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Radiator/Cooling system blockage Troubleshooting...

NeXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Los Angeles
Okay- I have a 92 HO that's been sitting for some time... a year and a half. It's got a GDI 3 row in it that has always been pretty decent. Especially considering the 98 HO motor I put in circa 2000 that I bought from a company that does crash testing (they remove the whole drive train before the testing) but the problem was that the interior water jacket was badly rusted from sitting with water in it for a year or so.

To cut a long story short, when I went to get the XJ dyno'ed for california emissions the guy remarked the engine was running really hot (!!) and it was. Then I had a shop do the brake booster which was ailing badly. He mentioned that the rad (or somewhere around there maybe a hose) seemed to be leaking coolant. So I decided that doing a new fan clutch and water pump/t-stat would be the way to go. When I went to drain the system, NOTHING came out of the lower rad drain plug. Nada. Nichts. Nothing. I decided that it must be due to the 'leak' and it was worse than I thought (I was checking coolant levels before driving however!). When I removed the WP - it was a tidal wave of coolant...! Leading me to think that there must be a pretty serious blockage somewhere...

But the problem now is that I'm not sure where to start. I'm thinking I should take it in for a professional backflush of the rad and/or a rodding out. Anybody know if the GDI's CAN be rodded?? But maybe there's a way of diagnosing WHERE the blockage IS first?? Suggestions?

Thanks
 
I would pull the radiator and have it rodded out at a shop. New thermostat, hoses, WP (new, never reman). Back flush the heater core with a garden hose.

Your GDI is a brass/copper radiator, it should be able to be rodded.
 
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