Over heating

mikegbtp · #1 (**permalink**) 06-19-2004, 03:33 PM

I am on my second thermostat and I still have no circulation to ther radiator. I have run the engine without the stat and the circulation is fine..... I have tried both 180 and 192.....can air pockets be the problem ??? If so..how do I eleiminate..?????

DAVID GAGNARD · #2 (**permalink**) 06-19-2004, 05:20 PM

Mike;

Try drilling a small hole (a little smaller than 1/4 inch) in the flange of the thermostat and when you instal it,make sure the hole is at the top,then fill the radiator with water,start the engine,let it run and warm up without the radiator cap on and go from there,this should help "burp" things and get rid of air pockets,as the thermostat opens and the water level goes down,refill as needed........

Hope this helps.......

PS: before installing thermostat,take in the house,put it in a pot of water on the stove and see if it actually opens or works,you may have gotten a defective thermostat,but the odds or you will not get two in a row,I always check mine in a pot of water before installing it on the engine.......

David

Back in Black · #3 (**permalink**) 06-19-2004, 08:29 PM

About the 1/8 inch hole.. and make sure you have your system full and that your fan is actually working and the shroud is secure

RD31 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-20-2004, 03:33 PM

My first thought is to check and make sure that the water pump is pumping water in the correct direction. The water shoud be exiting through the thermostat housing. If not then reroute the belt, or get a water pump that pumps the opposite direction.

If it is pumping the correct direction, bup the engine by squeezing the lower radiator hose multiple times until no air buprs out. Wait 5 to 10 minutes and do it again. Keep doing that until no more aire can be burped. Start the engine and run until warm. Cycle the throttle to get surging of water through your system. Watch your temperature gage - DO NOT LET IT OVERHEAT. Let the system cool completely. You can place a fan over the engine to expedite this process. IMPORTANT - do not open the cap until the engine is cool, or you will have to start the burp process all over again. When cooled down the upper hose should not be pressurized. If it remains pressurized for days after driving then check the coolant system for exhaust gases (could be a blown haed gasket / warped heads).

Robert

mikegbtp · #5 (**permalink**) 06-27-2004, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the suggestions .....even after checking the thermostat , drilling the hole , and "bup'ing" the lower radiator hose as much as possible ( It is stainless) the engine continues to overheat. Seems there is some flow ( probably through the drilled hole) but the majority of the radiator remains cool and the lower hose is cold .

Any other thoughts ???

DAVID GAGNARD · #6 (**permalink**) 06-27-2004, 03:23 PM

Mike;

Re-reading your first post,you say you have circulation without the thermostat,with the thermostat you have very little circulation,could it be you have installed the thermostat in "backwards"????????? I can not think of any other reason not to have circulation with a stat when you have circulation without the stat......It is very easy to do,I would check this first......... Other than that,I see no reason for your problems........wish you were closer,I'd like to help out and see the car..........I have been there before,trying different radiators/pulleys/fans/water pumps before finally getting things the way I wanted,I'm kinda expeirienced in this,although it was kinda an expensive learning curve.........

David

mikegbtp · #7 (**permalink**) 06-27-2004, 04:29 PM

Thanks David.....I have checked the positioning of the thermostat too many times to count..copper head toward engine. Wish I was wrong. I continue to run it and add fluid as the level drops ...but not seeing any results. I may flush the whole thing and start again. I enjoy probelm solving , but this is getting old.

I will post again with anything different.....I appreciate your help.

SCOBRAC · #8 (**permalink**) 06-27-2004, 06:31 PM

What is the temp as it boils over? Do you have an infra red thermometer? What is the temp at the surge tank? At the water pump?

What are you using to recirculate coolant?

I ask because my 427 would seemingly boil over at 185 degrees with a 160 thermostat. Actually what I found was happening was that the engine was pushing out a fair amount of coolant as it reached operation temp. I have no idea why. But what I discovered was that my old recirculation tank was just a catch can. When the coolant was pushed out it wasn't ever returned. Over a span of a few hours it expelled enough coolant to make it run hot.

I installed a new coolant recirculation tank (see my gallery) and now it still moves coolant to the tank, but it also puts it back.

trularin · #9 (**permalink**) 06-28-2004, 07:04 AM

May I suggest a small test?

Take the T'Stat and put it in a pan of boiling water. If it opens, Completely, it may not be the T'Stat.

The hole should be no bigger than 1/8" as stated by BIB, The rating is a matter of choice, however, you might want to select a 180 to 190 degree unit. Installed with the point towards the radiator.

If you have a tank on top of the engine, I think you can see if the coolant is flowing once temperature has been reached.

I Like the idea of the IR thermometer. Thermo-imaging would a whole bunch better.

Did this just start or are you just getting the engine up and running. More history would help. If this is a first time run, you may have other problems that go beyond the T'Stat.

Just my $0.02