2008 Degas Bottle Leak??

08Stroke · Jan 8, 2014

I've searched around and found where many people have problems with leaking hoses and radiators, but I haven't seen much about degas bottle leaks other than in the case of a head gasket failure. I have done many tests to ensure that this is not a head gasket failure (no coolant in oil, no loss of coolant other than what has leaked down the side of the degas bottle, no excessive amounts of pressure under cap, etc etc).

Back ground info of the truck and the problem. Purchased the truck in October 2013 with 77k on it. The truck had an AFe 4" straight pipe DPF delete and some cheap DPF 4.0 "chip" that told the computer there was no DPF filter. I added an S&B cold air and H&S tuner around 79k. At 80k did all routine 5k and 10k maintenance and also did EGR delete. I then flushed the coolant system about 5-6 times and went back with Zerex Red ELC coolant in about a 60-40 mix. I'm not sure if this is where I went wrong by not just sticking with Ford coolant, but shortly after deleting the egr and replacing coolant my degas bottle began to burp coolant. It happens so irregularly that I can't pinpoint what causes it. I can drive it hard, easy, towing or not and sometimes it will burp coolant and sometimes it won't. I replaced the cap with a Stant cap from advanced auto. It didn't help. It still leaks down the bottle from around the cap. Coolant temps stay around 190-192 cruising and rarely get to 200* even when towing or passing/getting on it.

I'm stuck and have no clue what to do next. I've got a good bit of money tied up in this Zerex coolant (thinking it was better than OEM) but I'm about to go to ford and have them flush the system and replace with Ford coolant to see if that may be an issue. Do I need a new Degas bottle? Has anyone else had this problem? I apologize for the long post, but any help is greatly appreciated!

Csilva187 · Jan 8, 2014

Coolant won't change nothing, ARP's will do the trick. Maybe some other fellers will chime in as I'm only a small timer.

08Stroke · Jan 9, 2014

It's not leaking due to head gasket failure so I don't think ARP's will solve anything. I'm only running the 250 tune on the H&S so not pushing the truck too hard. It seems to just be burping from around the cap and trickling down the side of the bottle.

Csilva187 · Jan 9, 2014

Sounds like you got it under control, good luck.

sootie · Jan 9, 2014

what level did you fill it to? only fill it to the bottom line on the tank or it will get rid of the extra.
the coolant type has nothing to do with puking.
if the egr is gone it is more than likely head gaskets. how are you certain that it isn't only puking under high load? my 08 was like that, only over 40psi of boost would it puke. i could baby it around and never loose a drop but floor it once and the hood was covered.

08Stroke · Jan 9, 2014

I'll try filling it to the bottom line only. I was going to the middle of the 2 lines. I have kept a check on it to try and pinpoint when it pukes. I can clean everything under the hood, take it out for a spin nice and easy, nothing. Take it out and get on it a few times, still nothing. Then I'll forget about it. Then I'll randomly check it and usually after 3-4 days of normal driving, easy and hard, it will have puked some.

08Stroke · Jan 9, 2014

Does anyone know of a head gasket test or tool that I could use to fully test the gaskets and tell me for sure one way or another?

White_monster · Jan 9, 2014

If it's pushing coolant and the egr is gone it's head gaskets. You may be just at the point it's starting to leak, let it develop and it'll get worse most likely.

Fordtrucks · Jan 9, 2014

White_monster said:
If it's pushing coolant and the egr is gone it's head gaskets. You may be just at the point it's starting to leak, let it develop and it'll get worse most likely.

X2..
That's how mine started. Every so often, Then worse and worse. If you still have the EGR coolers they can leak and cause problems like this to. Those or the gaskets. Also ive herd cracked heads will do this also. I think the ford dealer can do a pressure test and tell you if the gaskets are leaking.

6.4 Stroker · Jan 9, 2014

I bet it's gaskets...
The trouble with pressure testing, is it's not gonna duplicate the same pressure as say a running engine at full boost.

webb06 · Jan 9, 2014

you can get a coolant tester that will test for combustion gases in the cooling system. thats what we use to diagnose headgaskets at our shop. sounds like thats what youve got going on though

Fordtrucks · Jan 9, 2014

Csilva187 said:
ARP's will do the trick.

:whs:

ramonpowerstroker · Jan 10, 2014

I has the same issue.. Changed coolant and never ran it hard.. Then all of a sudden the coolant line started going up.. And up.. And up.. Until it was like literally filled to the brim with coolant.. Finally I decide to sucide the truck and did as many launches as I could until it pucked and boy did it puke.. So I pulled the heads off and literally the gaskets were blown all around the cylinder on every cylinder.. Heads were warped and machined and checked.. It was 200 bucks.. In total it was 5 grand for me getting a new hpfp, fuel lines, oil cooler, front cover, water pump, new harnesses, new rcd pushrods, new valvesprings, new fan shroud, new coolant lines, new oil, new gaskets, new arp studs, and new freon and coolant..

ramonpowerstroker · Jan 10, 2014

And rocker arms too!!

Fordtrucks · Jan 10, 2014

Why did you do all the extra stuff? Was it all bad?

ramonpowerstroker · Jan 10, 2014

Well I just wanted to open the truck once and I'm a pretty hard ass on my truck.. 138000 miles and I did all this.. The front cover was eroded...(they came out with a updated one) and the oil cooler I just wanted realibility... So it's all a personal preference... The hpfp was loosing its juice at wot on gear head tunes dropped rail pressure to 19k