I need a lot of help asap
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On The Tree
Joined: May 2012
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I need a lot of help asap so it all started today when i was driving my car and noticed a smell coming from outside my car ...figured i was in traffic and didnt think it was my car but then my coolant level light came on and my temp gauge was on 0 and i pulled over.
come to find out that the heater hose that comes right off the bottom of the water pump broke right. a better description would be where the first metal crimp is....looks like they were just glued on. well fast forward i get it towed home and get to autozone i get another hose that goes to the water pump and a heater hose connector piece as well....put it all together and fill it back up...2 jugs of coolant and i proceed to start it up. it starts up sounds fine no smoke out of the exhaust or anything but still no temp reading...i wait a couple minutes and then shut it off...look underneath of the car and nothing. so i take it down the road easy (still no temp reading but no other lights on the dash) and its running fine. so as i turn back around i get into boost around 4-5 gear up to 70mph pull in the driveway look down and there is coolant everywhere. 
so i drain it all out and clean up my mess....fixed that issue (overfilled the rad) and now i have no low coolant light or ses light but my temp gauge is still not reading right...i have no heat coming through my vents in the cabin and i am frustrated.
i could use any tips help or anything of the sort to get my lt1 running again.
come to find out that the heater hose that comes right off the bottom of the water pump broke right. a better description would be where the first metal crimp is....looks like they were just glued on. well fast forward i get it towed home and get to autozone i get another hose that goes to the water pump and a heater hose connector piece as well....put it all together and fill it back up...2 jugs of coolant and i proceed to start it up. it starts up sounds fine no smoke out of the exhaust or anything but still no temp reading...i wait a couple minutes and then shut it off...look underneath of the car and nothing. so i take it down the road easy (still no temp reading but no other lights on the dash) and its running fine. so as i turn back around i get into boost around 4-5 gear up to 70mph pull in the driveway look down and there is coolant everywhere. so i drain it all out and clean up my mess....fixed that issue (overfilled the rad) and now i have no low coolant light or ses light but my temp gauge is still not reading right...i have no heat coming through my vents in the cabin and i am frustrated.i could use any tips help or anything of the sort to get my lt1 running again.
Air pocket? I would crawl under the car with LOTS of paper towels and clean up everything wet you see, then put a very large piece of cardboad under the car, fill it up with coolant, and let it idle for a while, while being diligent about checking over everything. Keep us posted.
When the hose blew and you refilled it air 99% likely is still in the system now, causing your no heat through the vents thing/ or your heater core was already clogged.
Can you over fill the rad on these cars You either had to fill it with the car off and the coolant dropped when you started it or kept it running while the pump was allowing coolant to flow, but still can't really overfill it without spilling it everywhere. If your overflow was already filled then it's possible coolant backed up when it dumped into there. Did the rad cap blow off? or was it just lightly leaking? They can go bad.
The temp gauge I don't know, coolant possibly got into the wiring/ connection that feeds to your dash?
If the car over heated with all that coolant leaking, and your gauge wasn't functioning so not like you'd know? Then the head gasket could have went. IIRC this can cause the coolant to boil and blow out the rad cap/ over flow. So hopefully that didn't happen. Refill, re bleed. I'd do a leak down test on the cooling system before driving it again though
Can you over fill the rad on these cars
You either had to fill it with the car off and the coolant dropped when you started it or kept it running while the pump was allowing coolant to flow, but still can't really overfill it without spilling it everywhere. If your overflow was already filled then it's possible coolant backed up when it dumped into there. Did the rad cap blow off? or was it just lightly leaking? They can go bad.The temp gauge I don't know, coolant possibly got into the wiring/ connection that feeds to your dash?
If the car over heated with all that coolant leaking, and your gauge wasn't functioning so not like you'd know? Then the head gasket could have went. IIRC this can cause the coolant to boil and blow out the rad cap/ over flow. So hopefully that didn't happen. Refill, re bleed. I'd do a leak down test on the cooling system before driving it again though
Thread Starter
On The Tree
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It's not putting out white smoke on or off boost, oil looks fine n so does the oil level, but a side note I have a tube that goes from the back of the head on the passenger side to the radiator it's right below the cap, I see fluid come out of it once I fill up the radiator...is that a bad sign of a head gasket.?
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2012
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And I didn't have the car started when I refilled the radiator either so I might have that air pocket you speak of. My over full tank isn't full either it's at the regular level it should be at and I don't think water or any fluids could have gotten to the other side of the motor where the sensor is at. The fans come on as they should. How do I go about bleeding out the coolant system by the way?
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Verdad Gallardo Like Bufmat said I'd dry everything, TRIPLE check all hose clamps are tight and everything connected right. Then start it and see what happens. There are alot of threads on bleeding the cooling system but basically when filling it keep the bleeder screws open until they start to leak coolant (you should here air escaping through them) Start the car and as it reaches operating temp open the valves (with rags below them) until pure coolant comes out.
If your temp gauge isn't working I'd be hesitate to run the car very long... after everything is re connected I WOULD suggest you rent a coolant pressure test from autozone, napa, ect you can verify the cooling system is holding and nothing else will blow, this will basically confirm or not too if you just have air in the system/ faulty rad cap or a more serious issue.
If your temp gauge isn't working I'd be hesitate to run the car very long... after everything is re connected I WOULD suggest you rent a coolant pressure test from autozone, napa, ect you can verify the cooling system is holding and nothing else will blow, this will basically confirm or not too if you just have air in the system/ faulty rad cap or a more serious issue.
Perhaps. I've found it easier to bleed a LT1 car when the car is parked into a steep incline with the front much higher than the rear.
I'd fill the radiator, leave the cap off and start the engine. When the t-stat opens, the level in the radiator should drop and you'll see coolant coursing through. Top it off while reving the engine a bit and slap the radiator cap on. You can now fill the overflow tank to half way.
If you allow it to continue to run, the system will build up pressure. The radiator hoses should become hard. Check for leaks.
I'd fill the radiator, leave the cap off and start the engine. When the t-stat opens, the level in the radiator should drop and you'll see coolant coursing through. Top it off while reving the engine a bit and slap the radiator cap on. You can now fill the overflow tank to half way.
If you allow it to continue to run, the system will build up pressure. The radiator hoses should become hard. Check for leaks.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
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it wasnt at operating temp. it was sitting for probably a hour and a half and was cool.
im guessing its a slight crack in the head gasket enough for air from the piston to get into the coolant and push fluid through...if it is in fact a head gasket i am selling the car as a whole procharger and fully built 355 along with it....sucks it was my first lt1 let alone my first muscle car but its been issue after issue and my pockets arent deep enough for such a heft project.
im guessing its a slight crack in the head gasket enough for air from the piston to get into the coolant and push fluid through...if it is in fact a head gasket i am selling the car as a whole procharger and fully built 355 along with it....sucks it was my first lt1 let alone my first muscle car but its been issue after issue and my pockets arent deep enough for such a heft project.
it wasnt at operating temp. it was sitting for probably a hour and a half and was cool.
im guessing its a slight crack in the head gasket enough for air from the piston to get into the coolant and push fluid through...if it is in fact a head gasket i am selling the car as a whole procharger and fully built 355 along with it....sucks it was my first lt1 let alone my first muscle car but its been issue after issue and my pockets arent deep enough for such a heft project.
im guessing its a slight crack in the head gasket enough for air from the piston to get into the coolant and push fluid through...if it is in fact a head gasket i am selling the car as a whole procharger and fully built 355 along with it....sucks it was my first lt1 let alone my first muscle car but its been issue after issue and my pockets arent deep enough for such a heft project.