Re: 1995 Ford F250 Tractor Hauler

Is there fuel in the coolant overflow tank
by chance?

X2 on the fuel in the cooling system. Injector cups crack and allow fuel into the cooling system, but high pressure in the cooling system
will put coolant through the injectors and into the chamber. I have only diaged cracked cups on a 99 up, they have constant pressure
electric fuel pumps. The early trucks like yours have mechanical pumps that would pulse, so more opportunity for coolant to get in the
injector.

To add to what Sprint said, if you find fuel in the cooling system, once you pull the injectors, the offending injector cup is -usually- discolored or sooty looking instead of shiny brass. They can be changed with the engine in the truck, but the rear ones are kind of a bugger if those are the problematic ones.

1) I am losing coolant when I brought it I had to add 1 1/2 gal of coolant, coolant seamed to stay at a constant level. I went on a 200 mile run to haul my daughters car back home all seamed to go well other than I noticed the temp gauge was running a little over haft way. On the trip back it ran at haft way it had always ran at about 1/4 way on the gauge this did seam odd as in the summer it ran at at about 1/4 on the gauge.

Next day I looked into the radiator no coolant coolant tank dry it took 1 1/2 gal of coolant to top it off. Looks like some droplets of oil floating on top of coolant could be Diesel nothing in coolant tank. I know when I go after the glow plugs I need to dig deeper for the leak thanks for the tips from all. Oil cap has a little clabber like dark chassis grease under it, top of dipstick tube milky dipstick rusty it was not that way when I brought it.

I am trying to clear out a bay that I can tie up for a week I hope next week so I can spend my holidays doing something I don't want to do ... I am stocked up on Pain Reliever...

I will post a long review.

History, brought with 123k from second owner he owned it 17 years and drove it 23K in 17 years. I have drove it about a thousand miles are have burnt about 75 gal. of fuel thru it. I have always ran from Diesels other than the computerized engine control side chassis, brakes, AC and transmission work I would not work on the mechanical side of the engine.

1st problem the first 50 deg morning I like to never got it started I find no power to the glow plug relay once corrected the new glow plug replay is bad. OK for a shot time then it becomes hard to start again.

2Nd problem the lift pump goes to leaking I replace the lift pump pull the fuel filter canister clean out and replace associated fuel lines. I notice the canister has about ¼” of rust in the bottom clean it out extra clean.

3rd problem I go to pick up a hydrostatic rear end out of a JD mower to fix a leak ( belongs to the guy I brought the truck from) while waiting for him to get his tractor and load the differential my truck goes to smoking bad out the tail pipe at idle if you rev it, it clears up, No problem other than at idle. I remove the fuel filter hummm a little rust I fill it with ATF add a qt to each tank with some diesel clean and bio diesel. Then go run it hard the problem clears up. I am thinking fuel tanks are in my near future very near future.

Back to problem (1) I hook it up to the cord looks like the block heater is shot so start to diagnosis the health of the glow plugs. The EZ side right bank the back two ohm out 18 ohms the front two 36 ohms I stop and order up 8 OEM glow plugs and new valve cover gaskets. I want to knock them all out at one time the old owner said he had replaced a few.

4th problem, I needed to go get my daughter’s car a 200 mile run truck performed great other than I noticed it was running a little hotter than normal. I needed to go pick up a tractor to work on next week had to give it a shot of brake clean to get it started. It sounded like only a few cylinders were firing before that once I gave it an injection it fired right off. I checked the coolant SHOCK it took 1 ½ gal. I installed a block tester I get some bubbles I go ahead and go get the tractor let it idle never shut the engine off all looking good. Once I got back at idle I notice smoke starting to come out the tail pipe at idle now I am into diagnostic mode. I cannot define coolant are fuel it stinks like diesel but it seems to dissipate like steam its cold outside hard to tell. I take the radiator cap off I have little system pressure check the cap its bad. I install the block tester I am getting a few bubbles. Caps off smoke/steam clears up cap on it comes back I play with this even go as far as to install the pressure tester and confirm pressure causes smoke/steam.