Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous help.

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Tommygun_98
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Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous help.

Post by Tommygun_98 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:06 pm

Before we jump to conclusions on a blown head gasket, which I pray to god its not! Let me give you some insight.
I bought my 95 firehawk two weeks ago and now fear for the worst. It started overheating the day after I bought it, I found a leak in the heater line and overfill line, fixed both, still overheats. Replaced the t stat and waterpump, still overheats. Fans have been rigged to run 24/7. I couldn't see this being a clogged heater core because that's only a secondary cycle. The only symptom of the doom gaskets are overheating. No smoke, no smell, no milky oil, no dark coolant. This seems to be the infamous lt1 nightmare. I'm 19, on my own, moneys tight at this point, if you've had this problem please please please help me.
Also, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to finally boil over. I am using 50/50.

lakeratiam
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by lakeratiam » Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:22 pm

Sounds like it may be air locked........did you bleed the air out of the coolant system?
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Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:37 pm

lakeratiam wrote:Sounds like it may be air locked........did you bleed the air out of the coolant system?
No, I didn't. I understand air in the coolant system is a factor but is it that importaint? I will do that.

Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:54 pm

Also the water in the radiator is not boiling, only the reservoir. Both were boiling before replacing the hoses. I know my rad cap is good because if I lift the tab the slightest bit you can hear the water start to boil.

lakeratiam
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by lakeratiam » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:08 pm

Is the radiator cap the correct cap? It needs to be an 18 lb cap...it could very well be that cap, even if it's the right one it could be weak........ and yes on bleeding the air.....these LT1 engines are a "reverse flow" design and can very easily get air locked.
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Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:21 pm

lakeratiam wrote:Is the radiator cap the correct cap? It needs to be an 18 lb cap...it could very well be that cap, even if it's the right one it could be weak........ and yes on bleeding the air.....these LT1 engines are a "reverse flow" design and can very easily get air locked.
If it were the radiator cap wouldn't it be boiling? Or boiling out of the radiator cap? I think the cap is good.

lakeratiam
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by lakeratiam » Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:50 pm

If it is a weak or incorrect cap, it will let ANY pressure at all that builds up in the engine be released into the recovery tank....nothing will or should be seen coming out around the cap as it will all be going to the recovery tank......that's how the system is designed to work....the recovery tank's job is to catch the excess fluid caused by expansion from heat......every time that cap "vents" and allows fluid to go to the recovery tank, that is a direct result of the fluid "boiling" within your engine block.....ever study or hear of Boyles Law? Likewise, excessive air in the system can allow the fluid to "boil" as well and create a high pressure situation within the engine block......Correctly bleed the air from the system and if it still does it, my money is on that cap.......
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tazman71
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by tazman71 » Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:31 pm

Bleed the coolant.

Boiling in the coolant reservior is probably the system trying to push air out of the radiator into it(not actually boiling).
Over time, it will probably push all the air out, but may cause damage if the system is not bled out.

Bleed the system and let us know how it turns out.
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Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:18 pm

tazman71 wrote:Bleed the coolant.

Boiling in the coolant reservior is probably the system trying to push air out of the radiator into it(not actually boiling).
Over time, it will probably push all the air out, but may cause damage if the system is not bled out.

Bleed the system and let us know how it turns out.
Well I think we're onto something, I bled all the air out and today , in this Texas heat, it did not boil over. However it got up to about 235 degrees( the white line before red mark) and stayed there. I also checked my rad cap and it is rated for 13psi. So... Should I get the 18 psi cap???

lakeratiam
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by lakeratiam » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:17 pm

Tommygun_98 wrote:
tazman71 wrote:Bleed the coolant.

Boiling in the coolant reservior is probably the system trying to push air out of the radiator into it(not actually boiling).
Over time, it will probably push all the air out, but may cause damage if the system is not bled out.

Bleed the system and let us know how it turns out.
Well I think we're onto something, I bled all the air out and today , in this Texas heat, it did not boil over. However it got up to about 235 degrees( the white line before red mark) and stayed there. I also checked my rad cap and it is rated for 13psi. So... Should I get the 18 psi cap???
Yes. 18 psi cap is correct cap for LT1 engine. Looks like you had 2 issues working against you.......
I'm EVERYWHERE Dragan! :lol:

Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:22 pm

lakeratiam wrote:
Tommygun_98 wrote:
tazman71 wrote:Bleed the coolant.

Boiling in the coolant reservior is probably the system trying to push air out of the radiator into it(not actually boiling).
Over time, it will probably push all the air out, but may cause damage if the system is not bled out.

Bleed the system and let us know how it turns out.
Well I think we're onto something, I bled all the air out and today , in this Texas heat, it did not boil over. However it got up to about 235 degrees( the white line before red mark) and stayed there. I also checked my rad cap and it is rated for 13psi. So... Should I get the 18 psi cap???
Yes. 18 psi cap is correct cap for LT1 engine. Looks like you had 2 issues working against you.......
Great, thankyou so much man, ill keep you posted when I get that on there.

Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:45 am

lakeratiam wrote:
Tommygun_98 wrote:
tazman71 wrote:Bleed the coolant.

Boiling in the coolant reservior is probably the system trying to push air out of the radiator into it(not actually boiling).
Over time, it will probably push all the air out, but may cause damage if the system is not bled out.

Bleed the system and let us know how it turns out.
Well I think we're onto something, I bled all the air out and today , in this Texas heat, it did not boil over. However it got up to about 235 degrees( the white line before red mark) and stayed there. I also checked my rad cap and it is rated for 13psi. So... Should I get the 18 psi cap???
Yes. 18 psi cap is correct cap for LT1 engine. Looks like you had 2 issues working against you.......
okay, got the cap on. It runs A LOT better now. But it still gets up to 235-240 when at a stop, I can just go 15mph and it will cool to 210-220. So somethings still going on :/ any ideas, km guessing clogged radiator? I also did find a very small leak on a hose I need to fix, but this it very small. between this and the spurs loosing, my week hasn't been to good, I really appreciate the help you guys have given me though!

Phil
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Phil » Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:03 pm

Are the fans turning on?
Make sure the fans are working, I think they on turns on at 215 degrees and the other at 235 degrees.

Without a scan tool you really don't know how accurate the dash gauge is either. After making sure all the leaks are fixed and the fans work I wouldn't sweat it too much.

For what its worth, the new cruze 1.4 turbo is programmed to run at 230 degrees as its normal temp from the factory.

lakeratiam
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by lakeratiam » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:16 pm

Hey, I know you said "the fans are rigged to run 24/7" but yes, make sure they are actually running.....sounds like they may not be.....check this out viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11170
I'm EVERYWHERE Dragan! :lol:

Tommygun_98
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Re: Replaced the waterpump, still overheating, need serous h

Post by Tommygun_98 » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:51 pm

lakeratiam wrote:Hey, I know you said "the fans are rigged to run 24/7" but yes, make sure they are actually running.....sounds like they may not be.....check this out viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11170
Hmm, kinda interesting. I only day that because they are on when I start the car and park the car. Never thought about a bad program, relay, etc. That could cause it to turn off. Gonna be hard to trurly find out what they're doing down there. Right now I can get to work and back without boilover, which was my main priority, now I just want to get that temp a little lower, gonna try a few ideas out this weekend. Thank you guys!

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