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5.3 Weird Problem Please Help

cj7deerslayer

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cj7deerslayer New Member

cj7deerslayer

Posted
Posted

i have a 2006 5.3 lm7 swapped into a jeep. it has 25k miles on it and it had stored indoors since 2008. ive got it in and running smoothly, no miss, runs well but i cant run it long because the coolant disappears. it has true dual exhaust and both sides are dripping coolant and steaming. the radiator is slowly bubbling. how could a 25k mile engine have two blown head gaskets? is there anything else can can cause this?

btw the oil is perfect, not milkshakey, and there is no oil in the coolant.

wavery Enthusiast

wavery

Posted
Posted
i have a 2006 5.3 lm7 swapped into a jeep. it has 25k miles on it and it had stored indoors since 2008. ive got it in and running smoothly, no miss, runs well but i cant run it long because the coolant disappears. it has true dual exhaust and both sides are dripping coolant and steaming. the radiator is slowly bubbling. how could a 25k mile engine have two blown head gaskets? is there anything else can can cause this?

btw the oil is perfect, not milkshakey, and there is no oil in the coolant.

Do a block-check test on it.

http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/head_gask...n_leak_test.htm

If you have exhaust gasses in the cooling system, you have at least 1 blown head gasket (or cracked head). Doing both isn't that much more work that doing 1. Send the heads to the machine shop if you take them off.

 

I don't mean to scare you but I have a friend that had 2 cracked heads on his 5.3. I don't remember the year but I think there was a casting defect in some heads (don't quote me on that).

MikeNH Senior Enthusiast

MikeNH

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure 2006 was one of the years of the problematic Castech heads.

 

 

OP, do a search for "Castech heads" to get info on how to check if your engine has these.

csheatz Senior Enthusiast

csheatz

Posted
Posted

2006 is one of the years with the head issues, IIRC it was on the iron blocks, casting numbers are reg available.

wavery Enthusiast

wavery

Posted
Posted
2006 is one of the years with the head issues, IIRC it was on the iron blocks, casting numbers are reg available.

I don't think this is the OP's issue.

-----quote from above link---------

There will be few other outward signs other than coolant loss. Since this is coolant leaking into the oil and not water, there is normally be no clouding of the engine oil. Glycol is absorbed by the oil, but destroys the lubricating qualities of the oil. The crack also does not extend into the combustion chamber. There will not be an overheating problem, unless the coolant gets low and the radiator will not be over pressurized.

-----end quote----------

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