Cooling system nightmare
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OK so here's the rundown.
Replaced: Rad cap, t-stat (3x), rad, coolant temp sensor, tried an aftermarket guage, the upper rad hose is hot while the lower is warm, I am getting heat out of the vents, water pump is circulating the coolant, truck runs at a steady 160deg with no t-stat but with a working unit in jumps from 195 to 230 randomely. Oil is at proper levels ( just changed it last week) No visible leaks anywhere that can be seen, the system doesn't seem to be taking coolant from the overflow tank as it's been at the cold fill line since I replaced the rad.
I'm about ready to blow the truck up.
Replaced: Rad cap, t-stat (3x), rad, coolant temp sensor, tried an aftermarket guage, the upper rad hose is hot while the lower is warm, I am getting heat out of the vents, water pump is circulating the coolant, truck runs at a steady 160deg with no t-stat but with a working unit in jumps from 195 to 230 randomely. Oil is at proper levels ( just changed it last week) No visible leaks anywhere that can be seen, the system doesn't seem to be taking coolant from the overflow tank as it's been at the cold fill line since I replaced the rad.
I'm about ready to blow the truck up.
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This is going to sound kind of dumb...but a friend of mine had a similar situation w/his Ranger. He finally said he was going to change the water pump and I chided him because I have never seen a water pump cause oheating problems unless the shaft seal was gone and it caused a low coolant issue. When he showed me the pump I was shocked. The impeller was almost completely gone. It had corroded to a disk. I hope this helps. You've replaced everything else!!
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I thought of that too the thing is I can see the flow when I have the rad cap off and she's flowing pretty good, I just got a fan clutch off of another truck that had no cooling issues and that didn't help either. But yeah, the water pump is now the absolute last thing on the list. So maybe I'll just choke it up and replace it.
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One thing I have noticed though, when the engine is cold and I remove the rad cap and then start it too see what's going. The coolant will start to overflow after about 5 mins, should this happen?
Now which way does the coolant flow in these trucks? I assume it comes out of the engine through the t-stat into the upper rad hose and then exits back into the engine through the lower rad hose, is this correct? I'm thinking it has to be something ridiculously simple that I'm overlooking, becuase I've replaced absolutely everything. I'm now doubting everything, hell could I have install the t-stat backwards? The 'spring' end of it is pointing into the engine, though I just installed the new one the same way as the old one.
Now which way does the coolant flow in these trucks? I assume it comes out of the engine through the t-stat into the upper rad hose and then exits back into the engine through the lower rad hose, is this correct? I'm thinking it has to be something ridiculously simple that I'm overlooking, becuase I've replaced absolutely everything. I'm now doubting everything, hell could I have install the t-stat backwards? The 'spring' end of it is pointing into the engine, though I just installed the new one the same way as the old one.
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I'll chip in my 2 cents worth of a dumb suggestion...*sometimes* the serpintine belt can be mis-installed to make the water pump actually run in reverse! I know, I know, but I've actually witnessed this on a friend's vehicle (car, not a truck) so just for the hell of it, why not check that?
Good luck!
Jay
Good luck!
Jay
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yea its normal for the coolant to rise after a few minutes ....
Lemme ask you . Whats the over flow bottle looking like all the times you are opening the hood . Is it ever full to the top ....might even overflow ...then sometimes empty ?
Reason I ask .... had a truck one time .... did that on me . I replaced all the same stuff like you and it Still filled the overflow .
Took the heads off , only to find a pinhole halfway down one cylinder in the cylinder wall .
It would idle all day no problem . Soon as I took it out and punched the gas .... needle would spike after a few minutes and coolant would fill the overflow , and was probly spewing alll over the highway .
Yup , compression was getting into the coolant system and filling it like a balloon .
Lemme ask you . Whats the over flow bottle looking like all the times you are opening the hood . Is it ever full to the top ....might even overflow ...then sometimes empty ?
Reason I ask .... had a truck one time .... did that on me . I replaced all the same stuff like you and it Still filled the overflow .
Took the heads off , only to find a pinhole halfway down one cylinder in the cylinder wall .
It would idle all day no problem . Soon as I took it out and punched the gas .... needle would spike after a few minutes and coolant would fill the overflow , and was probly spewing alll over the highway .
Yup , compression was getting into the coolant system and filling it like a balloon .
Last edited by Musclestang; Sep 29, 2007 at 06:42 AM.
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Originally Posted by Musclestang
yea its normal for the coolant to rise after a few minutes ....
Lemme ask you . Whats the over flow bottle looking like all the times you are opening the hood . Is it ever full to the top ....might even overflow ...then sometimes empty ?
Reason I ask .... had a truck one time .... did that on me . I replaced all the same stuff like you and it Still filled the overflow .
Took the heads off , only to find a pinhole halfway down one cylinder in the cylinder wall .
It would idle all day no problem . Soon as I took it out and punched the gas .... needle would spike after a few minutes and coolant would fill the overflow , and was probly spewing alll over the highway .
Yup , compression was getting into the coolant system and filling it like a balloon .
Lemme ask you . Whats the over flow bottle looking like all the times you are opening the hood . Is it ever full to the top ....might even overflow ...then sometimes empty ?
Reason I ask .... had a truck one time .... did that on me . I replaced all the same stuff like you and it Still filled the overflow .
Took the heads off , only to find a pinhole halfway down one cylinder in the cylinder wall .
It would idle all day no problem . Soon as I took it out and punched the gas .... needle would spike after a few minutes and coolant would fill the overflow , and was probly spewing alll over the highway .
Yup , compression was getting into the coolant system and filling it like a balloon .
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2007
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Could you check the compression with a free loaner compression testing tool from Autozone or Advanced? If I'm thinking correctly, you should loose compression if there's a crack or breach in the head...might be worth a shot..
Jay
Jay
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ford, WA
could the belt be slipping? might try replacing the belt and de'glazing the water pump pulley.. i've heard the serp. belts are prone to slipping at the waterpump pulley... could be the cause of the temp radomly jumping around
Last edited by mebe2k; Sep 30, 2007 at 01:26 AM.