8.1 Engine blown up

[ron55]

While climbing monarch pass, co on rt 50 headed east my engine overheated and quit. It has water in the cylinders. got towed to grand junction, co. new engine on the way from workhorse, big bucks.

Why did it blow I don,t know yet. I was having problems with the a/c compressor, ran OK at full throttle but when I would back off it would surge. got no warning until it died and the message was CHECK COOLANT!
workhorse owners take note, if you can get a 8.1 engine at a reasonable price, what ever source you would be wise to buy. the 8.1 is like gold!

[Spoonman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron55 while climbing monarch pass, co on rt 50 headed east my engine overheated and quit. It has water in the cylinders. got towed to grand juction, co. new engine on the way from workhorse, big bucks. why did it blow I don,t know yet. I was haveing problems with the a/c compressor, ran ok at full throttle but when I would back off it would surge. got no warning untill it died and the message was CHECK COOLANT! workhorse owners take note, if you can get a 8.1 engine at a reasonable price, what ever source you would be wise to buy. the 8.1 is like gold!

This is getting scarey for workhorse owners, getting so you can`t go anywhere without worrying about the next disaster and the company is vanishing before your eyes.
Traded mine for a fiver on a lot in Feb and camping is enjoyable again.

[max49]

Sorry to hear about your disaster and another failed 8.1. I just went thru there last week, Parker to Silverton and back, what a workout!.
Saying the 8.1 is like gold , is definitly a roll eyes, I'm beginning to think it more of an Edsel, and a Turboed DP is looking more like gold. For the first time ever, even my wife, all on her own, is looking at used DPs.
Are you under warranty? Did you blow a head gasket? You were full of antifreeze before it blew? How many miles on engine?
Do u have a Scan Gauge and do u know what kind of temp. it was running at before it quit?

[Elf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 Sorry to hear about your disaster and another failed 8.1. I just went thru there last week, Parker to Silverton and back, what a workout!. Saying the 8.1 is like gold , is definitly a roll eyes, I'm beginning to think it more of an Edsel, and a Turboed DP is looking more like gold. For the first time ever, even my wife, all on her own, is looking at used DPs. Are you under warranty? Did you blow a head gasket? You were full of antifreeze before it blew? How many miles on engine? Do u have a Scan Gauge and do u know what kind of temp. it was running at before it quit?

I have an 8.1 and am getting paranoid. If I were to get a Scan Gauge, what is an acceptable temp.?

Also, with this talk of 8.1 failures, it got me wondering about other engines. Surely they have failures also but I don't seem to hear about them. How many 8.1s are out there compared to others and how many of the others are failing? As got the 8.1 comparison to gold, I guess that is reference to them becoming more rare. Can it be replaced with something more reliable?

Just a few things I would like to know.

[max49]

I am interested in the answers u get about "acceptable temps" also.
Personally, I like hot women and cool engines, so it concerns me when I see the temp, as indicated on the SG, go over 200 or 205*.
Oh, life was good before the SG. My Workhorse temp gauge just stay dead center no matter what. But that engine is in the scrap pile now.
There's a chance the old 454 might bolt in. I don't know if they're any better or not. I imagine any other engine would be very difficult to install, but maybe not.

[Elf]

My temp gauge also stays right in the middle. I can't help but wonder what it's really doing. With your SG do you see a big temp change while your needle stays centered?

[max49]

Oh yes! It amazed me. I had no idea how hot it was getting before the SG.
Who knows why WH decided to do that. Maybe they didn't want people complaining about hot engines while under warranty.
I bet the gauge stays in the middle from 175* to 240* before it moves. Maybe someone who has seen it move and also has a SG will chime in

[daveshan]

These days most (if not all) gauges have a buffer built in which keeps the needle steady throughout the "normal" operating range. All they are these days are analogue idiot lights.

It keeps the masses from "worrying" when the needle moves. Those of us who like to know what is actually going on in there invest in ScanGauges/aftermarket gauges etc.

The stock water/trans temp in my F-250 tow rig stay at the same places driving to town empty in -10ºF weather or pulling hills driving to Moab in 100ºF with my Lance on the back towing 7000lbs of Jeep and trailer.

[Gerall]

Water in cylinders sounds like a head gasket issue. Had that with a car. It was constantly heating up, and when you shut it off you would hear a gurgling in the radiator.
Turns out there is a test for hydrocarbons in the antifreeze which can be an early indicator of head gasket seepage so you can repair before it blows completely.

[Elf]

Well I just went ahead and ordered a Scan Gauge. I hope it will give me useful information and not cause me to wonder even more what's going on under the hood. I really need to know what the appropriate range is to use it properly. Once I know that and I have a means to monitor that information I will at least feel I am doing what I can to catch any issues if possible.

[Elf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron55 While climbing monarch pass, co on rt 50 headed east my engine overheated and quit. It has water in the cylinders. got towed to grand junction, co. new engine on the way from workhorse, big bucks. Why did it blow I don,t know yet. I was having problems with the a/c compressor, ran OK at full throttle but when I would back off it would surge. got no warning until it died and the message was CHECK COOLANT! workhorse owners take note, if you can get a 8.1 engine at a reasonable price, what ever source you would be wise to buy. the 8.1 is like gold!

ron55,

I didn't mean to hijack this into a scan gauge discussion. I would be very interested to hear what they find to have caused your issues. Sorry to hear about it and hope you are back on the road soon.

[max49]

Elf, hopefully you'll get a better answer as to how high the temp can get without hurting any thing. 220 to 240* degrees sounds ridiculous to me. Your stock thermostat is 195*, after that it is wide open and doing the best it can to keep things cool, but for many it just can't keep up. I put 180* T State in mine just to have a 'step up' on the heat that's coming.
I hope u ordered your SG from Dale or OEM Tech. He preprograms them and answers his phone to help if needed and you'll have it in a day or 3. If nor, I'd cancel and order from him

[MntDriver]

Another 8.1 engine blowing up....and here in Colorado....makes me nervous every time I take ours out now in this high altitude!

I just put a roof air conditioner on the roof to supplement the basement air, but it sounds like I should have saved my money for the impending engine failure!

[TW]

Now - since I'm on iRV2 I noticed a lot of WH problems. Did some member just count the WH problems or engine problems. I/m afraid to do anything in looking at a new RV. Just keep my F53 running down the road and don't look at other Motorhomes. Might make ours mad?