gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

i was driving for about 2 hours today and it was a hot one ( 90-95 degrees ) when i got to the hooters and turned the car off, my friend noticed that i had coolant pissing out, in front of the passenger tire, popped the hood to see the "filler bottle" had bubbled over. temp gauge was at 211 or so, fans go on at 212 or so right ??

the car sat for 3 hours and i checked the coolant level and it was ok, and the radiator was full. drove about 1 hour home ( 45 miles ) and the temp gauge was ok, around 185 like usual. got off the highway and sat in traffic, was around 207 or so, but got home and put the car in park, to put the ttops back on and noticed after i had shut it off, the temp was back around 211

i replaced the water pump last october, any ideas of what happened ?? i am going to have a tech at work pressure test it on tuesday

this sucks

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

you'll need at least a new radiator cap

ss rally red

iTrader: (8)

Have you added collant recently? I know after numerous cam installs after refilling the coolling system and adding back to the resivour that it will puck some coolant until it "sets" itself to the proper level, and yeah it burps out but the PS front tire.

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

why would i need a new radiator cap ?? i think it is holding pressure.

i have not added any coolant. coolant was filled when the water pump was installed, that was the last time.

how about the t-stat ?? i thought it came with the new water pump, but i was told that it is in a seperate housing. where is the t-stat housing and how easy is it to change ??

i might look into the 160 t-stat. do i have to buy it from a performance shop ?

technical

They don't call it an overlow bottle for nuttin...

You had too much coolant in the bottle. When the radiator pumped up the cap bleed the excess pressure (and coolant) into the bottle which in turn overflowed. That's why that cap has vents. When the coolant pressure returns to normal it will suck the coolant back from the bottle. That's why the line runs from the radiator neck to the bottom of the bottle.

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

so, if you have the right amount of coolant in the system, and its been bled properly, the only thing left is that a faulty radiator cap isn't holding enough pressure and letting too much coolant by.

technical

The cap is designed to hold a specific pressure. Beyond that pressure it will release. There's no harm in checking the seal, spring, etc.

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

i work at a dealer and i am sure the techs know how to do this, but how do you check the radiator cap to make sure it is sealing properly. wouldn't coolant seep out of it ??

thanks for the replies

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

the dealer tech should have an adapter for his/her pressure tester to test the cap.
i think this is the right one
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

one of them should have that, or we should have one in the tool room

thanks

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

pressure tested the system - ok

might keep an eye on the gauge this coming week

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

the cap too?

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

ok, i have an update and i do not think that it is a good one.

i have noticed that the temp gauge has been going to 200-210 more often, but it has been hot. fans are operating normally. a friend of mine said that they thought they smelled coolant from my exhaust ( might be hard to tell since i have lt's no cats and an open cutout ) anyways, i have kept an eye on the coolant in the radiator and the filled neck dipstick and it has been ok. no visible leaks or any spotting on the ground.

so i had a tech pressure test it today at work and it lost pressure, inspected the car thoroughly and could not see anything, raised it on a rack and the under side of the engine is bone dry.

do the early ls1's have problems with intake leaks ?? head gasket leaks ??

i'm confused

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

bump

technical

Wouldn't be the intake since it only seals air. Sounds like a head gasket is beginning to leak coolant into the cylinder.

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

wouldn't the car misfire then ??

i have been given a couple tips on how to check leaks in the cylinder, so i guess that is going to be the project this week at work

technical

If it's indeed the head gasket(s), the car won't necessarily misfire but you would smell coolant burning from the exhaust. Once it gets worse you would see white smoke from the tailpipes.

89lx-ls1

iTrader: (23)

I Would Say It Would Be The Cap You Have To Think After A While Of Heating Up And Cooling Down That A Spring Will Lose Its Holding Pressure. Some Metals Lose Strength In Heat. I Have Always Ran A Cap 2 Or 3 Pounds More Than What I Needed Like My Mustang Calls For A 16-18 Psi Cap And I Run A 21-23 Racing Cap On It. Just A Sug.

gavspurplez

iTrader: (6)

where can i buy a cap that holds more pressure ??

technical

If you had the system pressure tested and it wouldn't hold pressure, then it's not the cap.