Overheating ta22

[74sLeeka]

New problem that i have no idea wat causes it or how to fix it..
hoping someone could lend a theory..
my previous radiator was both leaking, and overheating my engine..
i bought a new radiator from shelldrake.. installed it i did..
test drive came next.. and i was unhappy..
this radiator doesnt leak i believe, but my engine still heats incredibly fast, and makes a wierd pumping sound..
i just bought new coolant when i brought home this radiator, used almost 4L of it..
as the heat reaches 120 and above.. the car starts making some pumping sounds, like it is trying to pump coolant into the engine somewhere, and its a repeated sound, going doo-doo-doo-doo.. cant locate the exact point..
the hotter it is, the harder and more frequent it "pumps"
my theory is something like: a clog somewhere, not in the hoses tho, further into the engine.. and the coolant cant get thru, and starts building up and tries to "pump" it thru.. because of the clog, it cant get thru and everything overheats..
but hey.. i wouldnt know too much.. any suggestions for a newbie like me?
just wanted to get an opinion before i take it to a mechanic

[slide86]

blocked or old thermostat. if this is blocked then the coolant wont circulate and the temp will go up real quick. its not to good to be running those types of temps either.

try removing the thermostat and start the car up, if it doesnt really heat up too much then you iwll know that the thermostat was jamming up. you can replace that yourself, without having to pay one of us mechanics!

[river]

Hi,

First make sure there are no air bubbles in the system. Run the engine for a few mins with the radiator cap off. Run until the temp goes up and check the level. Top up the radiator as the level goes down as the air bubbles get worked out of the system.

If that fails or is not the case then read on.....

Does the water level of the radiator drop? It will lose some water as it gets hot and goes to the overflow pipe (the pipe near the radiator cap). This pipe can either be connected to a small plastic overflow bottle or it can be connected to nothing and just let the water onto the ground. Do you have an overlfow bottle? If so, the radiator when it gets hot dumps water into the o/f bottle and when cold it will suck the water back in. So, after the engine is run and gets hot, turn it off and check the o/f bottle level. Wait until the engine is cold and recheck the o/f bottle. If it's gone down you should be able to remove the radiator cap and see the radiator is full. If not then you either have a leak in your system somehwere or the radiator cap needs replacing.

I think you model has a viscous fan? Look at your radiator fan and it should be attached to a large aluminium hub thing. This is a fluid coupling - when it's cold you should be able to freely spin the fan when the engine is topped - when hot it stiffens up and the fan should be very hard to push. After the engine gets hot, turn off the motor and see if you can move the fan freely. If so, you need your viscous fan serviced. However, this sort of problem is more noticable when at slow speeds and idling, when you need the fan to create a movement of air through the radiator. From about 40 -80kph there is enough air coming through the radiaot due to the forward moevment of the vehicle to provide a cooling effect.

Next thing to check is your oil. Is it a murky, milky colour? If so, then you have a blown head gakset or some other gasket that has allowed your water to get into your oil. The oil gets this murky milky colour when water is introduced to it.

ANother to check is your thermostat. I assume you know where it is - but if not, it's the bulbous looking thing attached to your engine, and the top radiator hose comes off it. It could be jammed shut and you'll need to open the theromstat housing to see if this is the case. Remove the thermostat and put it in a saucepan of cold wat on the stove. As the water heats up the thermostat should open. It should be fully open before the water boils. If not, replace it and also get new gaskets for the thermostat housing when you re-assemble it.

FInal thing is the water pump. The best way to see if this is not working is to remove the thermostat, engine cold, fill the radiator and leave the cap mof the radiator. When the car starts you should see the water coming intothe radiator. Usually a water pump failure makes some noises 'cos the bearings are usually worn.

Of course, check your fan belt tension also.

The noise your engine is making at hi temps doesn't sound good and it certainly isn't good for the engine, and it will wear it out much quicker and can cause major itnernal damage if you persist in drving it under such tempeatures.

[74sLeeka]

river mate.. writing a whole essay.. thanks..

i jus took a look at it.. the coolant is gone.. and it isnt leakin somwhere.. i looked at the ground.. bone dry..
it drank the rest of my coolant.. 5L from today.. gone.. has to be leakin or not gettin pumped back into the radiator..
no milky oil.. infact.. no oil i neva thought to check it coz i replaced it less than 2 months ago.. oil filter and oil.. but its not there.. gone.. and theres a huge problem right there as i know..

might be the thermostat tho.. will keep posted.. thanks..

cheers

[rob1]

Maybe check and see if there's a cracked pipe somewhere. Sometimes coolant can leak but only when under load. Had this problem on a ta22 once.

[Cruiser97_80]

That funny noise you are hearing isn't the coolant boiling is it?
After you get all the air out of your system. A quick and easy check to give you some idea if your coolant is circulating is to feel the temp of your top radiator hose, this should get pretty warm when engine is at operating temp. Then run your hand down and across the radiator you should feel a gradual change in temperature if it is all working ok. If you come across a cold spot you have a blockage in the radiator. But yours should be ok if it has been reconditioned.

