1996 Procharged Trans Am OVERHEATING FAST&BAD
#1
1996 Procharged Trans Am OVERHEATING FAST&BAD
Car is a 1996 M6 Car with a P1SC(8lbs boost,twin high flows) and a Summit/CVR electrical water pump. Car always religously ran @ about 180 degrees(would hardly even push heat into heater system). Well a week ago the tensioner pulley for the supercharger seized up so I took the blower belt off which involved me taking the water pump hose off and I lost a lillte bit of coolant. I drove the car the next day without boost and it was fine. The next day I went to drive the car and it instanly shot up to 260 degrees. I checked power to the pump and it had power so I took the pump out of the housing and the impeller was still on and it was working. I then changed the thermostat (a 180 which was allready in it) and put it all back together. I filled the pump through the thermostat housing and filled the radiator and started it and it still goes straight to the red on the gauge within about 5 minutes. I open the bleeders and it just blows steam no water flow. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks
#2
Well, that's at least one of your problems, if not THE problem. You should get a steady stream of coolant when there are no air-pockets in the system. If you've still got air/steam coming out of the cooling system, it will always cause overheating.
Bleeding the cooling system with electric waterpumps is a little tricky. At least mine is -- seems to want to suck air *in* more than push it out, so I've had the best results with filling the system cold.
Not sure how you wired your pump, but mine can run with the engine off (key in "run") with the engine cold, so I can add radiator fluid @ the radiator cap. It's best to raise the front of the car up on ramps, then maybe try bleeding ONE of the bleeder screws at a time (lowest one first) until a steady stream of actual coolant comes out. If you're getting air bubbles, there's still air in the system, and you might be cavitating the pump / starving parts of the system from coolant flow. There should be a visible return stream near the radiator cap -- make sure coolant is flowing through there.
You might also consider getting yourself a 160-degree (LT1-specific) thermostat, and/or the various cooling system additives (Redline Water Wetter, Royal Purple Ice, etc).
Bleeding the cooling system with electric waterpumps is a little tricky. At least mine is -- seems to want to suck air *in* more than push it out, so I've had the best results with filling the system cold.
Not sure how you wired your pump, but mine can run with the engine off (key in "run") with the engine cold, so I can add radiator fluid @ the radiator cap. It's best to raise the front of the car up on ramps, then maybe try bleeding ONE of the bleeder screws at a time (lowest one first) until a steady stream of actual coolant comes out. If you're getting air bubbles, there's still air in the system, and you might be cavitating the pump / starving parts of the system from coolant flow. There should be a visible return stream near the radiator cap -- make sure coolant is flowing through there.
You might also consider getting yourself a 160-degree (LT1-specific) thermostat, and/or the various cooling system additives (Redline Water Wetter, Royal Purple Ice, etc).
Last edited by Alex94TAGT; 06-22-2009 at 12:42 PM.
#3
You've got air pockets in your cooling system.... The proper way to fill is:
With car off open cap at radiator and open bleeder screw at thermostat housing. Begin to fill until you see a steady flow of water/coolant coming out. After you have achieved a steady flow of water at the thermostat housing bleeder. Close bleeder screw and put the radiator cap back on and then turn the car on and allow it to go to normal operating temperature. Once it reaches normal operating temp shut car off and open the other bleeder screw to allow all air/steam out leave open until all air is out. You may have to repeat this a few times.
Most importantly do not open Radiator cap or any of the bleeder valves with the car on. IT will suck air into your cooling system if you do.... Car must be off to open any of them.
With car off open cap at radiator and open bleeder screw at thermostat housing. Begin to fill until you see a steady flow of water/coolant coming out. After you have achieved a steady flow of water at the thermostat housing bleeder. Close bleeder screw and put the radiator cap back on and then turn the car on and allow it to go to normal operating temperature. Once it reaches normal operating temp shut car off and open the other bleeder screw to allow all air/steam out leave open until all air is out. You may have to repeat this a few times.
Most importantly do not open Radiator cap or any of the bleeder valves with the car on. IT will suck air into your cooling system if you do.... Car must be off to open any of them.
#7
You have air in the system. It's a simple fix with the EWP, just fill it cold thru the t-stat housing, then fill the radiator while the pump is on. once that is done close up the radiator cap and run the car for a bit, then turn it off at operating temp and do just like BLWNLT1 T/A said.
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#9
What you've given us so far doesn't sound like a blown headgasket. I'd just take it one thing at a time. You know you have air pockets in the system, so bleed it and see how she fares.
Excessive overheating can definitely cause a blown headgasket, and there are inherent risks with running forced induction. Do you have any other reasons to believe there is a blown headgasket? White smoke, disappearing coolant, runs poorly, water in the oil / oil in the coolant, etc?
Excessive overheating can definitely cause a blown headgasket, and there are inherent risks with running forced induction. Do you have any other reasons to believe there is a blown headgasket? White smoke, disappearing coolant, runs poorly, water in the oil / oil in the coolant, etc?
#10
It doesn't seem like there is excessive "steam" @ the tailpipes. But of course thoughts run through my head and I do see water droplets in the pipe (which could be the **** gas we get nowadays with ethanol in it). I'm gonna try bleedin' it some more tonight and see what happens. I dicked with it for like an hour yesterday with no possitive outcome. The car has only "overheated and boiled" like twice so I hope that didn't pop a head gasket. I shut it down the second the check guages light comes on.
#11
Did you take off the 2 small hoses that connect to the radiator near the cap when you were messing around with the water pump? If you did take them off, and then you re-install them incorrectly it will pressurize the overflow and **** coolant everywhere. Within a few minutes your car will have no coolant.
#12
If your cooling system is pressurizing immediately upon cold startup then it could very well be a blown head gasket. Check this first. You can even remove the radiator cap and watch to see if coolant immediately starts to rise out of the radiator. Just make sure the coolant is at ambient temperature before starting up. If it checks out then here are some steps to follow:
Have two people. One watch the gauge and you work your bleeder screws.
Put rag on top of opti below thermostat housing to keep coolant off opti.
Start engine and let system pressurize.
Loosen bleeder screw on thermostat housing first and keep it open until you get a steady stream of coolant. Close screw and let system pressurize again. You may have to do it several times.
Repeat steps for heater hose bleeder screw.
It's important you do it in this order. You want air out of the engine first before worrying about your heater hoses.
Have two people. One watch the gauge and you work your bleeder screws.
Put rag on top of opti below thermostat housing to keep coolant off opti.
Start engine and let system pressurize.
Loosen bleeder screw on thermostat housing first and keep it open until you get a steady stream of coolant. Close screw and let system pressurize again. You may have to do it several times.
Repeat steps for heater hose bleeder screw.
It's important you do it in this order. You want air out of the engine first before worrying about your heater hoses.