cooling issues!

[89daytonacs]

ok, i drove out to calgary alberta yesterday from interior BC. about 2/3 of the way there i started having cooling issues. had to stop a coupole times to cool it down. now i'm in calgary, and drove about 20 km to buy a couple wgas the day after arriving. the car overheated again. temp gauge showed only about half, driving down the road it dies. pop the hood, fairly hot engine. upper rad hose is super hard and hot. hosed the rad down a bit, started it again, temp gauge shows low, but car idles for a bit then overheats again. changed thermostat from 180 to 160*. started the car after letting it cool, it idles for about 10 minutes, fan went on once during, then it dies. car starts idling really rough before it dies everytime. help please, if i cant fix it i have to fly me and my gf home and leave my car to fix at a later date. $$$$$. i have had the suggestions of rad cap, sender, and coolant sensor. I will pick these up tomorrow (by bus) any help is greatly appreciated, thanks

[turbovanman²]

Really need more info.


Is the lower rad hose hot/cold?

Did you add any coolant or is it blowing it out?

When you ran it, did you leave the rad cap off and look for bubbles etc?

From the info, it looks like you have another issue, I can't see how your figuring its overheating? Maybe check the alternator, codes????

[89daytonacs]

lower rad hose is cold. coolant is full, no loss. when i changed the parts i was suggested to change, i left the cap off when i turned it on, waited for a few air bubbles to surface, then put the cap on when the coolant started going over the top of the cap opening. made it home, but i had the fan running the whole time, and avoided my turbo at all costs. the car heats when the turbo is in use, or at high revs, or going uphill. if i coast in neutral or am going fairly fast in 5th it stays fairly cool with the fan running.

[turbovanman²]

Did you drill the 1/16" bleed hole in the thermostat?

It sounds like either a rad issue or possible leaking head gasket. I would add the bleed hole if you haven't and leave off the rad cap, let the thermostat open and see if it bubbles or boils over.

[89daytonacs]

i have the bleed hole. when i start the car and let it warm up, the coolant level rises up and spills out. i've never left it flow over for long. is that normal? i believe it did it with my old rad. i have a pnp rad in there right now to accomodate my IC. i did a couple basic tests for head gasket. (pull plugs and crank it looking for coolant, and also looking for bubbles in the overflow)

[turbovanman²]

Don't fill it so full and let it burp.

[89daytonacs]

ok, i'll try that and get baack to you. thanks

[89daytonacs]

ok, replaced the water pump, no change. both upper and lower hoses are hot and hard now. temp still goes up. going to try a new rad that my buddy has tomorrow. any other suggestions?

[turbovanman²]

ok, replaced the water pump, no change. both upper and lower hoses are hot and hard now. temp still goes up. going to try a new rad that my buddy has tomorrow. any other suggestions?

I would say its the rad, I guess you'll find out tomorrow.

Now when you say hot, what exactly do you mean? the stock guages aren't that accurate.

[89daytonacs]

well i personally like it to be between the first and second line (which is where it was for awhile last year and when i got the best performance. maybe its my gauge?) i call heating up when i cant keep it around the 1/4 mark. i call it hot when it goes up past half and beyond (current). my rad plans were crushed this morning with the neverstopping rain from last night, cause i do my work in a field that gets a very muddy entrance. suns out so ill probably try to get down there still.

[turbovanman²]

It could be just the sending unit, they do like to hover around the 1/4 to half mark, depending on what thermostat you have.

I would see what happens with the new rad.

[JDAWG]

your stock gauge will go up to 3/4 before the fan will turn it on to cool down, all my cars would run cool except for sitting in traffic then the car will heat up to cool and the fan will run to take the temp gauge back down to under half, sounds like you popped a headgasket

[89daytonacs]

It could be just the sending unit, they do like to hover around the 1/4 to half mark, depending on what thermostat you have.

I would see what happens with the new rad.

i replaced the sender when i was in calgary. i usually run a 180, but have a 160 in right now.

[89daytonacs]

your stock gauge will go up to 3/4 before the fan will turn it on to cool down, all my cars would run cool except for sitting in traffic then the car will heat up to cool and the fan will run to take the temp gauge back down to under half, sounds like you popped a headgasket

it is possible i blew the gasket. ive done a few basic checks however, and dont see any evidence of this. it is an MP gasket also.

[JDAWG]

yea so was mine on my last car, seems like the dbag that sold me the car didnt do it right and the car ran hot, but if its really eatin coolant and both your rad hoses are hot you popped it

[89daytonacs]

no coolant loss though. but i am considering this a possibility. what are some obvious tells?

[JDAWG]

well like said if the top hose is hot and the bottom cold there is a plug in the rad, other than that there aint much left other than did you replace the stat? Is it you daily driver?

[89daytonacs]

yea, i have a brand new 160 in there right now. it is the DD

[JDAWG]

pull your top hose, stick a garden hose in there and turn it on max and see how much comes out the bottom

[89daytonacs]

sounds like a good idea, but i just replaced the rad. seems to cool ok. i think anyways im only running 4 psi right now, and i didnt boost all that much, so its kind of hard to tell, but its defijately better. after the Tstat opened, while i was waiting for the air to burp out, there were quite a few little bubbles swirling around in the coolant at the fill mouth. is this normal?