If you do suspect a head gasket leak the simply get a test kit for the presence of hydrocarbons in your coolant. Cheap ... simple ... effective.
Engine Overheating very quickly
- Thread starter crossram 426
- Start date
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's called a block test. You can borrow the tester from AutoZone and just pay for the test fluid if you really suspect a HG. A cooling system pressure test is not a good HG test and may well give a false negative.
crossram 426
Well-Known Member
ok, so pulled the water pump, brand new and spinning easily. Looks to be the hi volume one as it has the larger impellers?. Bottom radiator hose hasn't collapsed and it has the wire core. checked the stat again in hot water and worked again. Put it all back together again started up and within 5 mins the motor was red hot, the coolant at the top of the radiator was hot...opened the tap at the bottom of the radiator and the coolant was cold...? pulled the damn stat out and ran again.....ran perfectly at around 140-150....and only went to 180-190 after it was shut down for a few mins...gonna start it again this arvo and let it go for awhile without the stat and see what the temp gets to again....just ordered a hi flow milodon stat. So we'll see how we go later... thanks for the input guys!
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Wonder if you drilled a small hole 1/8" through t-stat to help purge air out if system?
SlinktRR
Well-Known Member
Yep, guarantee this is either air pocket in the block or you need a new thermostat.. or both. You can run without a t-stat but it will take forever to reach correct operating temp and if you are using a carburetor you will need to retune. Flow the coolant for a while without t-stat and radiator cap off. Shut down and let cool overnight. Then install t-stat again. If it overheats again, go to the parts house and get a simple stant 180F.
My situation was triggered when I inadvertently opened the radiator cap when it was still pressurized. Caused an air pocket to expand when the pressure was released, and the $25 mr. gasket race thermostat never worked properly after that. I changed to a simple $7 Stant thermostat from pep boys after running for a couple days without a thermostat and the engine has been happy ever since.
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
An air pocket should eventually work it's way out. What kind of system do you have on this car, an overflow tank, a pressurized reservoir surge tank, or simply an overflow tube from the radiator fill neck that spills to the ground?
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crossram 426
Well-Known Member
yep the overflow that spills to the ground,
won't have to worry about it not getting to operating temp over the next few days as it's going to be 100-110f here over the next 3 days....lol
won't have to worry about it not getting to operating temp over the next few days as it's going to be 100-110f here over the next 3 days....lol
12" of snow in New England. USA
Mike67
Well-Known Member
Not sure if you can rent them or not, but they make a vacuum that hooks to the radiator.... Once its negative you release the fluid into it.. Nothing but coolant when done... I'm guessing you could also diagnose your head gasket as well if the system will not hold a vacuum...
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
OK, the you should have a simple spring loaded pressure cap without the two way valve.
Maybe you need a good pressure flush.
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