Also, I've noticed my oil smells like gas. And I've been having. Issues with the truck starting weak lately. It always starts but needs some gas and revs of the engine to get her going. Related? Or different issue all together?

 

The crankshaft balancer on my 22re went bad where it contacts the seal and chewed up the crankshaft seal spewing oil all over the front of the engine. I had to put a thin sleeve on the crankshaft pulley and replace the seal. Not sure how it got damaged, maybe a small rock or some debris got in there and scratched up the crank pulley, which in turn, destroyed the seal. Replace the seal and check the pulley for scratches or damage where it contacts the seal.

For the overheating, if the radiator, fan, water pump, etc. are good, I would replace the thermostat. They don't seem to last all that long in these engines and they are cheap to replace. What mix is your coolant/antifreeze? I think most people run about 50/50, maybe you can add a little extra coolant and see if that helps.

The gas in the oil is not a good sign. Considering the overheating, might be indicative of a bad head gasket, not sure where else gas and oil can mix. Any condensation on the oil filler cap or water drops on the dipstick?

 

Update: i Threw a new Thermostat in there and checked the compression. compression is fine and she is running much cooler than before. There is NO gas in the oil. I had it inspected and i was just paranoid. No coolant in the oil or water droplets anywhere. It appears my head and gasket is fine, for now. and the Overheating has been resolved yet again. Put some injector cleaner in today as well as cleaned the plugs before reinstalling. thanks for the help, fellas. I'll update if necessary.