CRD Cylinder head gasket

lebomas · **Joined:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:20 pm **Posts:** 6

I have looked over the forum and if this problem has been covered I apologize. If it has please point me in the right direction.

I am a diesel repair shop owner of 20 years and a diesel tech for 30. So this is where I am coming from for my question.

Do these engines have leaking combustion issuess? I had an 05 purchased with 10,000 miles that now has 127,000. Once or twice a year since I got it I had to add coolant and have never seen any evidence of an outside leak. Recently it has increased with frequentcy and just last week my wife described what sounded like hydrodynamic lock occuring. When I went to the site it started fine but was slightly low enough to trigger the low coolant light. In refilling the tank with the engine running I noticed a heavy stream of bubbles in the tank coming from the bleed line entering the bottom of the tank. The line is a 3/8 line originating at the radiator. The bubbles stopped when the tank was capped but it did build approx 8psi fairly quickly when checked.
Normally I would associate these bubbles with the compression bubbles you get doing a bubble test with a bottle on the end of the overflow line. The odd thing is it does not over heat at all. In fact I put 600 miles on it this past weekend 20 of them pulling a 7200# boat and trailer to the ramp. On Monday morning it started normally and made it approx a half mile, just enough to heat the exhaust and start burning the coolant that had apparently accumulated there. I pulled over and kept goosing the the throttle and eventually, 45 seconds, the white smoke subsided. The smoke screen was enough that the whole car was enveloped for a bit. After that I checked the coolant and kept an eye on it and headed home 250 miles and made it just fine.

My question is there anywhere else coolant can enter the exhaust system? A water jacketed turbo housing perhaps?

I might also mention that the transmission upshifts way to early lately and resisits downshift normally. I assume that the manifold pressure could be running a bit higher because of that but am not sure.

If any one has had an issue like this one please let me know.

Thanks

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:53 pm

How about water jacketed oil cooler (under the turbo side)
or a water jacketed EGR valve (Drivers side)

unfortunately I had a cracked head
(covered under warranty and I think the only one that's had that problem)

Also - Welcome to LOST - and if you post over in the 'Liberty CRD...Love that Torque!!!' section you'll get more responses - the Tech section is intended for the solutions after people figure them out.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:18 pm

Is the EGR active? I second ATX on the EGR cooler. Check the lines where they meet the EGR underneath the intake on the drivers side of the engine. If there is no obvious external leak, then check the turbo. Those, IMO, are the two most likely places for coolant to enter the exhaust. I think that based on the design of the valvetrain, if you had a bad head gasket enough to put that much coolant in the exhaust, you would have a host of other symptoms.

As far as the slow upshifting and downshifting, my first thought is that it is a torque delivery/ managment problem most likely due to the ECU getting false signals from your MAP sensor. Have you pulled and cleaned it recently? I also experienced sluggish downshifting and the truck holding on to gears longer than it should. Turned out I had been in a lot of dust which clogged my air filter more quickly than I expected.

Patrick Henry · **Posted:** Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:12 pm

I had a slow coolant leak on my '05 CRD at about 10K miles. The exhaust flange on the exhaust tube going to the EGR had a loose connection (one bolt was never tighten) that cause leaking exhaust gases to eventually burn one of the small rubber coolant lines to the cooler. A devil of a place to reach from top or bottom to fix.

lebomas · **Joined:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:20 pm **Posts:** 6

Finally got slow enough to get to this. Took the head off and couldn't find a crack or leaking head gasket. Took the head to the machine shop and they found 3 cracks up inside of the intake runners in the head. They appear to be right along the casting flash lines in the head. Under pressure they all three leak one a whole lot more than the others.

Machine shop states head doesn't need resurfacing so it has not been hot enough to warp it.

Now off to locate a head.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:16 pm

Can't wait to hear how much a head for one of these engines costs :dizzy:

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:58 am

lebomas wrote:

Finally got slow enough to get to this. Took the head off and couldn't find a crack or leaking head gasket. Took the head to the machine shop and they found 3 cracks up inside of the intake runners in the head. They appear to be right along the casting flash lines in the head. Under pressure they all three leak one a whole lot more than the others.

Machine shop states head doesn't need resurfacing so it has not been hot enough to warp it.

Now off to locate a head.

Sorry to hear about the cracks in the intake runners. Since they are small (there are 8 right), they most likely can't be repaired. When I was in the business, I had cylinder heads that had very slow leaks with annoying over heating issues that went away when the head was replaced.
Good luck.

click23 · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 9:22 am **Posts:** 309

LibertyCRD wrote:

Can't wait to hear how much a head for one of these engines costs :dizzy:

I just got sick thinking about it.

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:26 am

I was at the dealer a few weeks ago to pick up a part for my vehicle and was surprised to see a Liberty CRD in the shop with the head off. I asked the mechanic what the problem was with the CRD and he said that they had to send the head out for inspection because it was leaking coolant.

The jeep had 189,000 miles on it.

On another note, a craigslist listing for a used CRD indicated that there was major engine problems with the vehicle and would not start, the owner said that the cause was low coolant.

Here's the ad:

"Jeep Liberty CRD (Common Rail Diesel) 2.8.Turbo Diesel. Engine Needs be replaced. The Jeep is not running and will need to be towed.

4 wheel drive, clean title, automatic transmission, "trail rated” model, Stability and Traction control, A/C, power everything, non-smoker, 135k miles. Garage kept, Never been abused, always maintained by the book. Other than the engine needing work the rest of the jeep is absolutely perfect! it's a must see. No dents, no stains, paint still shines like new. Will consider all offers. ( 3 2 3 ) 7 4 4 - 1 0 7 8. SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY."

Here is the link: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/ct ... 50031.html

I hope this isn't a common flaw with our vehicles.

click23 · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 9:22 am **Posts:** 309

Thanks racertracer, I just got sick again.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:21 am

Yeah, the $100-$150 per month the diesel is saving me on fuel over the gasser we used to have will get erased real fast the first time I need a turbo or something internal on this engine goes bad.

I think I just got sick too. :oops:

racertracer · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:59 am

To keep related information in one place, here is an interesting older Lost post regarding a CRD with a difficult coolant leak to trace.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38002

And here's another link to a post relating to an undiscoverable coolant leak: viewtopic.php?t=54524

We need more data on this.

madmed75 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:31 pm **Posts:** 1

I have a new cylinder head that was purchased 1 year ago that I am looking to part with. Cleaning the garage. I will look but I think it is complete (may be missing a valve or two). Can send pics..

CRD Cylinder head gasket

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