ninjafaces

This is a X-post from this thread here. https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...ling-help.html

So my 97 Trans am seems to have a cooling issue somewhere, or maybe something worse.


So basically it blew a hose and puked coolant in the engine bay. I fixed the hose. Now it holds coolant but it doesn't seem to cycle it though the engine. I'll drive the car round the block for a bit and it holds temp fine. After I park and idle for a bit it will slowly increase temp until I shut it off and steam will rise out of the radiator. Pull the cap off and coolant with start to boil. It won't do this on initial startup. Only after it has run a bit.

Waterpump is new.

So I am thinking either a bad radiator or blown headgasket. I haven't had the chance to pull the oil or block test it but there isn't any white smoke coming out the exhaust and it idles and runs fine. No bogging or anything. Oil I checked on the dip stick looks clean, just changed it 200 miles ago.

So I am thinking bad radiator, from what I can see on the inside it seems gunked up and when I compress the upper hose it feels like there is no pressure it, but the radiator is holding pressure.


What do.




*update* I went out today and pulled off the radiator cap. The radiator was bone dry with maybe 1/3 sitting in the bottom, same with the reservoir. Idk where it went, since I haven't seen any leaks from it. I checked it three days after I parked it and it was fullish.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Radiators don't go bad....they just spring leaks and have to get fixed or replaced.

I think you have an air bubble in the system.......OR, you have a small leak somewhere that is pissing coolant out while you are driving, then when it cools down it sucks air in and makes a big void of air in the system.

I would top off the coolant (just use water till you figure this issue out) and then put the front end up on ramps. Make sure you get it all the way up to operating temp. Turn it off and get underneath the front end with a flashlight and look for leaks. You need to also wait a good 20 minutes AFTER you shut it off and then check for leaks again....
Our engines and coolant actually RISE in temp and pressure after you shut it down and sometimes that's when coolant can leak out through small leaks....
You could also get a coolant system pressure tester to check for leaks too. But if you do that...you MUST remove all spark plugs in case you do have a head gasket breach and end up filling a cylinder with coolant. Then as soon as you turn the key to start the engine...BAM...bye-bye engine. You will snap a rod or crush a rod bearing....hydralock.......

If you have no leaks......then you just have an air bubble in there.

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ninjafaces

Hmm, sounds like I need to save up some cash and take it to a mechanic then. I don't have enough experience (or any tools for that matter) to fix this issue myself. Keep on walking to work.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

You cant go for a drive to get the engine up to temperature and then drive the car up onto ramps or up onto a couple 2x4's.......

You just have to look for a leak with a flashlight..........

Then at least you can tell the mechanic where the leak is so he will just fix that......and not totally screw you and repair things that do not need repairing.

90% of mechanics are scumbag liars.......

Coolant pressure testers are free to borrow from auto parts stores. and if you know how to remove your radiator cap to check your coolant level....then you can use the pressure tester yourself......

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ninjafaces

Negative.

I'm here at university dorms and all my tools are back at my old house about 2 hours away. I haven't had the chance to go out and purchase a set of ramps/2x4's or tools yet.


And well, I have 9 dollars to my name currently. School was a bit more pricey then I thought it would be this semester.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I was in college....I know what you mean man.....

I suggest you go to the Florida section at the bottom of the thread titles page.......ask if someone can help you out. Tampa is a big LS1tech.com member city. Car clubs and gatherings all the time. You should be able to find someone to help you for free. What you need takes 30 minutes to 1 hour to diagnose.

If you were in Lauderdale I would do it all for you......

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LS6427

iTrader: (2)

But still....I think its just air in the system.

You could try to do my method for bleeding air out of the system......it works 100% of the time on LS1 engines. It should work for you. About 20 minutes and FREE.

Here's my Coolant Flush write-up......go down and do the Bleeding Air part at the bottom....

Best/easiest way to flush and get every drop of old coolant out.

