N3K Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Sup guys, Man.. again, stumped. And I know jack all about cars. About 3 months ago my escort got rebuilt professionally. And now my temp gauge fluctuates from time to time. It reads hot, then comes down and settles where it should be after about 5 minutes most times I drive it. But only once or twice over the duration of hours. I can sometimes get a mean whiff of coolant - and I check it when it's cold and usually it's level and where it should be. I run it this morning, turned it off and I put my ear to the top of the radiator and I could hear a slow hiss. I really don't wanna do damage to the engine. New radiator hoses, clips etc. Anyone ever had a similar issue? I'm thinking I'm gonna get the radiator cleaned and get them replace the therma and also a new gasket and radiator cap. Le sigh. Hahahaha. Hope it's not expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLIZZO Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 does the radiator get hot? when its running does the top hose feel hot and the bottom hose substantially cooler? if the bottom hose is also hot id say your radiator will need a cleanout etc, if the top hose is cool them your thermostat is likely shit / sticking. could be a few causes, start at the easy / cheap ones and work your way to the hard. i would start with new t-stat, then radiator then if that fails potentially head gasket, ole mate mechanic may not have torqued you head down correctly etc etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLIZZO Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 also what some people completely overlook is that your shitty lucas temp guage could be on the piss, i have had this issue before cos british 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10Speed Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I'd start with a flush, new thermostat and radiator cap... low $$ stuff first... then look at radiator, fan and fan belt etc.... [edit] basically what he said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seedy Al Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 yeah any hissing you heard could just be the radiator cap depressuring, dopes this run a recovery style cap or just vent to atmosphere? if it doesnt run a recovery slash over flow bottle, then the water level in the rad will sit maybe an inch below the filler neck howver running a radiator pressure tester on the system to check for leaks or loss of pressure in the system would also not go amiss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 My mechanic is the man, so I trust him. I hit him up and he said "You never told me it was overheating, get it checked immediately etc" but I'm sure I told him, lol. I got another family friend who owns a radiator specialist shop in town checking it tomorrow, thank fuk. It's random as though, it lifts and then drops. But I am SURE I can smell coolant - which is dodgey, but I can't -see- any coolant anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 I'll get a new thermo and also a new cap and gasket. This'll bet the go first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Yea it runs an overflow. I had it pressure tested not long ago and everything was a-ok. I'll see what this guy says and let you guys know, but thanks for the advice and tips. It's such a relief and a help haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Few things to start off: bench test the thermostat (what temp is it? that's the temp the motor should run with a small variation), run a decent gauge, get a decent rad cap (tridon and cheap ones are garbage), flush radiator, tell us what fans you run (Fan is super important). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 Delayed til tomorrow to get this checked. But drove to work today and it did the overheating thing again for about a minute. Got out, bottom hose was warm as bot the top hose was kinda cold. I'm going along the lines of needing a radiator clean and new thermo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Yea man if it's the old radiator then it's probably blocked, so many people over look cleaning the radiator out when rebuilding an engine. But yes brand new thermostats can also not function properly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kempy Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Sounds to me like the thermostat isn't opening with the top being cold, or an airlock., or both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Threw a new thermo in it this morning and also sanded off the tempt gauge sensor as when I rebuilt it I painted over it, thought it might give me an issue so I sanded it back. The old thermo was an 88 degree one which I actually was surprised - that's quite high isn't it? I put an 82 in it and it seems to have done the trick.. SO FAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 88 is probably better than a 82 if your cooling system is up to it, by that I mean the radiator and fan can keep the car around the 88-95 degree mark then you are golden. Usually going to a lower temp is only a band-aid to give you some more wiggle room, usually if you have a good cooling system the lower thermostat just means on the highway the car runs too cold. Like everyone with a old car I think you need to use a good aftermarket gauge and learn what your cooling system is doing. Rod the radiator if it is a old one, 99% chance it is full of crap if its original. Then pick a t-stat that keep the engine around 90-100 degrees, then dimension a fan (and the all important shroud) that can actually pull the temps down when stationary to the thermostat temp. If you take a systematic approach and sort the cooling system you never have to touch it again. Only thing this doesn't take into account is if the rad is big enough for high load stuff like going to the track, but that's another thing to figure out if you do that kinda stuff. Im alos a fan of electric fans for everything, clutch/viscous fans are awesome at moving air but you have no idea if they are actually working properly if they are original. Electric fans (good ones that move enough air) can be set to precise temperatures and left to do the job no worries. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3K Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Chur Spence, a wealth of knowledge mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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