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BobsYourUncle's avatar
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Aug 13, 2018

Blew my engine day one of holidays. Truck kaput...

I posted some info about this in another thread I had going but rather than derail that one, I thought I'd post a new thread.

We were scheduled to leave Thursday Aug 9 for 3 weeks but didn't get out til the 10th.

Got the TT all ready to go, loaded up etc and left Calgary around 8 Friday morning. Smooth trip all the way to Golden, stopped at DQ for a milkshake and headed for the Rogers Pass.

Got to the first snowshed and did my usual gauge check. Crud! Engine temp up in the red. Got through the shed and pulled over off the road and shut it off. Steam poured out from the back of the hood. Got it cooled down, full tank of water in the TT, got it filled up again but water pouring off the back of the engine.

Called a towtruck, 658 bucks later had the truck and TT towed in to Revelstoke.
Short version, guy got into it, changed a blown hose on the back, fired it up, 2 minutes later its blowing the rad cap overflow. Pulled the rad cap off, tried again, a geyser coming out of the reservoir.

Anyone who knows engines knows that's compression going into the water jacket. Most likely a head gasket. Engine got hot out there towing up a long hill dragging 10,000 pounds behind.

So here we are, broken down in Revelstoke with nothing to pull the rig with.
Argh...

Overnighted in the TT parked beside tow yard shop. Next morning we walked over to Dennys in Revelstoke for the most disgusting breakfast ever. Yuk, don't ever eat there!

Great.... so much for a glorious 3 weeks at a resort parked by the ocean...
Tow Vehicles
  • BobsYourUncle's avatar
    BobsYourUncle
    Nomad
    Aug 13, 2018
    Walking back to the TT, we came across the Lamplighter CG. Hmmm.

    Walked in and came across the owner, explained what happened. He didn't really have room but did some juggling and got us in. When I told him we need to get a towtruck to move the TT over, he rescued us. Talked to a wonderful guy camping there, we hopped into his really nice new fancy Ram truck with a hemi, and went over and dragged the TT over and parked it for us. Then he refused to let me pay him.
    Wow you sure meet some wonderful folks out there!

    So here we are trying to make lemonade out of the lemons we were dealt..
  • BobsYourUncle's avatar
    BobsYourUncle
    Nomad
    Aug 13, 2018
    In the CG the second day here, didn't do much. Trying to wrap my head around this whole thing.
    Going to cost a big gob of money to tear it down, put head gaskets in it. Maybe 7 to 9G..

    Shared with some friends what happened, got a figure out how to get this thing home. Paid for 5 nights here, we are good til Thursday.
    One friend suggested uship.com. Never heard of it. Got online, figured it out, I have a guy picking up the truck Thursday and trailering it back to Calgary. 550 bucks. Not bad I guess. I'll go with home and bring the car back so at least we have some wheels.

    Still have to get the TT from Revlestoke to Calgary. I'm working on that one.
  • Trackrig's avatar
    Trackrig
    Explorer II
    Aug 13, 2018
    We had to spend a couple days in Revelstoke, if you haven't been to the train museum, take a walk over there. I'd tell you to walk up to the dam and take the tour there also, but that's a little far.

    Great train museum.

    Sorry about the truck.

    Bill
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Aug 13, 2018
    Dang, wish I had time off, I’d come tow you back just for an excuse to get up to Revy.
    Any family/friends with big trucks can come get the camper for you?

    Or get back to town, go rent a 3/4 or 1 ton truck from one of the construction equipment rental places. For a few hundred bucks you’ll have a tow rig to go get the camper.
  • BobsYourUncle's avatar
    BobsYourUncle
    Nomad
    Aug 13, 2018
    Now the dilemna...

    Trucks getting old. I bought it new, in 2 days it will be exactly 12 years ago. It has 374,000 K on the odometer. Rest of it is in pretty good shape but it's got a lot of miles.

    I have to decide whether to fix it and risk more age related failures and perhaps reliability issues or sell it broken and look at trying to find something newer.
    Can't afford a new truck, long story there too after a marriage breakup and losing everything.

    I've been looking on Kijiji at used trucks in the 2011 through 2015 range. Good grief they sure do ask a lot for used trucks!
  • travelnutz's avatar
    travelnutz
    Explorer II
    Aug 14, 2018
    Sure sounds like the coolant hose blew, lost your coolant water, didn't notice the engine temp gauge raise to extreme, perhaps didn't hear or realize the engine fan kick in hard, and then cooked the engine?

    Maybe the coolant hose had rotted as it was likely 12 years old and finally split letting water under pressure blow out over time but the low coolant level should have thrown a code on the DIC alerting you.

    Diesels create a lot of heat and without nearly enough coolant running thru the engine, It only takes a couple minutes before it ruins the engine.

    If the engine can be repaired and the truck is otherwise in good condition the best choice may be to have it fixed as the resale value as you found out is much higher on diesel trucks than you probably thought. Only you knows the truck and what actual condition it's in.

    Fixed, you can then choose to keep it or sell/trade it in on a different/newer truck and easily recoup most or all plus of the cost to repair it or replace the engine. A truck with a blown not running engine doesn't have much value at all in the market place! Truck and drive line and a repairable Duramax engine shouldn't be worn out at 374,000K or about 230,000 miles. It's ultimately going to cost you money no matter which decision you make! Best of luck to you!

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