Engine 89gt-overheating-questions

[stang89bidges]

Ok guys, it's been a while so you may need to go back to page 1 of this post and look at my progress but I started looking at my car again this weekend.

I rented a compression tester from autozone and tested all my cylinders. They all went up to 110 PSI and stayed there for 2 minutes no drop in pressure. This makes me thing there is no head gasket problem now...

I am at a loss. Why am I still losing antifreeze via the overflow? Is there a way to test my radiator for functional problems? Is there something else I should test?

 

[modulistic]

cracked head or block will do that. get a kit to check for combustion gasses in the coolant.

 

[stang89bidges]

I will do that. Found video on youtube and rental at autozone. TY!

Tuesday I will be

 

[DesertDawg]

ha ha ha I took your direction and referred to page one: 'I started noticing when I would "get on her" a little here and there the engine was heating up more than normal.' Dude I stated that I had the same issue with my 'Stang because of the single-core radiator. All warmed up crusin' the freeway, drop down to 3rd stand onnit hit 115 then shift to fifth and hold it @ 120 then I hit an off ramp and while idling at the light it begins to puke coolant. ie - it's blowin' up in the overflow reservoir and squirtin in the street.
So... do ya drive this car regularly, since last March when you posted this?
My car is a-ok as long as I don't kick in the afterburners and exceed the puny radiators ability
to exchange heat.

 

[stang89bidges]

Yeah I remember your post. I am taking your advice into consideration but I want to verify/test everything else first. Reason being I had this radiator for 2+ years and its always performed fine until I posted this thread in March. So if it worked fine before why would the radiator be a problem now? Only thing I can think of is the radiator might have gone bad on me...

When I let her heat up in the driveway with radiator cap off I see the fluid pumping out the hole inside radiator so I know the pump is pushing fluid through the system ok and the radiator itself isn't leaking so I am thinking its ok structurally.

 

[DesertDawg]

but I want to verify/test everything else first.

ya prolly learnt a lotta stuff and hey you've been thur n thur all kinds stuff yeah din need to mess with so its all good? sry its just that as someone that's bean a fixin' things for over 40 yrs I aim to fix the problema and get on too the next thing. So it really does not overheat just squirts coolant overboard, right? I asked in my previous post if you are driving this car well are ya? I've driven mine now for years with the too small radiator, it's just when I overload it's heat exchanging capacity I'd best be ready to lose coolant. Course you can only do 'exhibition of speed' and triple digits so long before yer just askin' for trouble eh?

 

[stang89bidges]

Well my biggest fears came to life last night. I rented the OEM/Block tester from autozone and ran a couple tests last night.

First the liquid was blue:

Then the liquid was Green/Yellow

The green in my second test actually turned more yellowish than what you see in the picture. It almost immediately started to turn from blue to clear(is what I thought). and when I held it up to the light I realized that was the yellow they said it will turn. So I have emission gases leaking into my coolant as I suspected. Thanks to all who helped me get to this point. I sure wish I knew that kit existed from the beginning and how cheap it was. I would have ran that test from the beginning!

Autozone has the kit for $25, the blue liquid is $8.99 but you get ALL of it back, you just use the liquid you need for a test or two and return the liquid with tester!!

So I have already started to rip apart my engine. I have the throttle body off, intake off, injector harness disconnected and moved out the way. This weekend I will be tearing her down to HOPEFULLY FIND IT's ONLY A GASKET!!!

 

[DesertDawg]

This will prove to be interesting.

 

[mikestang63]

damn the green fluid of death. Been there and done that unfortunately. Head gasket time.

 

[DesertDawg]

hmmm gee not like the gasket went bad for any real reason
(assuming it actually is, no milkshake in the crank or coolant out the exhaust,
spark plug(s) showing coolant contamination ect)?
everyone raise their hands who'd think the heads wouldn't need milling?
narrr nevermind

 

[stang89bidges]

I have the original cast heads still. I don't have the cash to upgrade to P heads or explorer. I think if I went and got the P heads or explorer intake I would have to have them milled and ported right to make sure they are flat? So that would cost like say $200 for the heads and another $200 to have them worked on? Then the intake would be even more yes? So I'm already looking at $400-500 for heads and whatever else for the intake?

So with the original heads, do they need to be worked on?

 

[DesertDawg]

I dunno I will say that I had the thermostat stick on my 2.0 liter Lima Pinto engine,
it got so hot the oil passage for the cam was squirting out the side between the block
and head, let it sit 30 minutes, drove it home 7 miles by running up through the gears shutting it off and coasting. Just swapped the thermostat and that motor was still running fine 40,000 miles later when I sold it. I'm curious to see if you've truly got a bad head gasket. I've never had one go bad. yeah either slap in gaskets or have those heads done.

 

[stang89bidges]

Made some progress last night. Got all the way down to the heads.

Upper and Lower intake off:

I was very happy to see this logo on the seals:

So I took out the rockers and pins, took out the 5 bolts in middle of head, 2 bolts on each end of head, and I have the headers unbolted at the flange. I also disconnected the vacume tube on back of both heads. I still couldn't get the heads to budge?? What am I missing?

Here is a close-up of the heads, there are 3 large socket head screws in middle of heads, do they need to come out too?

 

[Gearbanger 101]

You have 5-lower head bolts also.....look down next near the spark plugs, you'll see them.

 

[stang89bidges]

Found those bolts. Got everything apart. Heads off. Gaskets all scraped off and cleaned up. Taking heads to the machine shop today.

I didn't see anything wrong with my gaskets... Matter of fact they looked to be in great shape. Pretty awesome to see the ford impression on all of them. Just lets me know nobody has been inside this engine before and it truely only had 23,000 original miles on her.

So. I didn't see any cracks in the heads or the block. How in the heck did that blue water turn green and I not find any issues? Wouldn't I see a crack somewhere? Or a bad gasket tear?

Here are some pics:

I didn't know Fel-Pro made gaskets for Ford right out of the factory!!

 

[stang89bidges]

can you guys tell me from my last pictures of heads and cylinders if I have a problem? Both the heads and cylinders tops had that black carbon on them. Is that because they are running rich or do I have an issue?

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Probably just carboned up from a lot of short trips. get a flash light into the exhaust port and see if the valve are covered with any excessive carbon. I remember pulling down my '87 a few years back and the valves were just caked with the stuff. While you've got the head off, check your crossover tube bolted to the rear of the heads that is fed by the pollution pump....assuming of course you still have your emission system installed. They have a tendency to plug up with carbon.

If you're taking the heads into the machine shop to have them planed, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give them a fresh valve job and new seals. Even if the mileage is low, the engine is 20+ years old. Valve and valve seats pit and seals go hard over time.

 

[stang89bidges]

I'm having them pressure tested. I can't figure out why there are emission gases in my coolant system if the gaskets and heads look fine... I'm at a loss so I'm having them pressure tested and checked for warping. If they find nothing wrong with them I'm sunk. My troubleshooting experience will be at a halt as I don't know what else it could be.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I'm having them pressure tested. I can't figure out why there are emission gases in my coolant system if the gaskets and heads look fine... I'm at a loss so I'm having them pressure tested and checked for warping. If they find nothing wrong with them I'm sunk. My troubleshooting experience will be at a halt as I don't know what else it could be.

Mine were leaking past the fire ring. Not enough to blow it out completely mind you, but enough that it would seep coolant during cold start up, then seal up when the engine warmed up.

 

[stang89bidges]

what was the signs or indication that it was the fire rings?