Finally - new motor in, no more oil leaks. But, running warm

[kickascii]

Yeah, I drove it home from my buddies shop where he fixed the oil pan leak. Don't ask.

Now my concern is that the temp gauge got to 210 by the time I drove 3 miles home from the shop. I have an electric water pump that seems to work fine, there is no garbage in the radiator - it only has about 500 miles on it. It's about 85% full of antifreez/distilled water mix. My thoughts are:

1. Do I need to purge/burp the iar out somehow? If so, how?

2. I'm not running a thermostat, would that be THAT much of a problem?

Not a blown head gasket, cuz it's a brand new motor.


Thanks for any help you can offer!!! I'll send pictures when I get her finished up. I still have to put the hood, alternator (Yes, drove home without one), and run the starter wire through the firewall. (I installed a painless wiring kit.)

 

[88mouse]

you need to get all the air out of the cooling system. Just take the rad cap off and start the car and let it get up to temp. Just keep filling with coolent.

 

[kickascii]

I'll try that tomorrow. So, start it up, run the waterpump, let it get warmed up and keep the radiator full until it starts to push out?

Any other tips?

 

[88mouse]

turn the heater on to.

 

[kickascii]

no heater hoses.

 

[PUNISHER RACING]

get a 180 stat too

 

[ninety15.0]

It will also help to jack up the front left part of the car. Make the rad cap the highest point in the cooling system. This will help the bubbles work their way up and out of the system.

Also burp the system by squeezing the upper rad hose to help coax any air out of there. good luck man.

 

[SuperStang83]

Taking your radiator cap off will give the air room to get out, and make sure that you keep putting coolant in there. I would get a thermostat. Is there any reason you aren't runnin one? They are only like $8 if I remember correctly?

 

[kickascii]

I have the bend-able metal hoses so won't be squeezing the radiator lines... Good idea though.

I don't have a thermostat in it because I wanted to get it running and then put it in. However, last year, I could keep the car under 190 except for summer city driving. It would always go back down to about 175 if I let it idle and left the electric fan on.

Now, it creeps over 200 after idling.

The strange thing was that I turned the fan on at 210 and there wasn't much heat from the radiator.

 

[Killer50stang]

Yeah, I drove it home from my buddies shop where he fixed the oil pan leak. Don't ask.

Now my concern is that the temp gauge got to 210 by the time I drove 3 miles home from the shop. I have an electric water pump that seems to work fine, there is no garbage in the radiator - it only has about 500 miles on it. It's about 85% full of antifreez/distilled water mix. My thoughts are:

1. Do I need to purge/burp the iar out somehow? If so, how?

2. I'm not running a thermostat, would that be THAT much of a problem?

Not a blown head gasket, cuz it's a brand new motor.


Thanks for any help you can offer!!! I'll send pictures when I get her finished up. I still have to put the hood, alternator (Yes, drove home without one), and run the starter wire through the firewall. (I installed a painless wiring kit.)

First, burp the radiator. Check and make sure your fans are working. Do they run all the time? Are the pulling or pushing? How many CFMS? Make sure the belt is turning the water pump in the correct direction. This usually ends up being a fan 80% of the time.

Jason

 

[Killer50stang]

I have the bend-able metal hoses so won't be squeezing the radiator lines... Good idea though.

I don't have a thermostat in it because I wanted to get it running and then put it in. However, last year, I could keep the car under 190 except for summer city driving. It would always go back down to about 175 if I let it idle and left the electric fan on.

Now, it creeps over 200 after idling.

The strange thing was that I turned the fan on at 210 and there wasn't much heat from the radiator.

I've alway heard running without a thermo can cause issues like this.

 

[Fast63]

yeah definitely run a thermostat. Was it started up cold and you only drove it 3 miles? Maybe your water pump did not turn on, because without a stat, your car should take about half an hour to warm up.

 

[kickascii]

yeah definitely run a thermostat. Was it started up cold and you only drove it 3 miles? Maybe your water pump did not turn on, because without a stat, your car should take about half an hour to warm up.

Well, I have a switchpanel with my water pump, fan, fuel pump, ignition. I know the fan and water pump were running because when I shut the engine off, I could hear the fan running, and when I shut the fan off, I could hear the water ump until I turned it off.

The wierd part was that the air coming out of the fan wasn't that warm even when the engine was registering 200 on the gauge.

 

[kickascii]

Ok, new news... I ran it today and it went back up to 210 before I shut it down.

1. I'm gonna take the therm out and run it for a while. My buddy also remembers that it never went above 170 at idle with the fan on. I guess the therm could be backwards. I'll let ya know. I might have got in a hurry.

2. The top radiator hose is hot and the radiator isn't that warm. The bottom hose is cool to the touch. Could the rad be blocked? It's a Griffin alum.

3. The air that the electric fan is pulling through the rad isn't hot. It's semi-warm at that.

HELP! I'll send some pictures in the next hour so you can see what I have.

 

[TokyoJoe]

Make sure and crack the bleed bolt on the top of the intake mani to get the air out of the block. Leave the rad cap off and you should see the coolant flowing through it when the t-stat opens up, if not you've got a prob there or some kind of blockage, but doubtful.

If you put the t-stat in backwards (not sure if it's possible?) that would give you the symptoms you are describing. Obviously if the t-stat doesn't open you will get no coolant flow to the rad.

Lastly and hopefully you got a good seal on your gaskets.

 

[kickascii]

Make sure and crack the bleed bolt on the top of the intake mani to get the air out of the block. Leave the rad cap off and you should see the coolant flowing through it when the t-stat opens up, if not you've got a prob there or some kind of blockage, but doubtful.

If you put the t-stat in backwards (not sure if it's possible?) that would give you the symptoms you are describing. Obviously if the t-stat doesn't open you will get no coolant flow to the rad.

Lastly and hopefully you got a good seal on your gaskets.

Thanks. I'm gonna go take the thermy out now and let you guys know what I find. I'm crossing my fingers that it might be the problem.

I'll be back.... (dragging knuckles in the direction of the garage)

 

[kickascii]

Found it!!!! Before I tell you what it was, I gotta say that I'm embarrassed. It was a blue "shop towell" paper towell stuck in the top radiator hose.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2133210210101022152CjYRto?vhost=good-times


I keep getting red 'X' 's when trying to post picture... Is there a wait time before the pictures are approved.

 

[kickascii]

No comments??? It's stays at about 150 without the thermostat in (at idle) with the fan on.

 

[Killer50stang]

No comments??? It's stays at about 150 without the thermostat in (at idle) with the fan on.

Take it for a test drive? Warm up on stop an go?

Jason

 

[kickascii]

Not yet. I don't have a hood on it and my inspection ran out in '05. Gotta talk to my friend to make sure everything is safe. LOL