Maybe Head Gasket...Maybe Cracked Block...Maybe nothing?

[sunflow99]

So you've been reading my overheating woes for the past month, and I have done everything short of pull the engine to check for bad gasket or cracked block. The delimma is, some "tests" for HG failure are positive, some negative. So come to today, I just drove the 'roo down from Washington, DC to Greensboro, NC(~300miles) with no overheat, no needle movement. When I stopped about 1/3 the way to gas up(no longer than 5 mintes), I checked the overflow, and there were bubbles in it(not like a rolling boil, but bubbles around the sides). So then I drove it the rest of the way without stopping, got home, opened the overflow, no bubbles, but little wisps of steam. So, if it were an HG or crack, would it not have acted up on a trip that long? Or did it just behave and it still could be a problem?

 

I'm catiously happy right now:confused:

[Setright]

I hope you are glad to hear from me, yet again!

 

 

Some bubbles, and some steam in the expansion tank is normal. In the morning, with the engine cold, open the rad cap. If the level in the rad is down to the little vertical channels, that would signal some sort of abnormality. This could be HG, or maybe just a leaky hose somewhere.

 

The upper coolant hose attaches to a pipe that collects coolant from both sides of the engine. Check for signs of coolant leaks around the two points where it bolts to the block. Could be letting air into the system during cool down.

[sunflow99]

Yeah, setright, you're my goto guy, I knew you'd have an answer. When I checked it this morning, the level in the radiator was a little low, but the level in the overflow was a little high. What are the little vertical channels?

[sunflow99]

Okay,

 

 

So I got home today, no overheats. I try to drive 1.5 miles to a resturant, and the damn thing overheats!??!?! What in the world????!!!!

[Setright]

Well, it does sound almost identical to my EJ22 when it blew the HG's :-(

 

It would run fine for long journeys, short journeys, fast journeys...and suddenly overheat at the oddest of times.

 

If you don't have the dosh to pay for it now, keep at least 2 quarts of fresh coolant in the trunk, that way you will never get stranded - worked for me ;-)

 

And scan your eyes across the temp gauge at regular intervals. Like, every two seconds! I still do this, from force of habit, three years later...

[sunflow99]

I've got four gallons of 50/50 back there. I guess I'll just keep on truckin.