate I guess. Thanks guys!
The ECM should have the mileage history stored in it, Along with any tattletale history of overheats etc. I'm thinking cracked head too. It is possible you have an injector seat leaking compression into the injector cup and into the cooling system but not likely, that usually blows through the bottom fuel o-ring and causes a miss in the downstream cylinders. I have pulled C-15 injectors and found coolant in the cups, though with no compression gases in the cooling system. If you do pull the head, have it checked very carefully. Even if the gasket does have issues.
I finally got head off. I have a picture where I think the leak might of been? There is a lot of rust on the two head bolts between 5 and 6 cylinders and around the top of the liner and on the spacer plate on the edge that goes around liner. Do you think the gasket failed or would the liner be bad?
After cleaning everything up the first step from here would be check the liner projection on all 6 holes
Here are a couple more pictures where you can see the rust on the spacer plate and the top of liner.
Do you think that is where the pressure was getting into the coolant system? I will get it cleaned up and check the liners.
I've got a lot of experience in my present location of 3500 Cat engines where the top of the liner looks just like that and every one was blowing coolant out the radiator relief valve like crazy. When you get everything cleaned up just hope that the top deck of the block doesn't look pitted like this one. That's replacement block time. If you want the Service Manual procedure for measuring liner projection send me a PM with your engine Serial Number and your email address.
Thanks, Nige