Cooling issues

Topic: Cooling issues (Read 1442 times) previous topic - next topic

Cooling issues

Reply #15 – April 03, 2006, 07:03:46 PM

With the amount of coolant I've gone through so far, you'd think it would be pouring out the dipstick tube by now if it were all going into the oil pan.

Cooling issues

Reply #16 – April 03, 2006, 07:06:10 PM

Oh hey I just thought of something that happened to me. Ive actually had something similar to that happen but they were like 4 days apart so I think it was all going bad. The first instance I could tell it was leaking so Im sure this rules it out. My water pump gasket blew so it was dripping water but not loosing all of it. The second and I couldn't tell either on this one I had a small pin hole in my heater hose it was right where it hooks on and dripping down behind the water pump onto the motor. With the motor catching it it wasn't dripping enough to leave a puddle. but the radiator would drain down to the point that you could see the tranny cooler in it and stop which I guess is about the same height as the hole in the hose. It wouldn't drain completely because it wasnt full pressurized as well as having room to expand inside the radiator

Cooling issues

Reply #17 – April 03, 2006, 07:12:33 PM

Unfortunately (?) most of the hoses on this car are either new or under a year old. Only thing that was "wrong" with any of them is that AutoHole AGAIN didn't give me a spring in the lower hose to keep it from collapsing, and I had to recycle the old spring.

Not saying it's impossible, but I feel like I've given the hoses sufficient attention for the moment. Although I suppose I could wait until dark and see if normal Prestone glows under blacklight.. heh..

Cooling issues

Reply #18 – April 03, 2006, 07:14:45 PM

Yeah its probably something I wouldn't know or think to check but it was just a thought I had remembered while posting and thought I'd toss it up as a possibility.

Cooling issues

Reply #19 – April 04, 2006, 12:12:47 AM

Ben run a compression test on it. One step to check.

It really sounds as if you have a head that has a crack from the water jacket to an exhaust port. But a compression test wont tell you that.

If it is a crack into an exhaust port that could/would explain your puff of smoke at start up. When the car is not running and with no exhaust gas to pressurize the port, coolant could leak into the exhuast manifold. When you start it up it would vaporize.

Cooling issues

Reply #20 – April 04, 2006, 01:36:35 AM

Don't have the equipment for a compression test. Will have to talk to a friend about it.

Cooling issues

Reply #21 – April 04, 2006, 11:49:08 AM

Autohole has it in there loaner tool program. Comes in a fancy red case.

Cooling issues

Reply #22 – April 14, 2006, 12:19:38 AM

Well, I went ahead and bought some $40 compression tester they had. I don't like doing the loan-a-tool thing.. I'd rather just buy the tool and have it, whenever possible. Anyway, it has all the spark plug adapters and all that. Unfortunately, physically I've been a wreck lately.. doc put me on a quick-and-heavy dose of prednisone to try and reduce swelling in my joints and back, and that didn't help any, so she hit me with some Ultram today just so I could be semi-functional again.

Might get together with a friend and work on it this weekend or something.

Cooling issues

Reply #23 – April 14, 2006, 05:23:24 AM

I've been following this thread with a similar problem, and before I replace the radiator (seems as though it may be clogged), how easy is the compression check with the 'loaner set' going to be for someone like me with little experience ? Will it help me to confirm whether I have a clog ?

Cooling issues

Reply #24 – April 14, 2006, 12:25:38 PM

1. Pull the fuel pump fuse / relay

2. Pull the coil wire

3. Wire the throttle linkage all the way open.

4. Remove ALL of the spark plugs

Easiest to draw a little picture of your engine with the cylinders labeled.

Screw in the compression tester and turn the key over so the car cranks over a few times. Best to position the guage so you can see it. It will bounce up a few times then rest at the highest read compression reading. Do all the cylinders like this and be sure and record it on your picture.

I'm not sure what the compresion is stock on a 3.8 (let alone a 5.0) but when I did my car I got 160 psi across the board. Only +/- 3 psi. And this car has 241,000 miles. Your not really looking for a extremely high number as much as consistancy.

Cooling issues

Reply #25 – April 14, 2006, 12:41:14 PM

check for partial clogged radiator. it will raise cooling sytem pressure and push water out of the cap/overflow.

easiest way to check is to warm car to temp. turn off and feel the radiator core. hot=good warm=restriction cold=clogged.