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Cooling System Chaos

M

Me89'Jimmy

1/2 ton status
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Oct 6, 2002
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Location
Sykesville, MD
Ive already researched this issue and ive come up with pretty depressing findings. Figure i might as well post it. So im out drivin for 15 minutes yesterday, all of a sudden the engine temp jumps from 210 to off the scale in a span of about 30 seconds, i added more diluted fluid when i got home, checked all the hoses and the whole bit, i fire it up today to see if it happens again, about 15 minutes into the idle i check the radiator and its drained off about a quarter of what ive put into it, the temp guage reads a little past 210. I check for leaks again nothin, but i did notice something leaking out of the header collecter pipe joint, from the inside which kinda concers me anyway i cant figure out what the hell is going on and until i do dont want to drive the thing for the risk of overheating. i put in a new thermostat two days ago and drained the system right after that. any ideas?
 
Sounds a lot like a head gasket. Do you have any water or coolant in the oil? That would be a good sign
 
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i put in a new thermostat two days ago and drained the system right after that.

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Since you did this just before it started, I would start there... Perhaps the new thermostat got installed upside down? That will make an engine overheat for sure. Or maybe the thermostat is just defective.

But if you're losing coolant without any sign of a boilover, then the news gets worse. That's typically a sign of a blown head gasket. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Liquid dripping from the header collector gasket isn't a good sign either. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
I just blew the head gasket on mine. When I was trying to figure out which cylinder was bad, It was clear that it was #7 when antifreeze poured out when the spark plug was removed. Does the engine run rough? Is there excessive steam from the exhaust? You may also just have an a bad intake gasket.
How many miles are on the engine?
 
I know i installed the T stat correctly, pointy side up, i changed the oil two days before i put in the t stat, and from what i could tell it looked fine, smelled and felt like oil. But just to be sure the t stats not the problem ill go get another one. Some more info i forgot, the exhaust has been helaciously smoking lately and im sure its from whatever is coming out of the header/ collector joint.
But theres always hope, its not a ford im dealing with here. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Runs smoothly, cold start gives it a little shake but nothing i wouldnt consider out of the ordinary, a lot of exhaust smoke, not a lot of steam, its got 29 thousand on a rebuilt.
 
If you are saying that all of the temp probems started after you drained the cooling system and changed the thermostat, I think you just haven't worked all of the air out of the system yet. An engine does not overheat in 30 seconds. A real quick high reading on the gauge is an indication of an air bubble at the temp sender in the head. Check the coolant temp with a meat thermometer to verify the actual temp. It is easy to tell if the engine is really overheating just by feeling the upper hose. If the engine is overheated, you will not be able to hold your hand on the hose at all. Even with a 195 deg l.t-stat, you can hold your hand on the hose at least for a few seconds if the cooling system is runnin at the t-stat temp like it should be.
 
Is the smoke pure white? If duals, does it only come from one side?

A cracked head may also be an issue....Do a leak down test, or pressurize the cooling system and try and find where it is coming from....
 
Pull the plugs. A blown head gasket into the cooling system you will have an unusualy clean plug. That's how I found mine.
If all the plugs look the same then it's probably air in the system still workign it's way out. GM also had some big problems on some 90's 350's with a flow issue in the cooling system. It would suddenly peg the gage becauseh water pump was cavitating. I had it happen on a 95 Vandura my company had. Funny thing is it made it 12k before it happend the first time.
 
Run the engine till the theromsat opens, with the radiator cap off look at the coolant flow. If you have bubbles coming up, could also indicate a head gasket.
 
Run the engine till the theromsat opens, with the radiator cap off look at the coolant flow. If you have bubbles coming up, could also indicate a head gasket.
 
Cooling System Chaos: Final Update

it came down to two things, first was in fact a blowhead gasket, the second was a cracked head /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
Re: Cooling System Chaos: Final Update

what year size engine and what casting heads ?
 
Re: Cooling System Chaos: Final Update

Yep the heads crack after they get over 230 and suddenly they get a splash of water.
 
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