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How do you all get 6.2s to 300K miles

So...update:

Woke up this, im really not sure what to think. I of course filled it up again, and retightened the clamp (which was a hair loose).

I drove out of Chicago and pulled over, it doesn't leak anymore (at least from what i could see) but ive been told its either the clamp or the cold is ****ing with my radiator

If it is the radiator.....oh God my radiator is a ticking time bomb

This is what I own: https://a.co/d/dqGtKjs20260124_092559.jpg20260124_092639.jpg20260124_092854.jpg20260124_101155.jpg
 
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is this engine oil or trans fluid leaking? if it's leaking on the threads, you just need to remove and put the pipe dope on the threads. most likely it's the clamp though.
 
it might also be that the hose is getting cut by the clamp. it looks like it's bulged a little behind the clamp. maybe get you a new set of clamps and a replacement hose and some coolant. what coolant are you using, that looks red like dexcool!! dexcool is the worst of the worst to run. good old original green for these trucks.

if you can grab the hose and it feels really soft and easy to squeeze in that area, you need to get it replaced before it blows. so long as the radiator neck is not what's leaking what I do is when installing the new hose, smear a thin coat of black rtv silicone on the inside of the hose where it contacts the water neck, slip it on and clamp. if there is any pitting or gouge marks on the water neck from a knife cutting an old hose off, coolant will find it and leak. the RTV silicone will fix that by filling into those pits and gouges. it will also bond between the hose and the neck so the next time it will be hard to remove. makes a good seal.

how long has that radiator been in the truck. aluminum will corrode without an anode in the system.
 
dbrannon79 said:
it might also be that the hose is getting cut by the clamp. it looks like it's bulged a little behind the clamp. maybe get you a new set of clamps and a replacement hose and some coolant. what coolant are you using, that looks red like dexcool!! dexcool is the worst of the worst to run. good old original green for these trucks.

if you can grab the hose and it feels really soft and easy to squeeze in that area, you need to get it replaced before it blows. so long as the radiator neck is not what's leaking what I do is when installing the new hose, smear a thin coat of black rtv silicone on the inside of the hose where it contacts the water neck, slip it on and clamp. if there is any pitting or gouge marks on the water neck from a knife cutting an old hose off, coolant will find it and leak. the RTV silicone will fix that by filling into those pits and gouges. it will also bond between the hose and the neck so the next time it will be hard to remove. makes a good seal.

how long has that radiator been in the truck. aluminum will corrode without an anode in the system.
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Sir,

Perhaps it is, hope its not too tight, I tend to avoid overtightening it for that specific reason.

Also, its orange coolant sir, from Oriellys Valvoline

Ill send a video of me touching the hose and inspecting it, im stopped at a store now, ill inspect when its a tad cooler

Also, its been in there since October 2024 sir20260124_140046.jpg.
 
you can do the repair in the auto parts parking lot but let it cool some first. and make sure there is no pressure on the cooling system. get you a clean drain pan and pop the hose off. try to catch as much coolant as possible. I do not recommend draining by the radiator drain if it hasn't been used in a long time. risk it leaking or breaking since your in the middle of your trip. just slowly slip the lower hose off the rad. it's gonna make a mess, but if you don't want to lay in it, just move the truck over to a dry parking spot after draining.

dry the water neck off with a rag before installing the new hose and inspect the water neck for pin holes and or damage. smear a very thin coat of RTV on the insides of both ends of the hose, place your clamps on the hose and reinstall. fill with the coolant you saved and top off with some fresh coolant (same type) don't mix coolants.

if it's dexcool you are running, you will have to flush the entire system out and that is something you do when you get home, not in the parking lot !!
 
nycxjeremyy said:
Sir,

Perhaps it is, hope its not too tight, I tend to avoid overtightening it for that specific reason.

Also, its orange coolant sir, from Oriellys Valvoline

Ill send a video of me touching the hose and inspecting it, im stopped at a store now, ill inspect when its a tad cooler

Also, its been in there since October 2024 sirView attachment 97744.
Click to expand...
iirc that is dexcool. if it says in the front "for GM vehicles" it's dexcool. @Will L. can tell you for sure.

when you get home you might consider doing a full flush and replacing it will good old fashioned green. at work I hated the fact that they went with orange/red coolant. when leaks occur we couldn't tell what it was since the diesel, PS fluid hydraulic oil were all the same color! with green, you knew what it was!

when you do the feel / squeeze test on the hose to determine if it's soft weak rubber, you will tell right away. it will feel like a balloon rubber vs a re-enforced rubber hose. compare to feeling the top hose. what happens is there are nylon cords (to me look like cotton twine) molded in the hose that re-enforces them that break with age. that area of the hose will feel very soft almost like as if you push your finger into it and it seems like you could just puncture the hose with your finger like a balloon.

if the hose feels good, you might try cinching up on the clamp or if there is enough water neck sticking out beyond where the clamp is. install another clamp behind it so it's double clamped. that might also stop the leak and get you home till you can pull it all apart and inspect.
 
video isn't loading. but if the hose seems fine. check the clamp. those worn gear clamps with open up by un-screwing them. then you can slip a second clamp over the hose without pulling the hose off. after that if it's still leaking, then it could be the neck on the radiator.
 
Finally got it to load. can you see from underneath if the leak is coming from the edge of the hose at the water neck? I would try the double clamp on it and see if that seals it up. if you need to, with all pressure released from the coolant system. carefully loosen the clamp and slide it slightly back along with repositioning the hose by al little twist just to break it free from the water neck. re-tighten the clamp and install a second clamp. I bet there is something there on the neck that is causing coolant to leak past the clamp. it's gonna leak a little when you loosen it but as long as there is no pressure you can hold the hose from slipping off while you reposition it and tighten it back up, but just loosen it enough to move the hose pushing the hose up against the radiator. if you can gain enough room to install a second clamp that is the goal. no need to drain it to do this.

The leak could be simply from a tiny gouge caused from using a knife to cut an old hose off in the past but nothing major and easily fixed. just not what you want to see while out on a long trip!
 
This is where a WORKING low coolant alarm is an engine saver.

Engine running at 200°, loose coolant & the temp gauge will take forever to drift to a cooler level, meanwhile the engine isn’t getting the coolant it needs and the engine gets smoked.
A working low coolant alarm tells you to pull over immediately and check it out before the engine becomes scrap metal. GM made a mistake getting rid of them. But customers saw the thing in new rigs and thought it must be a design flaw. Dealership reported back they were loosing sells and POOF.
 
What does that small hose run to? that brass fitting looks like its a threaded end with the hose just shoved over the threads.

on the oil pressure, what does it normally run? any voltage changes like is the alternator overcharging?
 
dbrannon79 said:
What does that small hose run to? that brass fitting looks like its a threaded end with the hose just shoved over the threads.

on the oil pressure, what does it normally run? any voltage changes like is the alternator overcharging?
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I asked my boy who helped me install it, its for the heater core

Also, its probably due to the fact I now have a high output alternator
 
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