ouch, i'm overheatin bad

[m4xwellmurd3r]

Replaced the dizzy cap i'm the crossfire i was getting is gone, but i'm deffinetly lacking fuel pressure (lean as hell)

when i looked at the dizzy cap, the little metal rods, were really bad.

I found a clue to why my car's overheating.

Lower radiator tube is collapsing at higher RPM's.

is more likely to be a thermostate busted problem

or a clog in the system?

So, i need to find my exact fuel pressure (i'll be it's wicked low, or i need rebuilt injectors)

AND i need to flush the radiator/replace the thermostat (bought a new one)

I also bought a torque wrench and a timing light. the timing light WAS 40, but anthony (awesome dude at checkers that comes in to starbucks sometimes) Discounted it for me to 19.99 Schweet!

[justin260z]

i run a 160 thermostat with a hole drilled in the side. I dont have a heater though, so I like it to run cooler.

[sblake01]

A 160 degree thermostat won't make your car run cooler. It just opens at a lower temperature which actually makes the engine take longer to reach it's normal operating temperature. The engine will still seek it's normal operating temperature which is somewhere between 180-195 degrees. Middle of the guage is 185. Why drill a hole in it?

[m4xwellmurd3r]

i bought a 180 thermostat.

i'm going to put it in tommorow probably, along with seeing if anything is plugging a hose.

I really think it's the thermostat being stuck wide open though. Unless there's a clog somewhere, it would make sense (ultra high flow=poor cooling+collapsing hose)

i still need to clean the fuelline giong to the pump. I have a feeling it's plugged up and making my car have poor fuel pressure. (runs ultra lean)

[EScanlon]

Maxwell;

Sorry, your equation does not compute.

Stephen hit it on the head, the engine will find the temperature at which it is being cooled to.

The thermostat is there to allow the coolant to get hot FASTER when you first start the engine. It blocks the flow to the radiator UNTIL a given temperature is reached, hence the temperature rating of the thermostat. In colder climates you use a higher temp thermostat to allow the engine to heat up MORE before it begins to be cooled by the cooling system. In warmer climates, where the possibility of overheating exists, you use a LOWER temperature thermostat to allow the cooling system to begin cooling ahead of the higher temperatures.

If you remove the thermostat, and hence have no temp-controlled blockage, then the engine will continue to heat until it reaches that temperature that the cooling system (water pump and radiator) CAN achieve. If the cooling system is faulty, then there is NO reduction (cooling) in the temperature that the motor achieves. This is what is happening to your car.

Since the radiator hose is collapsing, that is a positive indication that your water pump IS functioning.

That your lower hose is collapsing however, says that water isn't flowing THROUGH the radiator fast enough.

I'm willing to bet that you have a clogged radiator.

Your equation as it stands is:

High flow MINUS (Poor cooling+Collapsing hose) EQUALS Ultra High Temperature

But address problems ONE at a time, you're doing various things which can lead you to get several of them working against each other. It's ok to be enthusiastic, but you might find yourself with a hard to diagnose and correct problem with so many "fixes" going on all at the same time.

FWIW

E

[EScanlon]

In discussing this with a fellow member (Beandip) he pointed out that the thermostat is actually also helpful in keeping the water IN the radiator long enough to actually effect some cooling on it.

Without the thermostat, there can actually be TOO much flow and the water not get ANY cooling. The collapsed radiator hose can be because of age of the hose and the rubber has become soft or due to the excessive heat.

Try the thermostat, but go with the 160 rather than the 180.

2¢

E

[m4xwellmurd3r]

the reason why i was thinking it could be that the thermostat is missing/stuck open somehow, is because i read up that if the flow is too high, the radiator becomes a bottle neck and can collapse the hose.

I think it is soft, so i'll replace it as well.

I think what I'll do, is pull off the hoses, flush all the lines out, and clean them up the best i can (considering i'm at an apartment)

From looking in the radiator through the cap, it appears clean, but appearances can be deceiving.

this probably wouldn't work how i think it would, but would it be possible to disconnect the lower radiator hose from the rad, connect it to a water source, and run the car for a little to see if it'll flush out any debris that may have accumulated?

[rtaylor]

Prestone sells a flush kit. You can connect it to either the heater inlet or outlet hose. If you do not want to cut your existant hose, buy a short piece of rubber from an auto parts store and T it in. The kit consists of two hose clamps and a plastic capped T with a hose bib connector on it. Splice it in, hook up the hose, open the drain **** and let er rip. You can also use the radiator flush solution that comes in the kit. To use that, you empty it into the raditor, let the engine warm up, and then drain by taking the cap of the T and hooking up the hose.

This may help.

[sblake01]

You can't see down the tubes by looking at the top of them through the radiator opening. If you don't know when the last time the radiator was flushed, and who does except someone who's owned the car continuously for a few years, I'd really suggest removing the radiator and having it professionally checked and cleaned.

[m4xwellmurd3r]

so, the coolant is definitely in dire need of a flush.

i think i'll get the rad flushed. (how much would that cost on average?)

anyways, i'm going to flush it all. the gasket for the thermostat was horrid looking (but it wasn't leaking), and bits of it were stuck to the thermostat, so replacing it is definitely a good idea. I ordered new hoses for it as well (it'll be here tommorow) so today i'm going to pull most of the coolant system out.

this will be a fun project hahaha.

I just thought of an idea. could i disconnect the upper hose from the radiator, and hook it up to a drain hose, then run it with a constant supply of fresh water, and just let it idle for a little bit while anything in it is flushed out.

[sblake01]

Since the radiator seems to be the problem the best solution is to remove it and have it rodded out by a shop. You could try to flush it the way you describe, but I doubt if that will really clean it out. It's not that expensive to have done. Call around. At least that way you'll be able to eliminate the radiator from the equasion. A note, however, have the shop inspect it first. Sometimes an old radiator won't survive this procedure.

[m4xwellmurd3r]

alright. I guess i'll do that. another question. what's the thing that attaches to the lower rad hose, and the thermostat block (small tube, it goes to some sort of block)

i think i might do the same thing i was planning, but with the radiator out of the car (just so i can make sure the engine is clean)

i've got all weekend off, so that's a BIG plus!!

i suppose since the car will be down for a while, i'll check to see if the pump is clogged with gunk.