6.9L Help

[BigJohn76]

i have a 83 6.9 IH diesel in my truck and now it is acting funny. the other day from practice i noticed it running hotter than it usually does. i figured it was just because it was hot out. i checked the radiator the next day and it was full. went to practice and it started getting even hotter. i slowed down and it seemed to help a little. after practice i checked the radiator and there was white stuff floating in it. checked the oil and it was fine. on the way home the temp stayed normal.

is this the start of a cracked head or what. i know these motors have problems with that, but the top end was rebuilt less than 60,000 miles ago.

Please help. this thing may need to pull to des moines sunday.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

White stuff in the antifreeze?

I know antifreeze turns to a whitish brownish looking shit when mixed with oil....but oil turns antifreeze brown.

It may be fuel in the antifreeze? Im just pissin in the dark.

You might wanna try just flushing it out good and eplacing the T stat. I know i had a 83 F150 with the 300 that would say it was running hot, but the gauge was screwed up.

When the temp gauge creeps up....do all the other gauges creep up as well?

I know i could vary a 1/4 tank of fuel. be up to the "L" in normal on all my gauges, and the heat hand riding "H" hard when mine would act up. Theres a voltage regulator behind the dash that goes out.

later,
Dustin

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

What kind of white stuff?

Mineral scale could be white, from using tap water mixed with the antifreeze. It would be hard chunks though.

Another possiblity if it has a split radiator like a Ranger is getting ATF (if you have an automatic) seeping in and mixing with the antifreeze.

 

[BigJohn76]

it was milky white and kinda fluffy looking. i tried to pull some out but when i tried to do that it sank right away. the only guage that also moved was the oil pressure and it went down instead of up. the next morning it was just fine, i didnt see anything in the coolant.

also, it is a 4 speed.

 

[93Ranger4x4]

A friend of mines dad has an old 80s model 4wd 6.9 4spd, when we were down in tech school, he drove it in because it was acting funny, ended up getting oil in the rad somehow, and the heads were checked and i believe they were warped and had to shave'em down flat, i cant recall exactly what it was doing tho.