When I leave my radiator cap off the coolant starts bubbling after the car gets warmed up. Its not like tiny little bubbles, its looks like the coolant is splashing. My compression numbers are good and my car don't over heat either. Could it possible that my engine vibrates so much its causing the coolant to splash around ? If so why would it not be doing this all the time. Also does first generation b16 have a bleeder screw ? I really never bleed the system but I thought if you had air in the system the temp gauge would act up. Any thoughts ?

 

Why exactly were you running the engine with your radiator cap off?? Just curious.

I don't know why it does it, but every engine/coolant system does that. Don't worry about it.

 

well when my car gets warmed up my coolant also starts to boil... I dont think this is a problem. I believe this is normal. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Hmm, well I was running it with out the cap because I heard thats how you bleed the air out. I'm not to worried though because I know every thing is ok with my car.

 

Yea that is how you bleed out the air in the coolant on cars without a bleeder

 

Oh right on. Never heard of that one. Might have to try that next time.

 

If you boil water doesn't it start to bubble? Yes. When coolant is circulated through your engine which is creating many explosions inside of it is making the coolant boil.

And yes doing that is how you bleed the coolant.

 

A car with a good headgasket will not bubble even at operating temp......first try bleeding it and running water wetter.....if it still bubbles you HG might be on it's way out.

 

Water boils at 212 degress farenheit... With the other additives, I'm not sure what the boiling point would be. But 212 is way too hot for just having it 'warm up'.

 

Try swapping in a 180 thermostat too...they are a few tricks for cooler temps. I use them all.

 

I have a 170* themostat!

 

Where did you find that? My pepboys has 180's that's it.

 

Well actually the temp in my car is perfect. I have an after market gauge and its usually reading like 175 which is normal. My head gasket is good to and the thermostat is brand new.

 

hey...i had the same prob. take a look at your rad. cap. make sure that the rubber gasket isnt messed up. cause my coolent always use to boil as well. so yeah just bleed your system and check out your cap.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ef ***** &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where did you find that? My pepboys has 180's that's it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Autozone. I can get you a product # if you want. I kept the box upstairs. On the inside of it it said 170* so I assume that means that it is a 170* themostat.

Also I have a question for you guys. How are you seeing the coolant boil if your radiator cap is still on???

 

I had my cap off, I was gonna bleed the system like this but it boils to much and splashes every where. If I kept the cap on, wouldn't all the air just goto the over flow ? Wouldn't that be the same way ?

 

While you are "bleeding" the system, try squeezing your upper and lower radiator hoses. If a lot comes out, it may just be air in the system and a lot of it by the sound of things. If it is not that, i would lean more toward the headgasket idea if it is bubbling as much as you say it is. Whenver you rev it up and are running the car hard, is there ever any white smoke coming from the tailpipe? If there is then you really have some issues to worry about. Hell, it could also be your water pump not pushing everything through. All are possibilities you just need to check on them all.

Matt

 

Well like I said before, my head gasket it perfect. I recently changed everything out on my engine so I know its not the water pump. And my car does not burn oil at all. Or blow smoke at all.

 

If I had air in my system, wouldn't the air get out and goto the over flow tank while the car is running ?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ef ***** &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A car with a good headgasket will not bubble even at operating temp......first try bleeding it and running water wetter.....if it still bubbles you HG might be on it's way out.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What about when thermostat opens? or cavitation from water pump?
Or, when sucking reserve dry due to overheating?
The bubbles are merely air escaping from solution, and as long as the system is not closed to the atmosphere as an A/C system is, there will
always be "some" bubbles. Correct?
Or am I missing something?

 

Well I went outside and messed around. With the cap off, it really don't bubble over but it splashes a little. Could this be cause by the motor mounts being that I have the hasport ones and I have more vibration. Also I squeezed the hose and the coolant just went up a little and back down, I thought it went down more but I think it was a figment of my imagination. Also when I reved it up, the splashing stopped. So any other ideas ? Or is this just normal ?


Modified by 90blackcrx at 6:47 PM 7/15/2003

 

I think its normal then.

 

This is common but not necessarily serious. To find out if it is a serious problem. stick the overflow tube in some water. If you still see bubbles coming from the tube with the radiator cap installed after the cooling system has been bled and brought to operating temperature several times before, then you have a blown head gasket.

 

heh heh you guys are funny.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by owen_the_soyboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">heh heh you guys are funny.

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What is ?