Two Problems

[foxmustangman]

Okay so lately I've been having this over heating problem and I dont know what it is. Today I put in a new thermostat(185) and radiator cap (16lbs.) and it seemed fine, but maybe I havent driven it enough yet. If that doesn't work, does anyone know what else the problem could be?


Also, There is this clicking noise coming from my passenger front wheel area when I drive and speeds up and slows down as I do. It goes faster based on speed, not engine rpms. I've jacked it up and turned the wheel and cant see or hear anything when I do that. Does anyone know what that could possibly be either? Thanks.

-FMM

 

[jrichker]

The noise in the front wheel is probably a wheel bearing that is going bad. You will need some high temp grease, new cotter pin and a new seal when you remove the bearing for inspection. You get to wash the bearing in solvent before you inspect it. Then you repack it with the grease that lubricates it.

 

[HISSIN50]

Are you sure there isnt something (rock, bolt, etc) stuck in your tire?

Post more info on the cooling issue. What was the car doing before and when. Post actual temps (not based upon the stock gauge) if you can.

Good luck.

 

[oz]

Any time you underdrive the water pump, you're asking for trouble. I couldn't keep my car cool with all 3 underdrive pulleys on so I put the stock water pump and alternator pulleys back on and kept the crank pulley. That resulted in less underdrive. It was enough to solve my problem.

 

[foxmustangman]

I wondered about the pulleys, but I've had them on for 3 years and it suddenly starts to over heat now? It night be though.

For example (as it overheated again today). It normally creeps up to 175-200 (based on stock gauge, sorry), and sits there for a quite a while. It will just sit and the suddenly start rising. It just went up to 250 and then just sat there as I tried to hurry home.

The problem seemed to start when I put a different fan and spark plugs on it. I was going to put my old fan back on it, but I could find the bolts. My old fan was a flex-a-lite style, and the one i have on now is a clutch-fan.

 

[86bluecobra]

is it actually overheating or is it just the temp gauge/sender going on the fritz?

 

[LiquidGT]

Also do you have the radaitor wind deflector under the car?

BTW: Where did you find a 185* thermo from?

 

[HISSIN50]

Does it cool down once you get up to 40+ mph?

 

[foxmustangman]

I turn the car off before it ever gets to the red line, But after I stop there is always water boiling out and spilling all over the ground. Yes I have the deflector on the car.

I got the thermostat from NAPA.

And no it doesn't cool down at higher speeds, or when it is more windy.

I'll give you and example of what it did yesterday: I'm driving to my friends house (about 5 mins away) My car is already warmed up and I leave with my car @ 200*. I'm driving and it is fine until about halfway there when it starts to creep up 225...250. As it hits 250* I hit the gas and take off. I probably lay on it for about 1/8 mile and as i do this the car starts to cool off back down to 225. By the time I got to his house (a mile away by now) it had reached 250+ again.

 

[86bluecobra]

Sounds like a flow issue. I would be suspect of your water pump or the new Thermostat you just installed. Have you flushed the system?

 

[2000xp8]

Goto autozone and get a mr. gaskets 180 thermostat for a starting point.

 

[foxmustangman]

I got the new thermostat because I thought it might be part of the problem. I was thinking I should flush the system from the beginning, but my dad said that probably wouldn't help it. I'll probably do that today. Do you think I might need a new waterpump?

 

[LiquidGT]

Are you sure you got all of the air out of the cooling system, its kind of a PITA to do on our cars. Try to park on an incline to get the radiator higher than the EGR cooler when you burp the system.

Also where is the water boiling out from?

A while ago I had a radiator with a warped cap mounting flange, it caused mystery cooling problems because it couldnt contain the pressure at times. I thought I was just getting a lot of bad caps, but it was the radiator flange warping the caps over time.

 

[2000xp8]

I've never really done anything fancy to get the air out of the system.
All i've ever done, is fill it, let it idle for a while, then add some more coolant when the engine pulls it in, and repeat until the system was full.

As for the wheel bearings possibly being the noise you hear, just buy two new ones, inspecting old ones isn't really worth the trouble.

 

[foxmustangman]

The water is boiling out from the resovoir coolant bottle. I'll try flushing it and getting all the air out of it. Thanks.

 

[86bluecobra]

Yep I forgot about the air issue. That could definetally be it. Best try those things before you spend money.

 

[foxmustangman]

Well, TOO MUCH money anyways, lol. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[HISSIN50]

See if the system holds pressure. It sounds like yours might not be. As LGT noted, the difference in boiling point between 1 ATM and 16 PSI is about 50*F. Considering the BP of water is 212*F, that's right in the sweet spot where you're at.

 

[2000xp8]

If you think it's not holding pressure, goto the store and get one of those hand pump setups that comes with the mount for the radiator cap opening, has a pressure gauge you can watch.
They usually aren't that expensive and they are worth every dime, one of those tools you can keep for life.