[BrianRA23]

If the radiator is not blocked (after being renewed) either your pump is not moving any water or the thermostat sounds to blocked. If the thermostat does not fix the problem I would remove the pump and have a look to see its condition.

With nothing on the dipstick at least you know it is not oil you can hear being pumped around the engine.

[river]

Hi,

You're losing 5litres of coolant!!!! Crikey!!!

Okay, first thing is put some damn oil in the engine

Next thing is to run the engine until it's at operating temperature, and then have a damn good look at the pipes and the radiator to see where the water is coming from. Grab a torch and check along the block under the exhaust manifold (but don't burn yourself) and under the inlet manifold. Maybe you've got a leaking welsh plug and if so you'll see water dripping out of it. The welsh plugs (I forget how many and where they are on the 2T) are circular plug things - about the size of a 20-50c coin that are in your block. They can deteriorate and leak water. Also, I'm not sure if the 2T has water going through the inlet manifold, so check around there also.

With 5litres going you should see some sign of water leak. If you have the red or green additives in your water you should see where it's been dripping/leaking from the engine. If not then you may see a rust stain where the water is coming from. Have a real close look 'cos it's gotta be there - you just need to find it.

seeyuzz
river

[Invid]

Perhaps also look at your heater tap in the car, Mine was leaking and soaking into the felt under the passenger carpet. Didn't really notice it till I removed one of the floor mats and notice it was damp. This is quite a common area for rust/leaks.

[shelldrake]

Perhaps also look at your heater tap in the car, Mine was leaking and soaking into the felt under the passenger carpet. Didn't really notice it till I removed one of the floor mats and notice it was damp. This is quite a common area for rust/leaks.

Exactly what I was thinking! I remember I was having a very similar problem for a while and didn't realise untill I felt the soaked passenger side footwell carpet. Found lots of nice fresh green coolant hiding under the carpet! You can buy a heater tap to fit from any wreckers for under 20 bucks! Just take you're old one around pick-a-part and find a nice plastic type heater tap that won't rust on you. ...(Assuming this is in fact the problem.)

[o_man_ra23]

Perhaps also look at your heater tap in the car, Mine was leaking and soaking into the felt under the passenger carpet. Didn't really notice it till I removed one of the floor mats and notice it was damp. This is quite a common area for rust/leaks.

Ive had that on 2 cars also, RA23 and a KE lazer.

Where is your oil going to?? check your spark plugs, if they have an oily residue and black buildup on them, then you have bad blowby in the rings. Also the carby will probably get all oily from the crankcase blowing into it. Otherwise, you have a leak somewhere and it needs to be fixed. Run a really thick oil in it to slow down the leak... try highest numbered penrite HPR you can get ya grubby mits on. Wash the motor down with degreaser and a high pressure water blaster, then run the car and you should find the leaks... just make sure you dry out your spark plug holes, and dont get any water in the intake (do it when the motor is cold too). This should also make the water leak become more apparent too, as the coolant will be running onto a clean surface.

As for the coolant... well you just heard the Gospel according to St River

Cheers, Owen

[74sLeeka]

i tested it out last night with oil.. i heard the thermostat open and watched the water move.. thats fine.. which means it could be a blockage.. checked the heater tap.. looks a bit messed up.. coolant around the edge.. checked the passengers feeting mats.. damp
lets hope this my only problem tho.. will scope out a new heater tap..
i needed an excuse to try out my dads $200 asain no-name-brand 12 megapixel camera.. to see what its like.. and im terribly disappointed

the camera gave more quality if i stood further away and used zoom, rather than held it close..
anyway.. i'll start looking up places that can help me..
cheers for all youre advice here.. i will let you know if heater tap was my only problem..

[river]

Hi,

Well, let us know how it goes and what you find.

In regards to the camera - for up-close stuff it should have a "macro" setting and this should let you get close to the object you wish to photograph.

seeyuzz
river

[74sLeeka]

Exactly what I was thinking! I remember I was having a very similar problem for a while and didn't realise untill I felt the soaked passenger side footwell carpet. Found lots of nice fresh green coolant hiding under the carpet! You can buy a heater tap to fit from any wreckers for under 20 bucks! Just take you're old one around pick-a-part and find a nice plastic type heater tap that won't rust on you. ...(Assuming this is in fact the problem.)

i was just thinking, you an invid had the same leaking, but your car wasn't overheating like mine was it ?
i just called up a wholesaller looking for a new heater tap, and he thought it might be my heater itself, leaking and corroding.. im defintly losing coolant because i filled it up last night, and this mornin, its gone.. some of it is in my carpet, but where is most of it ? its not under the car (as far as i can tell - unless it dried)

[74sLeeka]

as for the oil.. maybe it simply burned up under the extreme heat ?
i topped it up last nite, and its still full this morning, the sump plug had a tiny bit of oil on it, not my hole tank of oil tho, i will give it a tighten