****My power steering fluid leaked into my block, so it was bad, but this flush process works for normal maintenance flushes too. You might just want to skip the degreaser stages.****
-Cold engine.
-Remove radiator fill cap.
-Remove the t-stat from the housing. ((Buy a new t-stat housing gasket, they're like $3.00)) Leave the housing attached to the rubber radiator hose, just remove the 2 housing bolts and pull it away from the water pump to get to the t-stat. (2-3 minute job). ***The t-stat itself can be removed from the so-called one piece t-stats just like we can remove the t-stat from the newer two-piece t-stats. And the housings will bolt right back to the water pump.***
-Put t-stat housing back on. (1 minute) Just put one bolt in, no need to put them both in, there’s no pressure in the system during the flush.
-Take the entire radiator drain valve (petcock) "off" and let it drain, don't just open the valve itself. It'll drain faster with it off and that’s what you want. ((Buy a new petcock valve before starting this flush process, sometimes they break when you remove them all the way just because they're cheap plastic and they get briddle over time, they're like $2.00))
-Take a hose and stick it in the radiator fill cap, running medium to high.
-Start the engine when the radiator looks like its full again.
-Turn heat on full blast
-Let it run for about 15-20 minutes or until the water is running out the drain CLEAR.
-((If you want to, you can wait till it runs clear, "close" the drain valve, add some degreaser (I use ½ gallon of Formula 88 to clean mine) and let it run for 15 minutes, then let it sit for 15 minutes, then run it for 5 minutes, then drain it all again. Then open the drain and put the hose in for about 5 more minutes and run it all out till its CLEAR. The degreaser will help break up the crap thats stuck DEEP in the BLOCK that sits and swirls and doesn't like to come out.)) ***NO…degreaser will not hurt anything. Just make sure its ok for aluminum.***
-When it runs clear your entire system is clean.
-Remove the overflow reservoir from the car and clean it out real good. (I had to use gasoline to clean mine out because the sludge and grime was so thick inside. The gas broke it all down and then it flushed right out. I filled it about 1/3 up with gasoline and shook the hell out of it real vigorously, the black stuff kept coming out. I did that like 4 separate times with gasoline till no more chunks of black crap came out. Make sure the lines that go to the reservoir are also cleaned out. Or just buy a new piece of 3/8” heater hose and replace that line, 3 feet will do, then cut to fit. My sludge came from my power steering fluid leaking into my coolant system.)
-Put the t-stat back in.
-Put the overflow reservoir back in.
-Put the drain valve back in. Use the new one, what the hell.
-Put half a jug of Dexcool in the radiator. (Or if you live in very cold places, 1 to 1 ½ jugs of Dexcool)
-Fill the rest with water.
***You do not need to use distilled water, clean hose water is just fine, just make sure your city water is clean and not total crap quality.

**Bleeding the system of air:
Take the radiator cap off when its DEAD COLD, ((NOT THE COOLANT Overflow tank cap....the RADIATOR CAP))......top it off, start it up and let it idle, and let it warm up till the t-stat opens. I rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hose like 20 times each while its warming up to help move any air bubbles through the system and by the t-stat on the engine side. When the t-stat opens you’ll see the level drop as you squeeze the hoses, its sucking the coolant through the system. You will also see the coolant start to flow in the radiator fill neck, once it starts to flow the level should drop down a lot, IMMEDIATELY top it off with coolant/water. Then the flow will stop when the t-stat closes. Wait one more time for the t-stat to open again and start to flow, if it drops down again top it off again. Do it a 3rd time if you want to make sure. When the level does NOT drop down when the t-stat opens and coolant is flowing....you're system is free of air bubbles. I always squeeze the upper hose during the whole process to keep any air bubbles moving through. Always works like a charm. Just keep checking your temp gauge until the t-stat opens for the first time to make sure it’s not sitting there overheating from a trapped bubble. May take 10-15 minutes for the t-stat to open the first time.
If you do start to get hot while sitting there and the t-stat will not open…..you have an air bubble on the engine side of the t-stat. Shut the engine off and rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses again. Then start the engine again and see if the t-stat will open. Sometimes you just have to work those hoses to move the air through. Even after it seems topped off after a couple cycles…check it the next time you have a cold engine…top off if needed.