If you take all that off to change coolant, the engine should take about 6-7 quarts of coolant. Any less and you have air. I usually remove the upper radiator hose from the thermostat housing and fill until I see coolant level rise in the thermostat housing. Then I put the hose back on and fill the reservoir with 2 quarts. Then it settles down to a bit over add.
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Overheating issue - Can't understand symptoms
- Thread starter vertrx
- Start date
- Location
- MilkyWay Galaxy
Overflow bottle could be leaking coolant, and/or the hose from there to the radiator could be letting air into the radiator.
The T-stat is no doubt bad now from the overheating, if it was not already hanging up. The wax plug in the T-stat leaks out during overheating and the T-stat gets stuck open or closed. They should always be changed after an overheating incident.
The water (coolant) pump sucks on the radiator at the bottom and pushes coolant through the block to the T-Stat. If the T-stat is stuck 1/2 open, it can slowly overheat and might have low pressure on the hoses and high pressure in the block (from the pump nearly dead heading).
The zero psi at idle on the oil pressure is not a good sign at all. Either gas is getting into the oil, or coolant, or both, enough to damage bearings and drop the oil pressure. I would never drive a rig at all with all these issues!!!!
Rent a radiator pressure tester and pump the pressure up to 15 psi and look for leaks over time (60 minutes) and look for dropping tester gauge pressure. A tight system will hold the pressure. Check it cold and hot (after it cools down enough to open the rad-cap) Check the oil for the odor of gasoline.
Later pull the spark plugs and examine them and the piston tops (use a bright light and maybe a camera phone to blow up a picture?, I use a lighted 3ft snake scope from Harbor freight) for a green (?) coolant color stain. That was the only way I found a small head gasket leak on the ford Taurus....
Also has she had any power acceleration issues? That could indicate a busted cat converter that periodically rolls around to a spot where it backs up exhaust into the engine (heat from exhaust can not get out).
My last odd leak was at the water pump gasket, no liquid leaks I could ever see, but it let air in and the overflow bottle was always full. The leak was on the vacuum/sucking side of the water pump, so at peak RPMS (high load and speeds on the highway as it never built enough vacuum) it would suck a little air in and cause the coolant to overflow the coolant bottle, then it failed to refill the radiator later. Each drive added more air to the engine block. It was not a head gasket or radiator or hose issue. That one drove me nuts for 3 years!!! I had to refill the radiator by hand weekly.
The T-stat is no doubt bad now from the overheating, if it was not already hanging up. The wax plug in the T-stat leaks out during overheating and the T-stat gets stuck open or closed. They should always be changed after an overheating incident.
The water (coolant) pump sucks on the radiator at the bottom and pushes coolant through the block to the T-Stat. If the T-stat is stuck 1/2 open, it can slowly overheat and might have low pressure on the hoses and high pressure in the block (from the pump nearly dead heading).
The zero psi at idle on the oil pressure is not a good sign at all. Either gas is getting into the oil, or coolant, or both, enough to damage bearings and drop the oil pressure. I would never drive a rig at all with all these issues!!!!
Rent a radiator pressure tester and pump the pressure up to 15 psi and look for leaks over time (60 minutes) and look for dropping tester gauge pressure. A tight system will hold the pressure. Check it cold and hot (after it cools down enough to open the rad-cap) Check the oil for the odor of gasoline.
Later pull the spark plugs and examine them and the piston tops (use a bright light and maybe a camera phone to blow up a picture?, I use a lighted 3ft snake scope from Harbor freight) for a green (?) coolant color stain. That was the only way I found a small head gasket leak on the ford Taurus....
Also has she had any power acceleration issues? That could indicate a busted cat converter that periodically rolls around to a spot where it backs up exhaust into the engine (heat from exhaust can not get out).
My last odd leak was at the water pump gasket, no liquid leaks I could ever see, but it let air in and the overflow bottle was always full. The leak was on the vacuum/sucking side of the water pump, so at peak RPMS (high load and speeds on the highway as it never built enough vacuum) it would suck a little air in and cause the coolant to overflow the coolant bottle, then it failed to refill the radiator later. Each drive added more air to the engine block. It was not a head gasket or radiator or hose issue. That one drove me nuts for 3 years!!! I had to refill the radiator by hand weekly.
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vertrx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Carolina
Ha! Good advice, thank you! My thinking is that I might have to drive out there with a trailer and bring it back. If need be, I'll have to put a motor in it if these issues are terminal.
I will check everything based on the advice here, just can't do it out there. Tough situation!!
I will check everything based on the advice here, just can't do it out there. Tough situation!!
Last edited:
- Location
- MilkyWay Galaxy
I got to mine early enough about 10 years ago, and installed some new crank shaft bearings while upgrading the oil pump to a high capacity one, then went to 20W50 oil for the last 70,000 miles. Now at 279,000 miles on the 87 wagoneer. I still had a little low pressure about 18 to 20 psi on long hot drives at 100 F with AC on, but that turned out to be 2 bad valve stem seals that oil fouled 2 plugs enough to let gasoline build up in the oil thinning it out.....
Overland
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Chihuahuan Desert
I had overheating issues for almost a year over a new radiator from Autozone. A weak cap flange wouldn't hold pressure. I replaced it in their parking lot while pulling a U Haul on my way back from New Mexico. The lady couldn't understand why I wanted her to pull it out of the box so I could look at it. Told her I wasn't going to pull mine if hers didn't match.
- Location
- MilkyWay Galaxy
- Location
- MilkyWay Galaxy
I have discovered that buying parts the last 3-4 years from A-zone is like a box of chocolates, you never what your gonna get LOL:roflmao:
Years ago they were awesome!!!!
Overland
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Chihuahuan Desert
She told me I'd have to have mine in order to exchange, so I told her it was outside, I just didn't have it out yet. It took a little back and forth before she understood what was going on, then they gave me a pan to catch my coolant.
I remember when they were tolerable.
I remember when they were tolerable.
