engine gets hot... engine dies

[81SPIDERMATT]

yeah... i just got lucky

good ole boy shop local had bought out a dealership long long ago and had "bunch o parts... come on down and take a look"

well i found this







looks to be the same size inlets holes as the old one... same configuration .... and it started opening at about 181 and by 186 was fully open in the hot water test.... and it was only 20 bucks

couple of questions
after filling everything as in the manual it says allow to run thru 2 fan cycles.... now when this is happeninng at any point do i take off the radiator cap and look or what... how do i know that the water is movving as it should

next question..... is this the correct location for my temp sensor

[rlux4]

You will have normal coolant flow if the fan cycles twice. If you hadn't burped it well enough or if the stat were in wrong it would overheat. You don't want to open the cap when the engine is hot. Once your system is filled you shouldn't have to open it at all. You can check the overflow bottle and add coolant there if needed.
Ron

[81SPIDERMATT]

You will have normal coolant flow if the fan cycles twice. If you hadn't burped it well enough or if the stat were in wrong it would overheat. You don't want to open the cap when the engine is hot. Once your system is filled you shouldn't have to open it at all. You can check the overflow bottle and add coolant there if needed.
Ron

i understand but when my fan cycles is up to the temp that i set it by the dial to the left of the radiator and the spear like temp sensor also in the pic..... it is adjustable and i do not really know what temp the fan is coming on at... the first time after it was all installed i just watched the temp gauge inside the car and when it hit 190 i turned the dial till the fan came on....... does that seem like the way to do it...... my question still is how will i know for sure that the water is flowing as it should

[So Cal Mark]

is the bottom of the radiator hot also? and the lower radiator hose?

[81SPIDERMATT]

is the bottom of the radiator hot also? and the lower radiator hose?

yes to both questions..... just got done ... started the car... took several minutes to get to 190..... fan came on ... temp gauge climbed slightly and held just over 190 for 15 minutes so far... no real cycling going on ... but it is hot as hell today,,,, gonna take it for a drive and see

[81SPIDERMATT]

ok fan on temp just over 190 for 25 minutes.... then go for a drive.... did fine for the six miles to the highway stayed just above 190 then got on the highway climbed a bit and held car running great... then got off highway and when back in stop and go traffic got hotter and died..... just like before..... so bubble somewhere .... sure would like to see that temp gauge never get near 190... burp it again???? getting frustrated.................................

[rlux4]

Did you try drilling a hole in the stat? Air can get trapped as you're filling the radiator by the closed stat path at the bottom hose. I tried numerous times to burp my system, even going so far as parking on a 45° angle. Following all the instructions still didn't help. I changed the stat on my wife's Dodge Caravan and saw that the stat had a hole in it, I figured why not, and tried it on my car. It solved the problem immediately. I just drove the 405 today in traffic that was more stop than go and never got above 192 or so. Manoa Matt has suggested an alternative. Fill the system and then use a screw driver to open a path for air to escape where the bottom hose attaches to the stat. I think this would also work.
It can get frustrating, but you'll get it.
Ron

[So Cal Mark]

you do have the temp probe in the right spot, that is the hottest point in the radiator. You should be able to adjust that controller to have the fan come on at about 175-180. When you're bleeding the air, make sure you have the heater turned on. With that radiator, it should be running cooler than 195

[81SPIDERMATT]

you do have the temp probe in the right spot, that is the hottest point in the radiator. You should be able to adjust that controller to have the fan come on at about 175-180. When you're bleeding the air, make sure you have the heater turned on. With that radiator, it should be running cooler than 195

i agree.... gonna try and bleed again in the morning..... that water pump is new also... is there a way to check the pump other than looking at it and seeing that it is spinning?

also i do not think i had the heater on the last time

can i take the cap off and let it get to temp to see if things are moving?

[So Cal Mark]

yes you can run it without the cap on

[joelbert2k]

yes you can run it without the cap on

Warning: It can and probably will get messy
It won't hurt anything though

[81SPIDERMATT]

ok one more time..... i pulled the thermostat again and drilled the little hole... checking function again in pot of boiling water.... heat will be turned on .... proper burping procedure followed by lifting the front and massaging hoses with cap off till it gets to temp... looking for bubbles and movement... i will keep you posted....

it seems like such a simple system... pump radiator thermostat..... should work......

[81SPIDERMATT]

ok .... so after all that again..... same symptoms.... with the cap off while getting to temp notices a few and i mean just a few bubbles.... top hoses are hot bottom hose is not..... after a while bottom hose will heat up but not as hot as the top.... bottom of radiator on drivers side is hotter than passenger side..but after a while passenger side gets hotter... using a thermometer and letting car idle for over 40 minutes....placing thermometer in water by the cap it reached almost 170 and never went higher or lower..... i dont get it

with cap off rev the engine i can get water to shoot out of cap opening so i think water pump is working
massaging every hose with cap off i can get water to rise up out of cap opening

it still seems to me that the thermostat is not opening... but i checked it in boilng water for the 5th time after drilling weep hole as some have suggested on other posts.... so what could be the difference between the pot and the car

antifreeze is the only answer..... correct me if i am wrong but to strong a mix of antifreeze to water will raise the boiling temp.... if i was off on my mixture and have too much antifreeze to water ratio would that not create the issue i am having.... could it be that simple

i used pure antifreeze a whole jug.... then a whole jug of water... then a whole jug of antifreeze and then just a llitle water now that i think back..... prestone extended life orange stuff

car is cooling down now

suuggestions

[81SPIDERMATT]

car is still cooling down ... so am i..... i know that the radiator does not need a flush it's new...is there a procedure for flushing the block keeping the radiator out of the chemical loop?.... if heat transfer from the block is not making it to the fluid because of scaling or something like it would that not also be a factor

[majicwrench]

Just read this thread...and am perplexed...and suprised at the replies........there is NOTHING WRONG with that system getting to 195 deg. The engine dies, 195deg will not cause that. You need to figure out why it dies....is it loosing spark, or fuel?? Chasing your tail working on the cooling system is getting you no where. If it were getting to 220deg, then we really have a cooling system issue But 195 IS NOT causing your problem, that is very much within normal range. A 'bubble somewhere" will not cause the engine to die. If you can run it that long, then get on the hwy, thermostat, cooling system working fine. Leave cooling system alone, get it to die, and see what you are loosing.
Keith