Coolant overflow?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
Coolant overflow?
'94 Ranger, 4.0L, 5 speed, 2WD.
Almost 90 today...came home, parked the truck, went to leave about an hour later, noticed coolant all over the ground. Popped the hood, the little hose off the front of the coolant tank was surrounded by liquid and the tank was almost to the bottom. I keep it filled to the COLD FILL mark.
Possibly stock thermostat? Maybe there's antifreeze in there and not coolant (drain and switch to summer formula?)? What you guys think is up? It never appeared to overheat and I didn't drive it hard at all this afternoon.
RP
Zach
Almost 90 today...came home, parked the truck, went to leave about an hour later, noticed coolant all over the ground. Popped the hood, the little hose off the front of the coolant tank was surrounded by liquid and the tank was almost to the bottom. I keep it filled to the COLD FILL mark.
Possibly stock thermostat? Maybe there's antifreeze in there and not coolant (drain and switch to summer formula?)? What you guys think is up? It never appeared to overheat and I didn't drive it hard at all this afternoon.
RP
Zach
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,461
Likes: 6
From: Abilene Kansas
u have to remember that the coolant will shrink swell. replace the cap since its cheap. make sure to get the exact one you need. mine is 16lbs and if i didnt put that size on it wouldnt work right
Matt
Matt
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
Ok I think I figured it out. Every now and then I'll look at my coolant overflow tank and it'll be down low...so I fill it up, then it winds up too high. I stopped doing this a while back because the level would come up to the COLD FILL mark after I drove it again. I think I did it a while back and with the heat it finally overfilled and caused the extra coolant to spew out the top, since it was sitting right on the COLD FILL mark when I started lookin' for problems.
Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to go ahead and do the thermostat today anyways, it's over 10 years old I'm willing to bet.
RP
Zach
Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to go ahead and do the thermostat today anyways, it's over 10 years old I'm willing to bet.
RP
Zach
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,263
Likes: 92
From: BC Canada
the coolant is a mixture of 50/50 antifreeze and distilled water, winter or summer.
If you are going to replace the T/stat, backflush the system before you take the old one out. then but "FRESH" 50/50 coolant in after the T/stat is installed.
If you are going to replace the T/stat, backflush the system before you take the old one out. then but "FRESH" 50/50 coolant in after the T/stat is installed.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 8,462
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From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
Yeah...did the thermostat today. The guy who decided to put a bolt on the passenger side, behing the idler pulley, deserves to be hung by certain male organs. That was a total pain. And the Haynes vehicle apparently didn't have AC, 'cause they NEVER mentioend there was an A/C line in the way.
Anyways, a few scuffed knuckles later, I got the thermostat out, cleaned the area up (and boy did it need it), put in the new one, put it all back together, cranked the truck up, let it run until I got all the tools put up.
I assume the new thermostat opened, the upper radiator hose got hot, but I lost a good bit of coolant removing the old one, and it didn't start draining the resevoir ever, any problems to expect from that? I'm thinking it just didn't get around to doing it before I shut the truck off.
I gotta go buy some antifreeze...it lost a LOT more than the Haynes said it would lol.
Thanks guys!
RP
Zach
Anyways, a few scuffed knuckles later, I got the thermostat out, cleaned the area up (and boy did it need it), put in the new one, put it all back together, cranked the truck up, let it run until I got all the tools put up.
I assume the new thermostat opened, the upper radiator hose got hot, but I lost a good bit of coolant removing the old one, and it didn't start draining the resevoir ever, any problems to expect from that? I'm thinking it just didn't get around to doing it before I shut the truck off.
I gotta go buy some antifreeze...it lost a LOT more than the Haynes said it would lol.
Thanks guys!
RP
Zach
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2006
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did you have the radiator cap on when you started it up... if so you may need a new cap or have a leak in the vacuume side of things when it wants to suck the coolant in..
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well new is not good if you still end up with a probem of it not going in the radiator or overflowing the tank its probably the cause..after a few drives when you top it offand after it cools open the cap and see if the radiator is full if it is your set
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
The radiator was full when I opened it today. I also peaked down inside, looks nice and clean.
I'm gonna top it off tommorow as soon as I get some antifreeze, and then I'll keep track of it, outta be good! Thanks again!
RP
Zach
I'm gonna top it off tommorow as soon as I get some antifreeze, and then I'll keep track of it, outta be good! Thanks again!
RP
Zach
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