D1105 coolant leak

07wingnut

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Looking at a light tower, 8kw with a D1105 engine. The owner says it needs a new head gasket because there is coolant showing up in the oil pan. What are the odds that a new head gasket will solve the problem? What other routes could the coolant be taking into the pan, such as cracked head, frost plug, or water pump leak? Apparently the leak is quite slow.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Looking at a light tower, 8kw with a D1105 engine. The owner says it needs a new head gasket because there is coolant showing up in the oil pan. What are the odds that a new head gasket will solve the problem? What other routes could the coolant be taking into the pan, such as cracked head, frost plug, or water pump leak? Apparently the leak is quite slow.
You named all the paths that it could take besides cracked block, which is very rare!
Normally my #1 pick would be cracked head, but it usually presents itself as water in the cylinders, not in the oil.
It's a crap shoot as to being a head gasket or freeze plug, but both are easy to fix.
If it turns out to be a head then your looking at about $850- $900 to fix it.
 
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07wingnut

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Thank you for the reply, NIW. If it is a cracked head, would it show up in the exhaust when it was running, and if so, what would the exhaust look like, my guess being white? Would the coolant loss be fairly rapid if a freeze plug was involved, or is seepage from this source a possibility?
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Thank you for the reply, NIW. If it is a cracked head, would it show up in the exhaust when it was running, and if so, what would the exhaust look like, my guess being white? Would the coolant loss be fairly rapid if a freeze plug was involved, or is seepage from this source a possibility?
Yep white smoke is a norm, but just sweet smelling smoke (if filled with antifreeze mix) is the key.

And yes a seeping freeze plug could be a possibility.
The one that most readily causes this to happen is under the front gear case cover on most models.
A bad head gasket could be causing this, but I haven't seen or heard of many cases of such.
Another possibility is that the front gear case gasket or o-rings are leaking, I've seen a couple that bolts were loose causing it to seep.
 

07wingnut

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I need to go take a look at this engine. If the coolant was drained and the cooling system was pressurized with air, what are the chances of being able to hear the air leak and localizing the problem? That is assuming the leak is there when the engine is cold.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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I need to go take a look at this engine. If the coolant was drained and the cooling system was pressurized with air, what are the chances of being able to hear the air leak and localizing the problem? That is assuming the leak is there when the engine is cold.
It's a long shot, don't use anymore than 15PSI to test it, as you can damage other components like the radiator or gaskets and seals.
 

07wingnut

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Thanks for all your advice NIW, but I guess I'll never know what the cause was since some guy got to it before me. You snooze, you lose.
 

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Yep, it's disappointing, but hey, it may have been a real dud with cooked bearings and worse and he's had a win by not getting it!