3S-GTE overheating

[TurboRA28]

Hi all, took the SA28 out for a run yesterday for the first time.
All seems to be going well except for it wanting to overheat very quickly.

For some reason I think the thermostat isn't opening up, as the bottom radiator hose (3S has thermostat in bottom hose not top hose) is cold, where the top hose is really hot.

My only real guess is air in the system? I spent ages trying to bleed it, undoing pipes to let any air out while i was filling it up with water etc. But yeah..

If everyone agrees its air, i'll keep persisting but 2 hours spent trying different methods to get water in the thing was enough for me.

I don't see it as a mechanical problem as such because the bottom hose is cold, so its just like its not circulating the water?

Any ideas would be great. Really want to see this 3S running well before Xmas

Cheers
Joel

[Hen]

A quick check would be to pull hte thermostat out and:
1 - Dunk it in hot water to check that it opens
2 - Take the car for a drive with it removed to see if the problem is still there.

(Yes, I know running a car without a thermostat for a long time is bad, but I don't think it will do any harm on a short drive to diagnose the problem)

Good luck, it'd be a ncie Christmas present to yourself.
Hen

[TurboRA28]

Thanks for that mate.. I should have mentioned, I did test the thermostat in hot water and its opening up fine.

Yeah can try with no thermostat.

[-==L=a=N=c=E==-]

The things that spring to mind.

Thermostat:
1) make sure it is in the right way (easy enough to get it wrong)
2) make sure the little jiggle valve is at the top of the housing.

[Cool1]

Have you got the bypass line from the back of the head to the pump connected correctly?

[TurboRA28]

I think so.. It goes from the back of the head, and then into the back of the water pump. There is 2 pipes going into the back of the water pump, 1 the bypass, and the other heater return (which i'm not using, as dont have a heater).

[TRAV-KE55]

The S series engine commanly do this even in camrys after a coolant change the fix for them is to turn the heater on to get rid of the air locks stuck at the thermostate, otherwiswe they boil there arse off then open and the problem is solved. My advise is to try to bleed air out of thermostat housing, alternative take thermostate out and make sure the water pump is circulating the water, I have seen new waterpumps have the impellor slip in the shaft.... I know its a piss off but what do you do!!!!! Good luck with it Joel, look forward to hear your results.
Trav

[MR 1JZ]

Joel give this a go...

Jack the front of the car up as high as you can go and then chuck it on some axel stands...then cut the bottom off a 2 litre coca cola bottle or equally as large plastic container of some kind, clear is better for vision, tape it around the top of the radiator so there is a sealed unit inbetween the filler and the neck of the coke bottle, fill the coke bottle with the coolant you are using in the car, start the car, get it to operating temp and then rev the car every 5 or so seconds to bleed it, you will notice big big bubbles of air coming out of the bottle and the coolant will go into the radiator...if you do this and nothing happens then there is no air in your system...

[TurboRA28]

Thanks all, looks like some more time bleeding tonight.. MR 1J, i'll try that method mate.

Cheers
Joel

[o_man_ra23]

How far did the thermostat open in your test?? It should open 1/4 of the diameter of the hole to be effective. that should be about 6mm. Good luck finding the problem, and i dont look forward to the bleeding process when i shoehorn a 3SGTE in my RA23.

Cheers, Owen

[urantia]

Also Could be your radiator is blocked up pretty badly.

[Celica RA45]

joel when you do fill it i always undo the back hose just to let air out ,and the water should be going in like you are peeing into the toilet ,nice and slow ,also make sure you havent got the by pass back to front with the heater 1 and there are trd thermostates that start at 70c as well or your toyota 1 that is 88c ,other than that you raditor is full of crap

[o_man_ra23]

Dunno bout you, but I certainly wasnt peeing slowly on the weekend after a carton of crownies and a carton of coronas!! But seriously, what is the advantage in pouring slowly??

Cheers, Owen

[Celica RA45]

by doing it slowly you are letting the air out quicker than if you flowed in heaps of water

[oldcorollas]

if all else fails, drill a 2mm hole in the thermostat then you will have slow btu constant flow thru the thermostat, and eventually it has to warm up...

i did this to my lowly k motor when the temps were cycling stupidly.. to make it a more constant temp over time.... the thermostat doesn't need to seal completely, just needs to restrict flow enough to get the coolant warm... and i dare say a lot more important in cold climates than in Aus.. Aus aint cold