| Strange overheating issue... | |
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+6Pooge GasTT 95brmw onehunglo Cadet57 toomanytoyz 10 posters |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:50 pm | |
| Ok, I'm at a loss here. I have no idea why my Riviera is doing what it is doing. Maybe it's a common issue and I don't know about it?
97 Buick Riviera. 3800 SC Series 2.
Anyways, it's overheating. Simple? Not so much. Not only is it overheating, it's pushing all it's coolant into the overflow and not circulating it through the engine. Once it's shut off, about half the coolant will make it's way back into the radiator. But not all of it. I've used the bleeder valve and sometimes it'll act bled, and others you can leave it open and nothing'll come out but steam... Radiator cap and upper hose stay cool to the touch. I've never run into anything like that before.
So what's been replaced? radiator at some point, but not by me, and not within the past couple years Water pump & belt radiator cap thermostat
Using a cooling system pressure tester, it'll hold 16 pounds forever. Well, at least 20 minutes and I gave up on it. Cap tests properly also.
Coolant is green with no evidence of contamination.
What is your guess?
TIA! | |
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Cadet57
Posts : 4481 Join date : 2010-03-14 Age : 36 Location : Chicopee, MA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:04 pm | |
| Something clogging the water outlet or radiator? I honestly have noting i's suck with overheating issues. | |
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onehunglo
Posts : 315 Join date : 2009-01-25 Age : 46 Location : Raymond, NH
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:22 pm | |
| If upper hose is cool my guess would be thermostat. There cheap and easy enough to swap out. | |
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95brmw
Posts : 1434 Join date : 2009-11-10 Age : 39 Location : Connecticut
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:52 pm | |
| Green coolant? That thing is suppose to have dexcool. My guess is thermostat. When I did the engine swap on my Riv, I replaced the thermostat and once I get it running it was deep in the red before the t-stat opened. Did the new t-stat have a small bleeder hole in it? If not there could be a huge air pocket under it. If not that flush each component individually and see if there's flow. | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:55 pm | |
| Did you guys read what i wrote? I DID replace the thermostat. | |
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GasTT
Posts : 2675 Join date : 2009-01-19 Age : 36 Location : Treasure Coast, FL
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:11 pm | |
| From my experience with 3800 engines, they are very difficult to get all the air our of the cooling system. My guess is that there is air trapped somewhere. | |
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Pooge
Posts : 1700 Join date : 2009-03-24
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:16 pm | |
| I'll be honest, I opened this sort of hoping it was "strange over-eating issue"...lol I'm voting for something with air in it, I have heard that those are a PITA to bleed out.... Have you tried replacing the thermostat? | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:10 pm | |
| You funny guy, Doug. Make me laugh two times. And yah, thanks Tim. I was kind of thinking that, too... But I have no idea how to get the rest of the air out of the system. I even filled the block when I had the thermostat out. And then I "Pressure Filled" the radiator and upper hose by cupping my hand over the reservoir to make an air-tight fit and used my comprseeor to pressurize the system til coolant started coming out of the bleeder... Best I could do to get as much air out as possible before closing the system and starting the car. And then once the t-stat opened, I was revving the motor with the bleeder open til it streamed steady. Closed it. And then 30 seconds later, it would be all steam again... But what explains ALL the coolant being pushed into the overflow instead of circulating through the engine? | |
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95brmw
Posts : 1434 Join date : 2009-11-10 Age : 39 Location : Connecticut
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:20 pm | |
| Kind of sounds like the WP to me. | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:31 pm | |
| That's kind of what I'm thinking sometimes, too... But it's new. ??? | |
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bowtiepimp
Posts : 1568 Join date : 2010-06-19 Age : 38 Location : working a corner near you
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:16 pm | |
| - toomanytoyz wrote:
- That's kind of what I'm thinking sometimes, too... But it's new. ???
Did you or that other guy replace the h2o pump ? or was that done before it ended up @ shady auto! .... lol... | |
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onehunglo
Posts : 315 Join date : 2009-01-25 Age : 46 Location : Raymond, NH
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:05 am | |
| Was this issue resolved Crovo? | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:29 am | |
| Not yet. I think its either head gaskets or possibly a plugged radiator. I need to get one of those coolant co2 testers and check for exhaust gases in the radiator... | |
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sdstick
Posts : 4292 Join date : 2009-03-20 Location : Revere, MA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:47 pm | |
| Went back to your pressure fill & bleed post. By the letter of the law they say (on LT1's anyway) Fill, bring up to temp, SHUT OFF, crack bleeder, close bleeder & repeat. We dont have to fight that hard to get the air out but maybe that motor is more finicky? Maybe just try that keeping the system sealed until you get no steam. Also... Why cant prove flow thru your radiator?
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Machine-De-Zine
Posts : 512 Join date : 2010-11-16 Age : 67 Location : Wrentham
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Mar 01, 2011 2:31 am | |
| -
I don't know if this possible pitfall exists for your particular engine family, but . . .
when chevy changed to an improved belt system (serpentine) on SB & BB engines, they reversed the direction of the water pump shaft, but . . .
the water pump looks (and bolts up) the same, and I've seen a few instances where somebody got the wrong direction pump installed, and . . .
this situation sounds very similar to the symptoms you describe.
Regardless, its not the most likely culprit, but it is worth ruling out.
I have also seen t-stats not open or close when the temp stamped on them predict, . . .
due to a manufacturers defect or an incorrectly boxed/stamped part. Or, maybe it's jammed and stuck shut.
Its easy enough to put the t-stat in a pot of water on the stove and monitor the the temperature where it opens and closes with a meat thermometer.
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95brmw
Posts : 1434 Join date : 2009-11-10 Age : 39 Location : Connecticut
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:47 am | |
| What about just pulling the T-stat out and running it without to see if it overheats? | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:59 pm | |
| I have tried it with no stat. Still pushes the coolant into the overflow, but thee gauge is at 1/4 instead of almost pegged.
I don't know how to prove the flow of the radiator?
And the reverse water pump is a good thought. I gotta cheap with the person who installed it to see if he still has the pn he got... | |
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sdstick
Posts : 4292 Join date : 2009-03-20 Location : Revere, MA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:06 pm | |
| - toomanytoyz wrote:
I don't know how to prove the flow of the radiator? Cant you just pull the hoses & pressure feed both ways? I assume you'll know if there's a blockage. | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:07 am | |
| - sdstick wrote:
- toomanytoyz wrote:
I don't know how to prove the flow of the radiator? Cant you just pull the hoses & pressure feed both ways? I assume you'll know if there's a blockage. Not at this time of year. I could pull the radiator and take it to a radiator shop, but don't have the time right now... | |
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95brmw
Posts : 1434 Join date : 2009-11-10 Age : 39 Location : Connecticut
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Wed Mar 02, 2011 9:58 am | |
| Did you post this on the Riv forum? I'm out of ideas. | |
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toomanytoyz Club President
Posts : 6876 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 47 Location : East Hampstead, NH USA
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:33 am | |
| I did. And got some good suggestions. I just haven't had any time for it. | |
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mega
Posts : 907 Join date : 2011-03-01 Age : 43 Location : Hyannis, ma
| Subject: Re: Strange overheating issue... Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:27 pm | |
| i heard of this before and it sounds weird but the egr system on some cars if not working properly can make it overheat not saying this is the case but my bosses Audi 1.8turbo was doing the same so i literly took everything apart and flushed out whole system then reversed flow and did it i did this 4 times 2 easch way and work beautiful now.and as for air in system dont most cars have the infamous bleeder near water neck? but what you describe it sounds like wp is flowing in wrong direction | |
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