Fishnaked

Hi Steve83,

Thanks. My signature is fixed and there.

As far as I know, the radiator cap is original. I have not had it tested since buying the truck in 2014.

I checked the coolant level by taking off the cap on both the radiator and recovery tank. Both were good before the trip this happened on.

Based on what you posted, my fan clutch appears to be ok.

Steve83

Your sig is still missing a LOT of info... Which trans? What factory options & features? Miles? Maintenance? Mods? Damage? Repairs? Tire size, axle ratio, hub lock type, MAP/MAF, bed size, ...?

Checking coolant level is very different from checking the coolant. Specific-gravity meters are cheap & effective - you should pick one up and find out if you have the correct mixture for your climate. But if you haven't changed the coolant since buying the truck, it's WAAAAAY overdue, and that could be why it boils so easily. Did you read the cooling system article linked in both those captions?

SaltEater

@ Steve I think you may be overstating the effect on boiling points a proper 50/50 mix can achieve, also why not demand his elevation above sea level as well. :P

Should always use coolant though, even in summer time to lessen effects of corrosion/scale.

@ OP Also, these little uphill jaunts wouldn't be straight up a mountain would it? Because then yes, teasing aside, elevation might actually be a factor, that running a proper or even richer mix of AF might fix.

Figuring out whether you have a pressure problem or a temperature problem is still key in fixing the problem. What does the gauge read when this happens, are you able to get an IR thermometer and read the actual temperature?

Fishnaked

Steve83 - Thanks. Trans? The one in my sig... an auto. Miles? 80k as stated previously. Maintenance? Excellent! Mods? It's all stock except for a Condensator. Damage? Ding in the tailgate.Tire size? Stock, white lettering out. Color? Red. Elevation above sea level when this last occurred? 6,000'.

SaltEater - Yes, in the mountains, at 6,000'...but the climb was only 140' in 1/4 mile. Not that steep...and I was going about 5 mph because it's so bumpy. When this occured to my wife last year, the gradient was similar but for about 4 miles on a highway at ~8,900' elevation...and it was hot then too...and she had the AC on, going about 50 mph with a bit of weight in the back.

The temp gauge was not looked at either time, unfortunately. I wasn't even aware of a problem until I shut the truck off on Saturday and heard the boiling sound. I didn't think to restart it and check the temp.

There has not been a problem any other time like this.

I'm probably going to feel silly for asking but what do you mean when you say "....a proper or even richer mix of AF might fix"? What is "AF"?

Thanks!

SaltEater

Antifreeze. I figure in idaho (like canada) it's referred to as antifreeze not coolant. And your trans is more than likely an e40d, not that it matters much for this, unless the trans cooler is getting hot enough to effect the whole system, but then i think you'd have other more noticeable problems shifting.

Have you been able to (carefully) reproduce the problem?

Fishnaked

Haha... yes, we generally call it antifreeze. After starting this thread, I asked a friend who owns a radiator shop about this and he also suggested that it might have something to do with the trans. He suggested next time I'm driving that road to put it in first gear and keep the RPM's up. That said, I don't think that addresses the root cause of what caused the coolant to come out of the tank. But, back to the the tranny, it seems to shift fine. I haven't noticed anything real obvious.

No, I have not been able to reproduce the problem. I drove it home the day after this happened... 90 miles... and no problem...though it was all down hill. I have not driven the truck since.

Thank you for helping me with this!

SaltEater

Keeping the rpm's up should throw some heat into the engine, then you could at least keep an eye on the gauge (if it and the sending unit work) and see what it's doing then. Not super good for a trans/torque converter though, extreme heat kills transmissions (and hydraulic pumps) in pretty short order and there's no way of monitoring the temp unless you have a gauge put in. So you know, moderation. I did just take a peek at your post history, you had trans issues a while ago?

Did your friend test your cap for you? Rad caps and t stats have the benefit of being cheap, and are also parts that could leave you stranded if/when they screw up, even if you replaced them and it didn't fix the problem at least you'd have spares. The most important thing to do is figure out the cause though, the parts cannon gets spendy when you start talking about transmission coolers and stuff.

Fishnaked

Thank you! RE the trans, there was a time I thought there was a tranny problem but it turned out to be a bad fuel filter of all things. Sure fooled me!

I have not had my friend test the rad cap. Hopefully soon.

Back to the trans though...I didn't meet the original owner but I'm told he (older retired man) used this truck to pull a tractor with... some sort of older tractor he took to shows. Don't know how big this tractor or trailer was but her had brakes on the trailer. I don't know how or where he drove while pulling this either. Given he was meticulous in the care for the truck, I would like to think he took it easy while pulling the tractor too.... but I wouldn't know. At any rate, the thought has crossed my mind that this may have put undue stress on the tranny... and I've been holding my breath... hoping no issues creep in. That said, I have pulled a double axle 16' trailer, loaded to various degrees to this same area at least a dozen times. Never a problem. I've also pulled the same trailer, loaded heavily with firewood closer to home on the highway several times. Not even a hint of problems.

For the record, I drive this truck very easy, never pushing it on uphills (I don't mind going 40 mph & don't care if everyone is passing me) and rarely exceed 65, empty, on the highway.

Fishnaked

UPDATE: I was going to have my cap tested but the radiator guy said as cheap as they are to just replace it. I was initially satisfied with that but got to thinking: Without testing, I will not know for sure if it was the cap or not. If tested, and it's good, I'll know for sure it is something else. If bad, then I know that's the problem... or at least one issue.

Anyway, I've been driving the truck around town. Yesterday, it was in the mid 90's and my wife and I drove through about a dozen car lots looking for her another car. An hour of idling and very slow driving and no problem. Of course, there was no hill climbing but very little airflow was going through the radiator to cool things off.