Liberty CRD losing coolant out of the reservoir overflow

k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

I have been chasing a slow coolant leak for a while now. The jeep runs good, and I have put a new thermostat on it as well as gone around and replaced all the factory spring hose clamps with real worm drive ones. The occasional drips stopped but every now and again the thing pukes coolant out of the overflow. I thought it could be the egr cooler putting pressure into the system so I did a full EGR delete. The problem still persisted so I got a diesel chemical headgasket tester and It showed absolutely no combustion gasses in the coolant. Are the turbo's on these things liquid cooled? I have been in there but forgot if it was or not. It does have the GDE eco tune in it which is great but this coolant thing is really annoying since its the wifes car. Is there any way the coolant reservoir could be bad? I also replaced the cap a while ago as well. Any idea would be appreciated

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:00 pm

Not coolant cooled. It's the head gasket. Where are you located. Don't trust anyone that's not experienced with this engine work on it, or a dealership :2cents:

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:06 pm

k5robnp wrote:

I have been chasing a slow coolant leak for a while now. The jeep runs good, and I have put a new thermostat on it as well as gone around and replaced all the factory spring hose clamps with real worm drive ones. The occasional drips stopped but every now and again the thing pukes coolant out of the overflow. I thought it could be the egr cooler putting pressure into the system so I did a full EGR delete. The problem still persisted so I got a diesel chemical headgasket tester and It showed absolutely no combustion gasses in the coolant. Are the turbo's on these things liquid cooled? I have been in there but forgot if it was or not. It does have the GDE eco tune in it which is great but this coolant thing is really annoying since its the wifes car. Is there any way the coolant reservoir could be bad? I also replaced the cap a while ago as well. Any idea would be appreciated

The turbo's are NOT water cooled, only oil runs through them to cool and lubricate the bearings!
Puking coolant out the overflow is an indicator of to much pressure in the cooling system from either engine overheating or combustion gases being forced into the cooling system and overpressurizing it. :roll:

Sounds like to me the head gasket is leaking?
You did not say whether or not it ever overheats or shows a higher than normal temperature on the temperature gauge!
What pressure cap are you using on the coolant reservoir?
and lastly, what coolant do you have in the cooling system? Only HOAT coolants like "ZEREX™ G-05" should be used in Jeep CRD engines... :wink:

k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

The thing seems to be operating at the temp it always has, and it has never overheated. I have changed the coolant at about 60,000 when I did the timing belt and water pump then again at 100,000 when I did the EGR delete. I just used a cap from idi parts and have only ever run zerex in it. If it is the head gasket, wouldn't it show up in the chemical tester? It doesnt do it all the time. I do all the work myself and will probably do the head gasket too if it comes to that. It seems silly that the darn thing would need a head gasket at only 100 k. We've always been good about letting it warm up and being easy on it until it gets up to temp.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Nov 20, 2016 8:31 pm

You may simply need to open the top end up and install ARP head studs one at a time and never disturb the head gasket... Many have done this to stop a leaking head gasket with great success! The ARP head studs provide more even and superior head clamping force...
Search this forum, there is much information on installing ARP head studs.... :wink:

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:56 pm

Yup, you have a classic example of the failing head bolts. If you aren't getting the coolant light more than once every couple weeks, (with daily driving) then you are a good candidate for just removing bolts one at a time and installing the ARP studs to solve the problem.

The center rows should be torqued to 130 lb-ft (you can do this on the first install, you don't need the ARP instructions as they do not apply to this application) and the outer rows should be 120 lb-ft. Pre-lube the narrow threads of the studs and both faces of the washer and nut, and pre-assemble the nut and washer onto the stud, flush with the top of the nut. Thread it into the block hand or finger tight, and then use the 14mm 12-point socket to torque directly to either 130 or 120. You can do this in any order you want as there is no pattern when all the other bolt/stud holes are remaining fully clamped.

You will find some variation in the torque of the factory bolts as you take them out - this is why we need to install the ARP studs, the factory bolts are garbage and do not retain their clamping force over time.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Mon Nov 21, 2016 2:26 am

Sorry but you have a failed headgasket. Mine never overheated and the puking coolant out the overflow was a major symptom.

The only proper fix is a new head gasket. I would recommend ARP studs instead of the factory bolts.

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k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

Ugh. Looks like I'll be ordering arp studs this morning. I guess I will try to just pop these in one by one and see If it fixes the issue. I only have to add coolant every couple weeks and there is a good chance I was over filling it as well. Im guessing I will need to get a new valve cover gasket as well? Thanks for the advice yall. I changed the oil and rear diff oil last night and all is good there. Here is a pic of coolant I pulled from the reservoir just to check. Any thoughts? It looks pretty good to me as far as color

k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

Doing research now and have found the link on sasquatch parts for one procedure. Does anyone have a link handy for this procedure? Will I need to rent a timing tool and injector puller for this?

