overheating suggestions

[dyeager535]

If you need to try an acid flush, just buy a new radiator. Outside of re-coring, you will never get all the junk out, and the tubes are already weakened from corrosion. In a hot climate, there is no reason to play around with a mediocre radiator. (FYI anti-corrosion is the reason to do scheduled coolant changes)

$250 for a radiator sounds ridiculous, is there a reason it was that high? Maybe I haven't looked in long enough, but last one I bought was under $150.

 

[HarrisonTX]

ryoken?? how do i find out how to do that acid flush also at the radiator shop the guy had pointed out that someone had used radiator stop leak before could that clog the wrong things up along with all the rusty gunk in there im just looking for a cheap easy sollution imagine that

I dont know about acid, but flushing would be a really good idea.

BTW, your water level hasnt moved at all?
You have always had the same amount of water in there?

A flush kit is about $10, and very simple. In fact i just did one on my blazer.
You simply remove a heater hose, and hook up a water hose, and turn that sucker on. All the directions are on the of the kit.

FYI, the kit tells your to "CUT" your heater hose to install the part, dont do that. Undo the hose from the block, put a new hose (IE buy 6" of hose) and the put in the piece to hook up a hose too.

 

[75starter]

sounds like a good idea and the price is right the water level stays the same exept when i overheats it boils out of the overflow then i gotta add some next time i drive it is there an easy diagnosis if i slowly loose coolant??? just wonderin

 

[4X4HIGH]

This may sound stupid but, do you have the correct radiator cap for a recovery system? If you don't have a recovery system cap on your radiator and it boils over then the coolant can't be sucked back into the system when it cools down. Also, is the cap new if not put a new correct cap on. A bad cap can make it overheat.

 

[75starter]

i would only assume the boys down at autozone gave me the correct cap i dont have the one with the red pressure release thing he gave me the option said they were the same and he said they both work for my jimmy is brand new though

 

[4X4HIGH]

The next time the truck is cold enough to remove the cap take it off and look to see if there are two washer seals in it. They are flat rubber washers that seal against the radiator. To be a cap for a recovery system it needs to have two washers (in different locations).

 

[HarrisonTX]

sounds like a good idea and the price is right the water level stays the same exept when i overheats it boils out of the overflow then i gotta add some next time i drive it is there an easy diagnosis if i slowly loose coolant??? just wonderin

Diadnosis if your loosing cooling slowly - Leaking head gasket.
The first day i bought my blazer, i filled it up with fresh 50/50 (water-anti-freeze) After about 30 miles, it started gettin hot. The water was low. I added more. Another 30 miles of driving, the water was low once again. No oil in the water, no water in the oil... i thought "thats odd"
There's no mixing, and its not leaking out anywhere. I went through this process 2 more times, and then i realzied. Water is leaking into the cylinder, and bruning out the exhaust.

Someone installed some super cheap steel head gaskets, and they never sealed well.
Thats why i asked if the water level was changing.

Are you running straight water? If it is boiling over, anti-freeze raises the boiling temp of water, so it wont boil so easy.
I would check timing if the water level is staying the same.

 

[75starter]

yeah its got one at the top and one at the bottom ive only drove it twice since new rad cap and its already got that rusty gunk all over it the coolant looks clean still when i look in but the cap gets chunky gunk on it same with the thermostat when i changed it

 

[75starter]

the second radiator i put in was a 4 core i got in a trade i made brackets just to see if it would work still overheated but the water always went down with no visible leeks then i got the one i have in right now out of a running 75 truck and the water seems to stay the same and its a perfect fit but the stock one had a third hose nipple under the cap for the hose coming out of the heater core the new one didnt so i ran the hose to the top of the water pump would post a pic but dont know how only in e mail does this sound right

 

[4xcrazy]

chatting through emails, he sent me a pic of his fan blades, he has the wrong design, it's the blades for the serpentine setup, he has the v-belt currently on his engine.

i went through this overheating thing with a friends truck a few months ago, same deal.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Well that sure would cause it to overheat.

 

[75starter]

ok im a dumbass i didnt even see the sticker on the fan that said reverse rotation hopefully this will fix my problem will fix this weekend let yall know 4xcrazy is the man thanks for all your help

 

[C4]

Make sure the thermostat is not upside down. The spring side of the tstat should be inside the block (down).

exactly, they stick and how old is the water pump

 

[TerryD]

what # radiator cap are you running? Should be 15# or 16#. Also, drill a 1/16" hole in the thermostat right next to the lip where it turns up for the poppet.

 

[75starter]

i have a 16#cap but why drill a hole in thermostat what does it do for it??

 

[TerryD]

I've had several vehicles over the years that the head gaskets that seep a little compression on startup. (later 305s are notorious for bad/sorry head gaskets) The leaked compression hangs up behind the thermostat and keeps it from opening. We have just gotten to the point that all our thermostats get this treatment as a precaution. It doesn't affect the cooling or make it run hotter or cooler, it just allows the compression to escape and be vented by the radiator cap instead of locking up your thermostat.

 

[slyguy_22]

Did you ever flush out ur radiator & block? Also go to summit and get a new radiator, ur gona want it for when you put ur new block back in anyhow. Also if you still have problems after fixing the new fan, and clean/new rad. pull the tstat out and run it with out and see if it gets hot. make sure you reinstall it when the colder weather comes.

 

[TerryD]

pull the tstat out and run it with out and see if it gets hot.

Bad idea. The whole idea of a thermostat is to slow the coolant down in the radiator so the heat can be removed from it and in the block so the coolant can remove the heat from the block. Removing the thermostat may make your gauges say its running cooler, but in actuality, its running hotter. The coolant doesn't have a chance to take the heat out of the block, so the coolant is staying cooler, but your block is getting hotter and hotter and hotter. That's what 160* thermostats do also, is prevent the coolant from removing the heat from the block.

 

[HarrisonTX]

I think when this guy gets the right fan, he will be all good...
focus on one thing at a time man. Fan first.

 

[75starter]

ive never felt so stupid in my whole life but its awesome i got the right fan autozone let me return it after it had been on my truck for 4 months and just gave me the right one no money/ paperwork exchange nothin just here you go see ya and im proud to say ive been driving my jimmy around all day and never hit first line on temp gauge SWEET!!!!!!! im still gonna get a flush though you guys r awesome id buy you all a beer if you were in nor-cal thanks