Potential overheating?

[Aeros]

Got a quick question for you all, hoping someone can help me. I've just had some work done with the truck and I'm very happy with how everything is running, although I've been having trouble keeping coolant in my radiator. It leaks as soon as engine shuts off, occasionally from the radiator's bottom and now coming from the block at the bottom of the engine? (Sorry a little new to "mechanics" )

I'm not sure if my temperature guage is working and I've read that if you smell strange.. things coming from your engine you should be worried. I consistently smell coolant when I get out of the vehicle, but recently I've been smelling what smells like a small amount of burning oil. No smoke, or anything along those lines but I smell oil.

A while back a spilled a bunch of oil in my engine (long story) and it burned off, would this just be what's left of the oil burning off, or is this an alarm and should I stop running the truck.

Limited budget prevents me from taking it to the mechanic at the moment.

Does anyone think this is an issue?

 

[Psychopete]

What recent work as been done? If related to cooling system, tighten hose clamps when engine is warm. Otherwise, you need to positively identify where the leaks are coming from. Not good for a 2.9L to be low on coolant, heads are prone to cracking.

 

[Aeros]

What recent work as been done? If related to cooling system, tighten hose clamps when engine is warm. Otherwise, you need to positively identify where the leaks are coming from. Not good for a 2.9L to be low on coolant, heads are prone to cracking.

The coolant has been an ongoing issue, I took off the valve covers and replaced the gasket there? Not sure what it's called. Uh, nothing else really. Hmm, I'll find you a picture and hope that I can show you exactly where it is but basically there's the radiator and behind it (towards back end of vehicle) there's a block like thing and there's bolt holes and it seems to be dripping from that area somewhere. I'll do as you said and tighten everything up and see if there's any improvement.

ALSO where should my temperature guage sit? I should probably just replace it to be sure, and also my oil pressure guage sits in a strange area, something like this:

L .......|.....H

A tiny bit on the high side, anything to be worried about?

 

[Big Jim M]

Forget about the oil and concentrate on the coolant for now. Low coolant can read normal on the gauge and be burning up your heads at the same time..
The coolant gauge DEPENDS on a FULL amount of coolant. If the coolant is low the heat in the heads doesn't dissipate as it should and bad things happen.
Was it mine It would NOT leave my driveway till all the coolant leaks were found and repaired.
In case you didn't know... the heater must be turned to HIGH HEAT and the engine running to get the coolant system completely FULL!
Big JIm

 

[Aeros]

Argh, okay. Well I'll bring it into my mechanic tomorrow and see what he says he can do. >.> Hopefully I'll be able to get this done without tearing my wallet in half.

 

[Psychopete]

Sounds like you're describing the heater core, but I am not real sure. I can't really picture what it could be though.

Just recommended the hose clamps because almost always have a small coolant leak with a replaced hose, and clamps just need tightened more as the rubber softens up from heating up.

Temp & oil gauges are not accurate unfortunately. I wouldn't worry unless it was reading 'L' accompanied with a bad clatter. Only way to know for sure is with aftermarket oil & temp gauges.

 

[RustedRanger]

I had to tighten my hose clamps several times to get it to stop dripping. And Psyco is right about the gauges. I had a fan clutch go bad and the temp gauge was about where you showed yours was running and it was overheating enough that it started running crappy.