Extreme Cavitation

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  • greasybob
    Senior Member
    • May 2008
    • 1590

    Extreme Cavitation

    I'm replacing a 6.4 long block in a 2010 F550. During tear down of the old engine after removing the water pump I noticed a fair amount of material missing from the front cover/water pump housing the picture doesn't really show how deep the cavitation is. Possible reason why this thing overheated and fried ? The new motor comes with a new cover. I had a 2004 or so 4.7 Dakota a few years ago with the same type of cavitation in the front cover. Always ran hot until I replaced it.
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  • SnapOnKid
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2011
    • 870

    #2
    That's some serious erosion. Was there sediment present in the cooling system?

    I work on a Pump that sucks abrasive sediment through it and pumps it through a separator. The Impeller blade is always chewed up and the impeller housing looks similar to that.

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    • greasybob
      Senior Member
      • May 2008
      • 1590

      #3
      A little research and the cavitation is caused by tiny air bubbles in the coolant. The tiny air bubbles are the result of pressure changes in the pump or cooling system. Thus mot vehicles today are equipped with degas bottles on the cooling system. So why it's not as effective on this engine as it should be ?????. Once you have cavitation like this the coolant doesn't circulate as it should.

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      • diesel71
        Senior Member
        • Feb 2008
        • 921

        #4
        there is an updated cover for that engine that has a aluminum tab molded in the area of cavitation. the tab was designed to help stop cavitation and break up air bubbles. did it have the right coolant? that engine should have the motorcraft gold coolant. the right coolant has vc-8 in it a additive that helps with cavitation and antifoam additive that helps with aeration. another issue and I believe the most common cause is its a f-550 which means it has a extremely low rear gear ratio. those trucks have 4.88 or 4.56 rear gears, on the interstate going 80mph the engine rpm is at about 3,000rpm spinning that pump way to fast. a f=250 or 350 with 3.08/3.73 or 4.10s only spin about 1800rpms. most of the front covers I replace for cavitation are on the 450 and 550s.

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