pa2play

ok, I was having overheating problems on the highway two weeks ago and it ended up being my radiator, it's been running fine since I put a new one in but now it's overheating in town, anything below 45mph the temp just goes up fast, but over 45mph it runs at normal temp. I wasn't hearing the fan kick on, so I jerry rigged some wires up so i could just turn it on manually in the interior, but even that didn't keep the temp down, but if I turn my heat on full balst , it will keep the temp at normal. O, one more thing ,it did start to rise in temp once or twice on the highway when I was going up a hill, but when I turned the heat on, it dropped back down.


Modified by pa2play at 2:16 PM 8/10/2004

pa2play

just found out my fan does turn on, so I know it's not the sensor, well...it might be GOING bad, hum...

nsxmatt

What caused the radiator to go in the first place? Usually if they all the sudden blow and then you have overheating problems you have introduced pressure from the engine into the cooling system from maybe a leaking or blown head gasket.

pa2play

the radiator was old and falling apart, it ran fine in town with the old radiator, but on the highway, it just couldn't keep up with my big intercooler blocking a lot of air. This morning I noticed my overflow tank was full, so I dumped 1/2 of it back into my radiator and then pored even more new radiator fluid into my radiator, took it for a drive, ran it hard for 1/2 hr and it ran GREAT...until I drove into my drive way, not even 10 secs after stopping my car, it started to rise in temp, pissed me off!!

pa2play

bump, come on people?? I drove it for like 40 mins in town and a little on the highway and it started getting a little hot, not over heating after like 45-50 mins. do you tihnk it could be a water pump or thermostat? I checked my lines and the feel full.???I hate problems like this

boostincoupe

Congratulations, bro. You have a lifting head.

ARP headstuds and an OEM headgasket are in your future.

markaria

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostincoupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Congratulations, bro. You have a lifting head.

ARP headstuds and an OEM headgasket are in your future. </TD></TR></TABLE>
what he said...

although, did you make sure the cooling system was properly bled after the new radiator install?

pa2play

I've checked my oil and there isn't any radiator fuild in it, and it doesn't overheat on the highway, usually just sitting still now.

honda9369

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by markaria &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
what he said...

although, did you make sure the cooling system was properly bled after the new radiator install?</TD></TR></TABLE>

pa2play

yes, the coolant system was properly bled, is there some kind of compression test I can do to MAKE SURE it's the head gasket going b/f I plung into a 15 hr job?

boostincoupe

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pa2play &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yes, the coolant system was properly bled, is there some kind of compression test I can do to MAKE SURE it's the head gasket going b/f I plung into a 15 hr job?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Headgaskets take 15 hours?

Yeah, maybe if you take weed breaks every 15 min.

T_Blaze

waterpump probably.

Sonny

Pressurize your cooling system like this:



Make sure that the cooling system is holding pressure. Try it when it is warm and cold. You will need rad cap with a relief lever on it like the one I used in the pic.

When I did this, I found that that my system was losing pressure. There were no visible external leaks. I pulled all of the plugs and used a flashlight to look into the cylinders. #3 was slowly filling with water.

Make sure your t-stat is still good. I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the "head lift" bandwagon until you have a good diagnosis. People have been boosting D series engines for a loooong time without "head lift".

Sonny

pa2play

what the heck, I took it out today and now I can't get it to overheat...not that that is a bad thing, but i'm going on a 950 mile trip next week!! and I want to get this thing solved. I have noticed that when I take off my radiator cap, that there is a ton of pressure under it that it lets out.

One more thing, can you get air in the system if you over heat. Like I said in an earlier post that when I was practicing my lauches, I overheated, like actually went into the red and over flowed my overflow tank, then forgot to dump the fluid back into my radiator (it never sucked the extra back in).


Modified by pa2play at 12:00 AM 8/2/2004

jmal1919

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostincoupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Congratulations, bro. You have a lifting head.

ARP headstuds and an OEM headgasket are in your future. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Please help me out and tell me what is a "lifting head"? I see it alot, but to me it doesn't make sense. Is that a term for the head bolts stripping and not holding a seal to the block?

AlphaKennyWun

what kind of fans you got? If you got only those slim line auto parts fans instead of stock or FAL or soemthing better then I think thats it.

boostincoupe

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jmal1919 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Please help me out and tell me what is a "lifting head"? I see it alot, but to me it doesn't make sense. Is that a term for the head bolts stripping and not holding a seal to the block?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Under full boost, the head literally lifts from the block. Like, the head studs stretch due to the pressure being pushed through the motor and separate the head from the block, thus creating a leak in the headgasket and an uneven mating surface between the head and block in most cases.

jmal1919

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostincoupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Under full boost, the head literally lifts from the block. Like, the head studs stretch due to the pressure being pushed through the motor and separate the head from the block, thus creating a leak in the headgasket and an uneven mating surface between the head and block in most cases.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats what I thought. A guy at a shop was like "What the **** is lifting the head" like there is no such thing.

boostin180sx

sure its not the thermostat?

TurboBumblBee

make sure it is properly bled...

to do so, start the car, turn on the heat and have fresh air turned on, NOT recircuilate!! take off the radiator cap and start the car, let it run for a while till the fan turns on, put more coolant/water mix into the the radiator and then cap off the system.. im thinking you more than likely have a air bubble in the system and its causeing the car to over heat

pa2play

If my HG was starting to go, I know I would see a millly white stuff in my oil, but would I see oil in my radiator fluid too? (like if I took off my rad. cap, would I see oil mixed in?)

Stewie

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pa2play &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If my HG was starting to go, I know I would see a millly white stuff in my oil, but would I see oil in my radiator fluid too? (like if I took off my rad. cap, would I see oil mixed in?)</TD></TR></TABLE>

not necessarily. Many people on this board have had bad HG with no signs of coolant in oil.

I think you only see coolant contamination in oil when the HG is severely blown and the cylinder pressure sky rises because of lots of water in the cylinder. hmm...

Believe me, you want to fix the problem before you get to this point anyway. From what I understand, when the coolant cooks in the oil, it actually becomes abrasive and can do an number on your bearings.

a good way to check the hg is to do a leakdown test with the rad cap off. If there is any signs of bubbles, you know something is wrong.

mEr

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostincoupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Congratulations, bro. You have a lifting head.

ARP headstuds and an OEM headgasket are in your future. </TD></TR></TABLE>
i agree...had a similiar problem a couple monthes back...

pa2play

why I ask is b/c I though I saw some oil mixed in with my coolant when I took my cap off, but didn't see any in the oil. would I see it in my radiator? Also, now it's not over heating, ever!, and it's NEVER even started to overheat under boost yet.

markaria

It sounds like you had an air pocket stuck inyour cooling system that has since escaped. Hopefully thats it