2001 6.6 Duramx Cooling Sys

Indian81 · December 16, 2010

I just bought a 2001 3500. it has the 6.6 duramax in it. I have never owned a diesel before. I am by no means a mechanic. I have tinkered before on older cars and projects ive attempted to build. My problem is i notice the heat in the cab only work when i drove up the road. so i figured the coolant was low. When i checked the reservoir it was low, i filled it up and its at the level. i now have heat even when the truck is idling so i figured i fixed my problem. But now i think i have major problems. the coolent in the reservoir tank is always gurgling like theres air in there. there seems to be alot of pressure build up also. when i first start the truck it starts bubbling. Im afraid of the awnser but doesnt this mean a head gasket or a cracked head????

8.1HD/ALLISON · December 16, 2010

Sounds like a good possiblity.

Indian81 · January 8, 2011

Sounds like a good possiblity.

Hey its me again still havent gotten my truck fixed. Im pretty sure by reading all these forums its def a head gasket or cracked head. I have been hearing alot about and injector cup issue. Do you know anything about this. My issue and question is what will happen if i keep driving it this way. i dont go far but i have to drive it until i can come up with enought money to fix it. i called a shop the other day and they were the first ones to say they would work on it. they quoted my $3800. My radiator hose is hard in the morning, its still pushing it outa the reservoir when i let it sit an idle. the heat is inconsistent well now when i go to town its like its not circulating at all. the temp gauge never moves. ive tried releasing the pressure before i take off, ive tried driving with the cap loose i always keep it filled with coolant. the dex cool thats what i was told to run in it. Some days the truck warms up and runs fine. other days it wont warm up at all. the motor is warm to the touch my rad hose is warm but the hoses coming outa the firewall are cold. ive noticed on the days when it dont warm up the bubbling stops in the coolant tank this is why i figure its not circulating. Ive never owned a diesel before i didnt figure all this would be so expensive. i did just buy the truck but the lemon law isnt gonna come into play cause i bought it off a buddy of mine. he swears he never had any issues alls he ever drove it was on saturdays to tow his racin trailor to the track. he literally put like 300miles on it a summer. the truck has 151000 on it wich isnt much for a diesel. Well i guess if anyone could give me some info on what to do that would be a great help. i know fix it but i mean what would be maybe good heads to get or ive been reading about arp studs and a class c gasket set???? Im no mechanic i trim cows hoofs hahaha It does have a hypertech chip in it so i dont believe thered be a warranty for it. Idk i dont wanna get rid of it i just bought the truck acouple of weeks ago and i dont believe anyone would buy it this way other than me hahaha So i gotta fix it just dont know what to buy or what would be some good parts to use... I know i sound retarted but im no mechanic i have tinkered with old camaro and some plymoths that were field cars. Never got into turbod diesels so any help would greatly be appreciated....

gmtech4 · January 20, 2011

cant read this either ,omg you guys are long winded mfrs

GMTRUCKS · January 21, 2011

I just bought a 2001 3500. it has the 6.6 duramax in it. I have never owned a diesel before. I am by no means a mechanic. I have tinkered before on older cars and projects ive attempted to build. My problem is i notice the heat in the cab only work when i drove up the road. so i figured the coolant was low. When i checked the reservoir it was low, i filled it up and its at the level. i now have heat even when the truck is idling so i figured i fixed my problem. But now i think i have major problems. the coolent in the reservoir tank is always gurgling like theres air in there. there seems to be alot of pressure build up also. when i first start the truck it starts bubbling. Im afraid of the awnser but doesnt this mean a head gasket or a cracked head????

I hate to say it but you probably have a bad head gasket, but a bad head gasket can lead to a cracked head if its not repaired soon. The reason i believe its the gasket is because as your engine is running, during each compression stroke, which ever cylinder has the leak your piston is basically injecting air into the head through the gasket leak, which is the cause of the bubbles in the tank, and during the intake stroke the coolant is sucked in the cylinder, causing low coolant. And how this leads to a cracked head is, the air floats to the highest part of the engine which is the head, and the head is also the weakest part of the engine, when the air is trapped, it doesn't cool the head properly and causes the aluminum to distort and crack. And trust me, you'll know it when your head is cracked, because it will go from a diesel engine to steam engine. And if enough coolant is sucked into the cylinder through the crack, the cylinder could hydro-lock, and if the engine is at a high speed, it could snap head bolts. Oh, and if i were you, try to run it as little as possible, because when your truck sits and isn't running, the coolant runs into the cylinder and seeps by the piston and runs into your oil, which contaminates it, and can cause serious damage to the engine, not to mention the turbo since it's lubricated with the engine oil. Next time you're out, check your oil for white residue, if you see that, the oil has coolant in it.Good luck dude, hoped this helped! -Brad