Losing Coolant/overheating Issues

[joebmx]

So I have had this weird thing going on with overheating/not overheating. I can drive 4 miles across town and when i park the car will see a small gush of coolant spilling out the bottom of my car I can also drive 20 miles across town on the highway and my temp gauge will run a little high with no coolant loss afterwards. Either way whenever I park I can here the coolant making a rolling boil sound I think in my overflow tank.

I did a 350mile trip over 4 mountain passes a few weeks back and watched my temp gauge almost hit the red freaking me out every time but never overheated until I was ten minutes from home on the highway, no hills no nothing, all the coolant was gone when I opened her up!

 

I had a pin hole in the heater hose a few weeks back and replaced the hose but had also run some of the radiator sealer stuff as a precaution as I was planning a big road trip, since then i have had this overheating problem.

 

From what I have read maybe a new radiator cap and new thermostat. Would this be the best course of action right now? Will Napa or carquest parts make do?

 

Thanks

 

PS. It is an 87 gl carbed with 203k, there is no colant in the oil and no oil in the coolant. There is a bit of white smoke on startupbut it goes away quickly, I also only drive her once a week, maybe!

[DaveT]

There is a bit of white smoke on startupbut it goes away quickly, I also only drive her once a week, maybe!

 

 

A few bits of info from my experiences:

 

Smoke has nothing to do with once / week. The white smoke could be a small intake manifold leak - coolant passage to intake.

 

If one hose had a leak, replace all 7 coolant hoses.

 

I would either have the radiator cleaned & tested or replace it. Stop leak = bad - last resort to limp home.

 

Check the fine fins that are between the tubes of the radiator - if they are loose & falling out, get a new radiator. Especially in the corners of the electric fan shroud.

 

I got an all metal, non - china radiator here:

http://www.usaradiator.com/

 

You can have a small head gasket leak that lets combustion gas into the coolant passages. Over time there will be black gunk leaving a ring in the coolant overflow tank.

 

Every EA82 engine I have ever had run hot - even once - with low coolant has needed at least a head gasket job - instantly or months later, or in between. I never ran one repeatedly with cooling problems

.

[joebmx]

So I fire her up this morning and no smoke at all, okay, maybe since it has been 50 degrees the last few weeks in seattle it was something else today its 8o, But today nothing! The fins in the radiator look good except for a select few, from what i saw only two were crushed in. Coolant tank clean....oh and oddly enough I drove it stop in go for about 15 miles and the temp held steady in the middle. This is the first time in weeks. I don't get it.

[PaulMidi]

I'm having the same problem with my 92 Legacy Wagon but I noticed both fans have stopped working. I'm trying to figure out what to do.

I live in Oklahoma City I hope Seattle gets to keep the Super Sonics !

[Frank B]

That white smoke could also be the condensation from the heating exhaust pipe in a high humidity environment. If it does this only in the morning or night or after a rain etc, then I wouldn't worry about it. If it does this every single time you run it, in hot summer weather and it's sticky and smells sweet like coolant, then worry.

But yes, get a radiator, thick core(two row) is you can. Replace the thermostat anyway, change coolant.

[zyewdall]

Every EA82 engine I have ever had run hot - even once - with low coolant has needed at least a head gasket job - instantly or months later, or in between. I never ran one repeatedly with cooling problems

.

 

Unfortunately, I have to second DaveT here...