Coolant pressure test kit

I’ve heard of ones at Napa. All you do is put cap with hose and gauge and hand pump onto radiator and pump up to around 15 lbs and wait. It should hold pressure. If not you have a leak somewhere. If not found outside ( or in cab/bunk) of system it may be a pinhole in liner or ? Other test is same only with engine running watch gauge if it goes up steady building pressure you got a problem Head gasket or liner Etc.If hole in liner is in lower part it may not show up by building pressure as it’s going into Crankcase antifreeze shows up in oil

 

First thing to do is ensure you have no external leaks. Get your pressure tester on and let it set overnight so its stone cold. Have it parked over a clean floor or line with cardboard to check for fresh drips however small. When warmed up hoses and seals expand and seal up and stop leaking. Your best chance at finding external leaks is cold. Keep in mind, if you have silicone hoses a certain amount of water evaporation is normal. Dont forget to check HVAC drains and inside the cab and bunks for heater core leaks as well. Once all external leaks have been eliminated then look into the egr cooler and have your oil sample sent in or check the crankcase for condensation or possible internal leaks. An egr cooler or coolant going in the oil will almost always have slime or water buildup In the CCV and oil fill area, though some condensation is considered normal. Dont freak out over a internal issue until your certain there is nothing external. The outlet of the egr cooler will certainly be wet if it is leaking.

This set should work good for the do it yourselfer

Radiator Pressure Tester Kit

I have the snap on pneumatic one, so no pumping required.

 

We have a Snap On and a Matco set.

 

I need one of those!

 

I see your oil sample says pete. Year and model? Start with torqueing all constant torque clamps. Replace all tradition screw clamps with constant torque. Coolant filters will seep at the gasket with age as the aluminum housings at the gaskets get corroded. Radiator tanks can start to seep at the core with age as well. Remember coolant goes back to the DEF tank too. And lastly, check the trans. Eaton heat exchangers are notorious for leaking, both externally at the hoses as well as internal into the trans. Usually it will take the lining off the synchro before its noticed. But if you see the fluid looking rusty you might catch it. Probably not a bad idea to sample trans lube either.

 

A friends 05 Pete 18 speed had cooler leaking into trans recently. Took a while to figure out