i bought an 01 duramax not running...well i got it running but i have to use either to start it..then started adding coolant to it and it would blow it out faster that you can pour it in...looks like its been hot at one time..what am i going to get myself into here...is it fixable? or should i just replace the motor with another? i mean its getting LOTS of pressure in the rad. when its running its smooth as silk..actually drove it and it hauls serious a**...let it warm up(well ran it 30 mins) and shut it off...wouldn't start back till i eithered it again...replaced the glow plug controller and engine light went out but still won't start without either..mech said the rings may have gotten hot and loosing compression causing no start or headgasket or cracked head or cracked block loosing compression that way. its getting no water in the oil and no moisture out the exhaust...just need to know which direction is the best..thanks guys

The coolant is going somewhere:eek: . If it's not one the ground, It's going out the exhaust or in the oil. 01's had a different head gasket and were prone to leakage. I'd start there. How many miles? Do a VIN check and see if hte injectors have been changed/ If it got warm, my guess would be h-gasket(s).

no idea on history...doubt i could find out...anyway, its gushing out of the overflow BAD...lots of pressure..none in the oil or out the exhaust..

I would say head gasket$.

Agreed. Head gaskets.

I would advise AGAINST alcohol or any other starting fluid, unless the task of replacing a block or heads is particularly appealing to you... with the higher compression ratios in these diesel engines, you're likely to get into trouble with ANY starting fluid.

x2 on the headgasket

Definitely head gasket(s).

And don't use ether or starting fluid, you could have a runnaway motor using that stuff!!! :badidea:

you could have a runnaway motor using that stuff!!! :badidea:
:cool2: :cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

have you ran the VIN # to see the history?

Well I had the same problem put in new head gaskets, head studs, and all new injector sleeves. drove it 2 weeks with no problems and now its pressurizing the coolant tank again and burning antifreeze on start ups. I think its probably an injector sleeve that didn't hold but who knows. I fed up with it. I invested 30 hours in fixing it and now its broke again hopefully someone that likes to work on these will buy mine.

Sorry I'm not trying to bring you down. but who knows with this problem its so common on these trucks and everybody seems to find a different cause. I hope you have better luck with yours than I have.

thats my concern...i'll put gaskets on it and get 1,000 miles down the road and it'll do it again...wonder how much its going to cost to put headgaskets on...parts wise$ local gm dealer wants 2200 labor:eek: could get it done cheaper somewhere else if i knew how much parts are going to cost..i was told you can't fix these..as in you can't surface the heads and make them hold..but i have no idea

also would the gaskets being blown cause it not to start?

Here's my opinion, so take this for what it's worth:
If the gaskets are badly blown, I could see it not wanting to start. It is probably loosing compression through the head gasket as well. It is definately a head related problem. Mine recently had the same problem (not the starting problem) and head gaskets were the culprit. As far as cost, the one dealer said $4,800 and over half was parts. It calls for 23.8 hours @ $94 per hour. I ended up getting most of the parts through a friend (freebies) and had a local diesel shop do the rest for over $3,000-ouch! Not to bring you down more, but it's hard to rely on a used engine. I was going to go that route, but for the price, labor involved, and taking the risk of the same thing happening to the "new" engine, I fixed mine. It came with a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. Not much, but a small piece of mind. It's a reasonably easy engine job if you find a good used one. If you do, try to find at least an '02-'04 LB7. Apparently they have less problems. Also, what is the truck?
(4x4, x-cab, loaded, miles ?) Did you get a good deal on it? If so, it may be worth sinking big bucks in it. I got mine cheap, but after all the repairs (there were fuel problems too), I could have bought a better one.

its an 01 ex cab 4x4 with 250,000 miles..good looking truck..i gave 6800 for it..kind of thought that was a good deal

Parts you are looking at 3-5 hundred. Getting it done is gonna cost about 3k from a shop. Dealer will be much more. That would be for just the gaskets. You may have other issues, like a damaged head that will run the bill up quick.

Ebay has some used LB7s time to time for 6-8k...

I would call Eric at MA pick his brain for ideas.

its an 01 ex cab 4x4 with 250,000 miles..good looking truck..i gave 6800 for it..kind of thought that was a good dealI'll give you 7 k for it as is.:D

Let me know if I can help at all on this. We've done a couple of these;)

i was really thinkin of taking it to a salvage auction and see what it would bring...

call me first

Parts you are looking at 3-5 hundred. Getting it done is gonna cost about 3k from a shop. Dealer will be much more. That would be for just the gaskets. You may have other issues, like a damaged head that will run the bill up quick.

Ebay has some used LB7s time to time for 6-8k...

I would call Eric at MA pick his brain for ideas.


That' JUST head gaskets. Don't forget head bolts/studs, misc seals, o-rings, intake gasket set, exhaust gaskets, valve seals, any other seals, coolant, oil, rtv, and who knows what else! You can find a motor for 3k on ebay, but can you trust it? $6,800 seems like a good deal if the truck is nice.

Believe it or not, I bought my '01 for exactly $6,800 with all over body damage and 180,000. I bought all new/used body parts and then started having mechanical issues. It's been a $ trap since. It's now repaired and being sold to a friend, so needless to say, I wound up upside down.
From what I hear, Eric@MA will take good care of you. I wish I had it in my schedule to have him do mine.

That' JUST head gaskets. Don't forget head bolts/studs, misc seals, o-rings, intake gasket set, exhaust gaskets, valve seals, any other seals, coolant, oil, rtv, and who knows what else!


That is exactly what I said...

Parts you are looking at 3-5 hundred. Getting it done is gonna cost about 3k from a shop. Dealer will be much more. That would be for just the gaskets.

I just paid about $400 in parts to replace my head gaskets (new bolts, seals, shop supplies). Parts are not whats so costly, its the labor.


If you dont have the time to mess with the truck yourself, I would say turn it and take your losses if any.

We have one in our dealership right now that was doing the exact same thing and after it was all tore down, it looks like the head gasket was walking on the head and ruined the gasket and head on both sides. The owner said he got it hot 3 or 4 times, almost to the red mark on the guage. my buddy doing the work has raised the cab off the frame to get at the engine. With both new heads and etc, the estimate is around $5K. Hope it never happens to me! Good luck man!

Did you get it fixed yet? I have a customer with a 01 that is doing basically the same thing except it doesn't have any problem starting. I am planning on pulling the motor to do the head gaskets. Has anyone here done it that way?

Thanks

Just had mine done for the second time. Dealer pulled engine. New gaskets, bolts, heads surfaced. Injectors under warranty. Cost $4,087.00. 2 1/2 weeks.

Did you get it fixed yet? I have a customer with a 01 that is doing basically the same thing except it doesn't have any problem starting. I am planning on pulling the motor to do the head gaskets. Has anyone here done it that way?

Thanks
Everytime

hey eric...what would you charge to fix mine?

|Putting in new headgaskets into my 2001 right now as we speak. Got my parts from Eric (except for water cooler and thermostats) and a buddy of mine is helping me tear it all apart.
So we got it all apart today and the gaskets looked fine. But the head on Cylinder 1 (one|) was a little rough so my buddy took the heads to get em shaved.
I will post more later once we get the heads back and installed.

I had a lot of pressure ion the coolant resevoir.
We hope this fixes the [problem.

Thanks Eric for shipping parts so fast.
DO I need to change the square rubber rings on the intake?