DaX

iTrader: (1)

Long story short:

I decided to have my head checked for square and ended up having 0.003" removed. I installed a set of ARP studs and a fresh OEM headgasket with copper spray. Torqued the head to ARP's spec using the moly lube and reassembled everything.

Did a compression check [cold]:

180-172-176-172

I'll pull a warm leakdown test when I get a chance.

Tonight for the first time since I got the car back together, I let the car warm up then I took it for a drive which ended very shortly. I was datalogging the entire time. I noticed that the car seemed to be hesitating somewhat in first gear. I'm still rolling around on a basemap....I had plans to dyno tune Feb 3. I didn't think much of it since it hasn't been tuned yet. I never once left vacuum on the drive. I looked down at my dash and saw my temperature needle standing up. The computer was logging 207*F coolant temp. I immediately pulled over and shut the car off. I put the key to the on position and turned the heater on...cold air. Upper radiator hose was hot, lower one was cold. I let the car cool for a while then decided to head back home. I drove with the heat on. The heat was blowing nice hot air, then stared to get cool again and the engine temp started to climb again. This time the air started to warm again and the coolant temp started to regulate. Then it did it again and it wouldn't go back down.

Tomorrow I'm replacing my lifetime warranty radiator with a new one and also replacing the thermostat, although both of these components are only about a year old. I really don't think there was any air in the coolant system, but I'll bleed it down really good after I install the new components.

It almost seems like a blockage or air trapped.

I used gasket remover to clean the deck surface before installing the new HG...some gasket remover got into the coolant jacket and I cleaned it out the best that I could...do you think somehow this could be related to it?

Any input?

adictionbass

to me it sounds like you have air in the system

DaX

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by adictionbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">to me it sounds like you have air in the system</TD></TR></TABLE>

Cool...that's what I'm hoping it is. A simple fix will be great.

Jared

From what you're describing you either have a bad tstat or air in the system or both.

sporkcrx

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jared &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">From what you're describing you either have a bad tstat or air in the system or both. </TD></TR></TABLE>

This is what I was thinking.

SOHC_MShue

sounds like a bad tstat to me. Check to make sure your not pushing coolant into the overflow.

del_orson

Air in the cooling system, I would take the rad cap off and let her run for awhile and watch it cycle a few times.

tony1

To be sure, jack up the front of the car so the radiator is higher than the motor, then top the radiator off.

adictionbass

never heard that one tony

wantboost

iTrader: (2)

sounds like a bad tstat. happened to me, also had the fan switch go bad at the same time now i have nice blue mugen parts

DaX

iTrader: (1)

Cool. Tonight I'm going to replace the Tstat and try that method of jacking the car up to top off the coolant.

DaX

iTrader: (1)

Ok, I replaced the thermostat and refilled the coolant system. I let the car warm up and then drove it around the neighborhood. This time I drove a little harder than I did last night and went into boost some [only 4psi...need to set up the MBC]. The absolute highest coolant temp I logged was 195*F and that was as I was pulling into the garrage at the end of the run. The heat from the vents never let up like it did last night. I still think I need to replace my radiator [and will sometime this week] because I was getting steam from that area under the hood...probably knocked a small hole in it during one of the billion times I took it out over the past year.

How can you test for a bad fan thermo switch? I jumped the connection with the car running and the fan came on [fan and wiring is good] but I am not sure if it came on any while driving it.

Also...here are some compression and leakdown numbers. The comp. test was done with a cheap gauge [+/- 5psi at best] and the leakdown gauges need to be calibrated [but maybe you can compare the cyl to cyl leakdowns?]. Both tests done with the engine hot. Anyhow, here they are:

COMPRESSION:

Cyl1 - 190
Cyl2 - 192
Cyl3 - 182
Cyl4 - 193

LEAKDOWN [75psi in]

Cyl1 - 65psi [13% leakdown]
Cyl2 - 69psi [8% leakdown]
Cyl3 - 63psi [16% leakdown]
Cyl4 - 69psi [8% leakdown]

I am going to try to calbrate the leakdown tester this week at work and repeat the test, because those numbers above are probably junk.

DaX

iTrader: (1)

.

PrettyLude

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by adictionbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">never heard that one tony </TD></TR></TABLE>

me either