Overflow tank

Hey guys, looked at a lot of threads on this. I keep finding my overflow tank empty. I refilled it and barely drove and a couple of days later it is empty.

I have no visible leaks, even while running. Truck has never ran hot and has great heat. I put the clamp on the top hose because it looked like it had leaked at one time.

Had a frame swap done and maybe it wasn't hooked up right? The bottom hose looks like it is cut or is a plug? It is in the bottom middle of the pic.

 

Hate to say it, but your 05 is right in the timeframe for known headgasket issues on the V6, usually cyl 5 I believe. The coolant leaks through the HG slowly and goes out the tailpipe with the exhaust. The steady loss of coolant with no external leaks is the giveaway.

Pull the plugs and look for a shiny clean piston top. Pressurize the cooling system and look for mist or water droplets in each cylinder. A chemical block tester can sometimes help, but for some reason these motors will often pass the test for some reason

 

Yeah I am aware of all of that, but the overflow tank shouldn't get low from the rad losing coolant right? The only hose connected to it is the top one

 

Pretty much happens overnight

 

Of course it can, the two are connected by that little hose..

When the system heats up the coolant "expands" and fills the overflow bottle, later when it cools down, it gets sucked back into the rad.

That's why the overflow bottle is see-through and has a low/full mark in the side. It's a convenient window into the cooling system level without having to pop the rad cap

 

I am wondering about that bottom hose I guess. If I used an entire overflow tank that quick I would have a lot of white smoke and other symptoms right? My heat blows super hot. It's like 1/3 gallon gone overnight.

 

So if the rad is low, it will empty the overflow tank basically?

I filled the rad some too, but I guess not enough. It is hard to see in the neck at all.

 

Looked like a leak could be gathering in the skid plate. Will have to look at it closer.

 

Check the weep hole at the water pump closely. Look for pink crust

 

I bought it with 115k and I have 170k.

Would not be surprised if it was original pump

 

I will pull the skid plate and get a closer look

 

It's your water pump.