Grandson has 2015 Ram ecodiesel, he bought used, he is past 30 day warranty, took to a shop and have detected combustion gases in coolant reservoir, what would you recommend as far as a sealant. Mike Smith,
I understand that is the right fix, but in order to do it I understand that they say the cab has to come off, it is one major job, I watched a video where Scotty used sealant in cooling system
That's with gasoline engines, not diesels. It also doesn't always work, and you could be left with more problems. Regular gasoline can only withstand around a 9.7:1 compression ratio before it detonates due to the gasoline's volatility. Diesels have a minimum 14:1 compression ratio, and max out at around 22:1. Spark plugs don't ignite diesel fuel, diesel engines rely on compression-ignition. They only have glow plugs for when it's cold outside. Diesels compress air so rapidly, as soon as the diesel fuel is injected into the engine, it combusts. Air gets upwards of 400⁰F on the compression stroke. Diesel engines need to withstand A LOT more pressure than almost any gasoline engine. Unfortunately, your grandson should've taken the prospective vehicle to a mechanic who specializes in diesel engines for a once over. He probably would have caught a head gasket leak.
what would you recommend as far as a sealant.
None of them, especially in a diesel which has such high pressure in the cylinders. If your grandson intends to keep the truck for any length of time a proper repair should be done rather than trying snake oil cures.
I watched a video where Scotty used sealant in cooling system
Not in a diesel, and with the caveat that it might or might not work and is certainly not a permanent repair no matter what it claims on the bottle. You can try it if you like and maybe you'll get lucky for a little while. However it's probably going to be a waste of time and money that may actually do more damage, like plugging up the cooling system.
Welcome to the forum. Wish I had better news for you.
@chucktobias is right. There's no quick fix for this one. You can save a little money by taking it to an independent diesel shop rather than a dealer. The techs at the dealer probably won't be super experienced with the RAM Ecodiesel anyway; you're better off getting a mechanic who services light-duty diesels for a living.
Anything other than replacing the gasket would just be throwing good money after bad.
Sorry.
I understand that is the right fix, but in order to do it I understand that they say the cab has to come off, it is one major job, I watched a video where Scotty used sealant in cooling system