Sunset_Orange_WS6

I have a 2001 WS6 with a rebuilt LS1. I bought the car with a freshly rebuilt motor from the dealership. I have put 1,900 miles on the car since it was rebuilt and maybe about 200 miles ago I realized that the temperature needle was no longer exactly at the middle mark and it wouldnt go anything past it. It would always be exactly on it but now it was a few hair lengths past it. Then one day I drove the car for about 20 miles and at an idle the needle started to rise a bit but fortunately the light turned green and it immediately went back down as I drove the car. This happened about two more times but one day it climbed rapidly while I was waiting for some food on drive thru at a restaurant. I immediately shut it off and it started to steam out of the hose with the cap that reads coolant on it. I let it cool off and was able to drive it home it stayed a few hair lengths past the 210 mark but nothing more. I was told it could be my water pump, my thermostat, my head gasket. I've also noticed my oil pressure always drops at the same time the temperature starts to go up. It also started to leak coolant the other day, the puddle was underneath the "engine coolant only" hose. but i couldnt see exactly where it was coming from.

The car doesnt smoke. I let it cool back down to about 160 and let it idle again this time adding water and as the temperature rose some whitish liquid rose to the top slowly so i put the cap back on and it idled once again a little over the 210 mark. My worst fear would be cracked cylinder heads or a blown headgasket. This is my first LS1. I had a Honda Prelude before. and yes my fans turn on. My worst fear would be that it is a head problem, what do i need to look for to know it isnt? A

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

it doesnt sound good. im thinking head gasket.

Anthony Williams

iTrader: (3)

Check your oil for any coolant, If your oil is looking like a milk shake it's head gasket time. Did the dealer go into why the engine was rebuilt.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Don't freak out YET....go buy a new radiator cap.

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sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

make sure the cap is good.......then make sure you have no air in the system.........these cars are hard to bleed the air out and have all kinds of problems when it is not fully bled

Sunset_Orange_WS6

Ive gotten a new radiator cap. I had the cap checked at an autozone. If it were my head gasket or I had a cracked head would it not smoke or not be driveable? How do you bleed the system??

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

You won't necessarily smoke until the blown head gasket gets bad enough. Since radiator caps are $3.00 (Stant)...get another new one and make damn sure before you spend any more time and money chasing things. Sometimes new caps are duds.

Or do a very cheap and easy coolant system pressure test. See if you lose pressure and/or coolant.
IF you do....before you start that engine again, you must remove all 8 spark plugs and see which cylinder, if any, has filled with coolant. DO NOT start it until you do that. If not cylinder has coolant in it, check the crankcase oil for coolant and check block/heads externally.

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Sunset_Orange_WS6

What the hell is a coyote motor? lol. Alright yeah ill be doing a pressure system check. Where can i get one? Would the car still drive with a cracked head?

Sunset_Orange_WS6

and another thing, it only heats up when the car is idling. Never when driving. the temperature needle drops when the car begins to move

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i bleed by unhooking the tube under the TB......the one that goes to the rad.....i fill the rad til coolant comes out the pipe.....hook the tube back up and fill the rad again.....let it idle to op temp.....cap it off and drive it......let it cool down and add coolant as needed.....do that a couple of times and your good.......works every time for me

ANTICOP RAM AIR

iTrader: (7)

coyote motor is the new 5.0 mustang motor i think.. my brother got on my laptop and tried to start ****.. hahaha.. i deleted the post.. if youre overheating standing still then maybe your fans arent working... seems fine when air is moving over the radiator..

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Only at idle....check to see if your fans are both working....and both coming on HIGH together.

But still, an LSx engine can go all the way to 260*F and higher before anything leaks out or steams out. So for some reason there MUST be air in the system.

Can't be the water pump, they always pump water no matter what. But they do leak.........

So...its possible you have a slow leak there or somewhere else, which leaks over time and allows space in the cooling system.....then when you shut the engine down, over time as it cools air gets sucked in through that leak. Then at some point it will steam through the overflow reservoir tank.....

You should take the radiator cap off and top off the cooling system and just do that pressure test. But make damn sure you have it 100% topped off. I would take the t-stat out, bolt the t-stat housing back on, top it off and then do the test. That will make sure the system is 100% full.

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Sunset_Orange_WS6

thanks everyone for the help. Ill be trying everything I can when I get off work. I drove it for a bit today and parked it back home as soon as it started overheating again. This time there was a hissing noise coming from the throttle body area...strange...what would that be?