05 duramax head gasket

[Dirty habit]

i got a 05 duramax and was headin to work when it wasnt blowin out warm air and not heating up and when i got almost to work it said low coolant level and pulled over and there was antifreeze in the wheel well and down the side of my truck.  i started looking at it and  it is coming out of the overflow and now ive had several different people tell me its the head gasket.  Just wondern if anyone had this problem before cuz iv also heard the thermastat stuck open or needs a radiator flush.....anything is helpfull thanks

[TopFist]

How many miles? Running a programmer?

[Dirty habit]

205xxx and a edge evalutuion but I just have it plugged in not drilled into the passenger side exhaust if that matters

[TopFist]

205xxx and a edge evalutuion but I just have it plugged in not drilled into the passenger side exhaust if that matters

it's just not reading the EGT's. What setting are you running? If your blowing coolent out of the degas bottle chances are pretty good you popped a head gasket.

[Dirty habit]

running it on the towing setting ...and it was pourin outta the overflow and i checked the oil and it didnt look milky or over filled (not sure if the cooling system like a gasser)

[TopFist]

Sound's like a head gasket.

[Dirty habit]

Dang! Haha I was hoping for a cheap fix I think I'm still gonna try and change the thermastat and the cap and flush the system just to maybe get lucky

[TopFist]

Good luck. I'd replace both head gaskets and install head studs when your ready.

[RIP_K52007]

I got a cooling system pressure tester if you are near here. Pump it up and see if it holds.

[Dirty habit]

And another thing is when the low coolant light was on the temp was 150 to 210 and it fluctuated but never got hotter than 210

[TopFist]

Have the system pressure tested.

[Dirty habit]

where you from lilred and is it just a regular pressure tester or a certain for diesels

[RIP_K52007]

im a little north of davison mi. And it works on any as long as it has a normal "metal one on the top of the radiator" cap not a plastic one like on a car or on a remote coolant over flow tank.

[Stump Jumper]

It has a plastic resivor there is a screw on adaptor for a standard pressure tester made. Its head gaskets for sure. I am a gm tech and I've seen it a few times. Have to pull the heads and see what gasket you need there are 3 different thicknesses studding it is stronger but if you aren't running 150 hp extra at all times it isn't crucial to stud them. Easier to lift the cab off the truck to gain access either way the job sucks

[1tonroller]

if your already there i would definitely stud it for good measure. then you can feel safer when you are running the higher output tunes. but it definitely sounds like a head gasket to me. i have the degas bottle adapter and a coolant system checker if you're anywhere near  Lapeer.

[Eroq]

Pressure test the cooling system.   Open the radiator cap when cold.  Look down inside and rev it a little, look for any bubbles coming up.    Could have a coolant leak somewhere and coolant is getting below the water pump, coolant in engine is boiling and over flowing...   usually that'll get super hot heat. And then go away beofre its even warm.    They also make a head gasket test thing, checks for CO coming out of the radiator.   All you do is fill the tester with solution and hold it where your rad cap goes.  If it turns yellow you got a bad head gasket, cracked head.  Etc.

[Mudbuster]

I'd be willing to bet that you need head gaskets. Mine started doing the same thing a week after I bought it and I had to do head gaskets. I recomend that you install arp studs at the same time since you have to replace the head bolts anyways. A couple more recomendations is if you do it yourself have the heads and injectors checked while it's apart and It's easier to just pull the motor than to try and do it in the truck.

[Dirty habit]

Ok thanks for all the help ima do a pressure test today and hopefully get it back on the road soon

[TopFist]

Well??

[Dirty habit]

Well it sat since Saturday and when I went to take the cap off it darn near blew it off there was so much pressure Stall in there then i pressure tested the cap and pumped it up to 15 and it wouldn't hold it (not sure if its supposed to or not) and went got a different cap and then fired it up let it run for bout 30 to 45 MIN and a couple drips from the overflow but I think they were just from what was in there from before but then drove it around for bout fifteen MIN and then parked it and it didn't leak but this weekend ima do some more looking around just to double check everythin