Cooling system issue...

[FlyBy763]

Alright, I keep having coolant overflowing out of my coolant overflow. The car isnt overheating, new radiator cap, no coolant in oil, no oil in coolant. Car doesnt smoke at all. Im clueless... thinking maybe a blockage in the cooling system somewhere? Ideas?

 

[Stanger007]

Sounds like you're lifting the heads dawg, I had the same thing happen to me after going balls to the wall on the tune while at the track. Car was running about 2/10 slower than normal, after the 3rd pass I checked the overflow and sure enough it was full.

The cooling system is getting pressurized to cause those symptoms.

Does it happen only after you are into boost? If so, your HG is blown, I've got some pics of what this looks like if you want to see. My car drove the 30min home from the track just fine, didn't baby it or anything.

Wes

 

[FlyBy763]

I just noticed it was coming from there yesterday after the drive home from work. I was at the track last week and didnt notice it at all. Its been doing it for a while.

What can I do to check if its the head gasket? I dont really feel like tearing the whole engine apart and find that it wasnt the HG. Will it show a loss of compression if it leaks under boost?

 

[GTA_V6_Mustang]

Could be one of 2 things, your HG like Stanger007 said ur lifting your heads, or could still be your radiator cap, NEW means Never Ever Worked. You could always try a known good cap and see what happens, more than likely if that doesnt take care of it then it really might be your HG. Not really sure how it would go in the case of a boosted application but normally you would want to do a running compression test.

 

[Stanger007]

I didn't bother to check mine, I knew what it was for me. Losing a couple tenths when it was tuned more aggressively is never a good sign. You can see where the compression ring is burned right to the coolant port.

I'll get Jim to post up, he had the same symptoms and I believe it didn't show up on a compression check for him.

Wes

EDIT 1: Rest of the pictures from that day at the strip and the teardown here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesratcliff/sets/72157603360816671/

EDIT 2: Good head gaskets to go back with: FelPro 9333-PT1 or 8548-PT2 and some ARP studs/bolts.

 

[95trippleblack]

I agree its a head gasket. I had it happen twice. My car would run fine but the after a WOT run it would overflow. I did a compression test and cooling system presser test and it passed. I pulled the heads and all center cylinders were bad. Their was a guy on corral that said he changed the cap and t stat and it worked so you may want to try that before pulling the heads

If you change the HG's go with a felpro 8548 or 9333 with ARP studs torqued to 75 short and 85 long with molly lube under the washers and Apr Teflon on the treads
Link to overflow problem on corral http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=977604
Link to head bolt tq thread http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=990494&highlight=arp

Jim

 

[FlyBy763]

would an MLS gasket benefit me at all?
whats better head studs or bolts?

 

[Stanger007]

An MLS gasket won't blow which is bad for you, other (more expensive) parts will break instead. You want the head gasket to be your fuse when it detonates.

Studs give a more uniform clamping force than bolts but cost a little more. Also studs require a little more work to place the heads on the block but nothing crazy. I went with bolts this time around, will probably use studs on the next engine. There are people making crazy power with both, the key is not to detonate it.

Wes

 

[revhead347]

You can do a hydrocarbon test on your coolant. Basically checks the coolant system for exhaust gases. That will show that it is or is not a head gasket definatively. I think NAPA still sells a kit to run this test.

Kurt

 

[FlyBy763]

Took the heads off today....

View attachment 329276

View attachment 329277

View attachment 329278

View attachment 329279

View attachment 329280

View attachment 329281

See anything unusual?

 

[Stanger007]

Got some closeups of the gaskets?

I would bet money that it detonated looking at the top of the cylinder sealing surfaces on #2, #7 and #8.

How does the top of #2 and #6 look at about 1 o'clock to the water port? Hard to see in the pic but looks like it may have a nice little path to the port.

See what Jim says, but those are VERY similar to how my stock gaskets looked. I am pretty sure his were the same. I brought mine by a buddy at the local speedshop and it took him all of about 1 second to verify where it had lifted the head (the dark, burned areas on the gasket)

Wes

 

[95trippleblack]

Get some pictures of the gaskets. I see some possible burn marks on 2-7-8 and take a look at that exaust valve in the last picture possible rust

Also if you got some extra cash look for some A/M Alum heads or gt40s to replace them with

 

[FlyBy763]

I forgot to take closeups of the gaskets and the garbage men have taken them from me...Its all back together now so we will see how it goes...