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Nov 21, 2016 11:21 am

You will definitely need to remove the timing belt and cam pulleys to take the top cover off. You will also want (highly suggested) to install the intake elbow if you haven't already - getting that thing apart is a bear. This is also a great time to bypass the EGR cooler when you do the elbow kit ($13 kit from IDparts) and replace the glow plugs if they haven't been already.

Whether or not you replace the rockers is a choice, but you will definitely need 4 injector crush washers and o-rings, possibly need the valve cover gasket (They can usually be re-used if they don't pretzel when lifting the valve cover) and an intake gasket if you don't get the elbow kit and finally, either a full timing kit or the belt at the barest minimum.

I can do this job in one day if time is an issue for you. For the first-timer, plan on at least 3 days with stops.

k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

Gotcha. I have done the full egr delete and cooler delete. I have done the timing belt once and all the other work as well. I really dont like working on this thing.... After realizing you have to take pretty much everything off anyways, would be it good to go ahead and do the headgasket or is lifting the head another heap of work (exhaust manifold, turbo? is that it) .

geordi,

can you email me personally at robertnpage@gmail.com to discuss you possibly doing the work?

Mountainman · **Posted:** Mon Nov 21, 2016 12:50 pm

k5robnp wrote:

Gotcha. I have done the full egr delete and cooler delete. I have done the timing belt once and all the other work as well. I really dont like working on this thing.... After realizing you have to take pretty much everything off anyways, would be it good to go ahead and do the headgasket or is lifting the head another heap of work (exhaust manifold, turbo? is that it) .

geordi,

can you email me personally at robertnpage@gmail.com to discuss you possibly doing the work?

Yeah, it's about twice the work. You'll want to replace the rockers while you're in there almost certainly

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Tue Nov 22, 2016 1:16 am

There was another member on here who had a leaking head gasket and tried just the ARP studs and he was back in there replacing the head gasket 6 months later. I would suggest you change the gasket.

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k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

all the parts will be here thursday!! UGH $1500 later. Does anyone know where to get the cam locking pins? Or should I just make them?

Mountainman · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2016 11:35 am

There's a kit on eBay that has the pins and the tool for setting the tensioner. Or you can make them. I happen to have an extra one of those kits that I'd sell, it's new. I'll undercut eBay by quite a bit.

k5robnp · **Joined:** Tue May 28, 2013 10:10 am **Posts:** 47

pm'ed

mass-hole · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:29 am

I swapped my cap when I was hunting down an overheat issue this summer with a stant unit. It was on for a month or two and randomly last week I started noticing I was losing coolant at an alarming rate but could never find any in the engine bay. Long story short, it turn out the cap was blowing off at just above the thermostat temp so when I would climb hills it would burn a little coolant off, then be fine on the flats, then burn a little more on the next hill. The coolant was vaporizing so quickly that there wasnt any in the engine bay when I would check. Put the OEM cap back on and hasnt been an issue since.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:26 pm

I remember some discussion a while back about the correct pressure rating for the coolant tank cap, seems most of the aftermarket ones listed are rated @ 18 psig.
NAPA and a couple others list a 16 psig cap like the Stant 10230.
It was stated the OEM cap was only rated for 14 psig. :?:

I tried to find an OEM Mopar number for the coolant tank/bottle cap and had no luck, Factory Chrysler Parts and Factory Mopar Parts along with a few others I checked do not list one, only the tank/bottle itself! :shock:

Just curious,
Anyone got a number and specs for the OEM cap???

mass-hole · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:11 pm

WWDiesel wrote:

I remember some discussion a while back about the correct pressure rating for the coolant tank cap, seems most of the aftermarket ones listed are rated @ 18 psig.
NAPA and a couple others list a 16 psig cap like the Stant 10230.
It was stated the OEM cap was only rated for 14 psig. :?:

I tried to find an OEM Mopar number for the coolant tank/bottle cap and had no luck, Factory Chrysler Parts and Factory Mopar Parts along with a few others I checked do not list one, only the tank/bottle itself! :shock:

Just curious,
Anyone got a number and specs for the OEM cap???

The cap that was on my jeep is rated at 16 psi with pn 05278697AA.

The stant I put on was 18 psi

flash7210 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:10 pm

I thought the cap was always supposed to be 16psi.

I used a 8psi cap for a short while as an experiment.
No boiling and no loss of coolant.

Liberty CRD losing coolant out of the reservoir overflow

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