Need help with overheating problem

[Jerry/MT]

Hello,
I have a Case IH 385 1986
I have a problem with it overheating after short use.
We went through the coolant system, including pump and the impeller. All seems 100%.
Anyone have an ideaa where to start looking next?
Many Thanks for suggestions you could offer.
-Mike

The usual culprits for overheating are; Stuck closed thermostat, loose drive belt on water pump, faulty pressure cap, collapsing lower rad hose at high rpm, clogged air side on radiator, clogged coolant side core on radiator, clogged airfilter/intake manifold on diesel engine.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hi Folks,
My wife told me to add this:
She said,
"Overheating is a little missleading since we haven't witnessed the temp over 200ｰ since the fuel timing was corrected.
Better description: the water bubbles out he radiator with the cap off even when the engine is cold and first cranking. With the cap on it blows out the pressure relief tube after temp is at about 180ｰ
Thank you all very much!

Head gasket or cracked head.

 

[rockaa]

I will have to check, I think she said both were clean...... but dont know about compressed air.Thanks for the tip Industrial Toys....

 

[rockaa]

Hello Jerry/MT,
Having replaced head gasket, cracked head may be making sense......
Would a cracked head show itself another way also to verify??
Thanks,
-Mike

 

[rockaa]

Hello Jerry/MT,
Having replaced head gasket, cracked head may be making sense......
Would a cracked head show itself another way also to verify??
Thanks,
-Mike

 

[Coyote machine]

Cracked head can manifest in various ways. Exhaust gases escaping into cooling jackets and result in bubbling in the coolant at the radiator, and overflowing fluid from same; as you described earlier today. You did not say the radiator was overflowing with the cap off....is it? Excessive pressure with cap on, and blowing fluid out the overflow tank/reservoir.

Coolant leaking into oil- very bad condition- will destroy entire engine eventually. Coolant leaking down block from between head and block.
Check to make sure oil level is not rising on dipstick.
Doesn't matter if the person who replaced the head gasket is a diesel mechanic, if they didn't verify the head having no cracks, leaks around valve stems, etc. Replacing the gasket may have stopped the smoking, but doesn't mean the block or head surfaces aren't out of square, etc., etc.
Report back results.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Run compressed air into the cylinder, have adapter for spark plug on gas, diesel engine going to be harder. If you have glow plugs could go in that way. It sure sounds like cracked head or gasket. Don't see what else it could be with the bubbles coming up into the radiator. If it didn't have glow plugs wouldn't mess with trying to figure out how to get compressed air into the nozzle/injector hole. It sounds way to much like cracked head. It is easy to miss. Hopefully it is easy head to remove, some can be a real bear.

 

[rockaa]

Thanks,
My wife is going to pull the cylinder head off it this weekend. (She's great at handling cattle, but Im not sure she's a great mechanic...
Great advise, and great learning opportunity.
Many thanks again.
i will follow up and let you know the result.
-Mike

 

[Lilartsford]

I would have to agree with all the possibilities that I have seen posted in response to your question.
One possibility that I haven't seen included is a warped head. Same symptoms as cracked head. I would have the head checked for flatness and magnafluxed to check for cracks.Cracks can't always be seen with the naked eye.
Art

 

[Tx Jim]

It's possible your Case 385 has a hole in a cylinder liner from cavitation. Has the coolant been changed regularly or PH of coolant tested?