[waldick]

Ok, so i have a 2.5 ATX. I just got done replacing the original motor that had a rod knock with one that had 57K on it from a salvage yard. When i first fired it up it began to overheat, neither of the fans would come on, then after i rechecked all of the connections (ground wires, etc) and for no apparent reason it all started working with temp being fine. I drove the car for a week or so putting about 150 miles on i without a problem.

Then tonight i was driving along and noticed that the motor seemed a little sluggish, anyway at the next traffic light i noticed the temp gauge in the red...

I don't know how long it was running hot, but i shut it off immediately, waited a minute or so and restarted it to monitor the temp in the diagnostic mode and it was around 252, both fans running on high....so i shut her down and parked her.

Two hours later i restarted her to move her to my son's house 1/2 mile away. Temperature was down by now, fans still working and i turned on the heater full blast...still temp started to climb. I shut it off well before it got into the red this time. Engine ran fine other than the overheating. I checked the oil and it was not milky, nor is there any sign of a coolant leak or the dreaded coolant smoke out of the tailpipe.

So tomorrow i want to fix the thing and i have searched and read the posts regarding overheating, thermostats and water pumps. What i would like to know is how to properly diagnose the problem.

I figure based on what i read that it has to be the thermostat or the water pump...but because i get hot air out of the heater, does that mean that the water pump is working ...otherwise how can tell if water pump is working ?

Anyway, i need help diagnosing the problem...ideas...should i just replace thermostat and see what happens...



j

 

[seaneyo99]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

Sure sounds to me like its the thermostat. that would be the first thing i would replace.

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

That's kinda what i thought, I'll do that in the AM... also have a water pump from the old motor. I just now took it off and checked it out and it looks pretty clean inside. It has a white impeller that does not show any signs of deterioration. I also checked to see if it appears to be tight on the shaft, and again it seemed fine. It is a Ford part, not aftermarket...so while i have the coolant drained, i figured i might as well replace the pump...

Thanks, i'll report progress.

I just pray i didn't damage the motor...!

 

[kustomcougar]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

did you use the roght coolant? sounds to me like a thermostat, just hope it ain't a head gasket going bad, same thing happened to my brother car before it died

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

did you use the roght coolant? sounds to me like a thermostat, just hope it ain't a head gasket going bad, same thing happened to my brother car before it died

Yeah, i had the whole system drained as a result of the motor swap. I used the prestone premix stuff that is supposed to be good for all motors...that's what they said anyway. Although i have read the posts about mixing the different types of coolant, but this product claims to be compatible with all systems...lets hope!

I guess i'll find out when i drain the system if there is any coagulation (sp.?).

If it is a head gasket, the yard owes me a new motor...but i would be out the labor, which was all my son and i over the course of a month of nights and weekends.

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

That's kinda what i thought, I'll do that in the AM... also have a water pump from the old motor. I just now took it off and checked it out and it looks pretty clean inside. It has a white impeller that does not show any signs of deterioration. I also checked to see if it appears to be tight on the shaft, and again it seemed fine. It is a Ford part, not aftermarket...so while i have the coolant drained, i figured i might as well replace the pump...

Thanks, i'll report progress.

I just pray i didn't damage the motor...!

If you are draining it, you might as well flush it at the same time. Just a precaution to make sure nothing funky is going on in the water loop, since you said it was a junkyard motor and you didn't take it apart to clean it?

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

Yeah, i had the whole system drained as a result of the motor swap. I used the prestone premix stuff that is supposed to be good for all motors...that's what they said anyway. Although i have read the posts about mixing the different types of coolant, but this product claims to be compatible with all systems...lets hope!

I guess i'll find out when i drain the system if there is any coagulation (sp.?).

If it is a head gasket, the yard owes me a new motor...but i would be out the labor, which was all my son and i over the course of a month of nights and weekends.

Dex-Cool 50/50?

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

well, that would have been a good idea, unfortunately i didn't think about that at the time. I will do that now though.

Which hose do stick the garden hose into ?

I tried to find the how-to referenced in another thread...no luck

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

Dex-Cool 50/50?

no, prestone 50/50 and i quote:

"New Formula, All makes, All models, Add to any color antifreeze"
"Extended Life, Pre-diluted,Ready to use"

what, did i get mis-led ?

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

well, that would have been a good idea, unfortunately i didn't think about that at the time. I will do that now though.

Which hose do stick the garden hose into ?

If you are talking about a flush, I did it this way:

1.) Drain the old coolant system
2.) Do whatever you need to do with no coolant in the lines
3.) Plug the radiator back up
4.) Fill with some water at the reservoir, add a bottle of radiator flush (I used Preston Super Radiator Flush), and then fill up with more water
5.) Turn car on and let it warm up to normal operating temperature and then turn the heater on full high for 10 minutes.
6.) Drain the system; they suggest for you to wait for the car to cool, but I didn't feel like waiting 10-15 minutes.
7.) Replug and fill with water
8.) Redo step #5
9.) Drain again and replug
10.) Fill with Antifreeze (I used Prestone Dex-Cool Antifreeze and Distilled Water at a 60 (Antifreeze)/40 (water) mixture)*

*Remember to over fill above the Max line because the coolant sensor is retarded.

no, prestone 50/50 and i quote:

"New Formula, All makes, All models, Add to any color antifreeze"
"Extended Life, Pre-diluted,Ready to use"

what, did i get mis-led ?

I'm not sure what the exact specs are with the 50/50 Extended Life, but I've tried using it before back on my Ford Taurus that I had and it was nothing but trouble. It made the car about 20 degrees hotter than the regular 50/50 stuff and seemed to actually evaporate a lot easier in the climate changes in Indiana. I'm not saying it might not work for this car, but I for one and am not going to test it out and see . I'd stick with what works and that is the Dex-Cool or equivalent.

 

[kustomcougar]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

that coolant you used is supposed to be mixed with the coolant already in there, i dont think you are supposed to use it alone

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

That plug at the bottom of the radiator doesn't seem large enough to pass globs of gunk, etc...should i pull the bottom hose by the a/c instead ?

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

that coolant you used is supposed to be mixed with the coolant already in there, i dont think you are supposed to use it alone

If you are talking to me ... their are a few different choices with cleaners for the radiator. Their is a bottle called Super Radiator Cleaner, which cleans the system of heavy rust buildup and scale buildup. I might even suggest this to you, waldick, if you really see that much buildup in the radiator when you are draining it before the flush. The bottle of flush that I refer to above was perfect for me, as I've not really had over heating issues with the car, but it did start to run on the warm side, which is why I flushed it before something bad might have happened.

The cleaner = driving, which I didn't really want to do for 3 hours when it was 11:30pm. The flush = heater at full for 10 minutes, this is what I was going for as I didn't have that much buildup in the radiator when draining. Their is also another bottle of stuff called Prestone Cooling System Treatment, which is what I think you are talking about being added to the already present coolant. Here is a link to Prestone's site to give you a little more information on their cooling system treatment products, Prestone :: Products : Cooling System Treatments.

Edit: Noticed you weren't talking to me, but I'm going to leave this hear for whatever purpose it might serve.

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

that coolant you used is supposed to be mixed with the coolant already in there, i dont think you are supposed to use it alone

you gotta be kidding me, what difference would that make ?

and if it does, the Autozone store here is in trouble, because i specifically asked them that !

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

If you used Prestone 50/50 Extended Life Antifreeze, then no, you don't have to mix it with anything. It is perfectly pour and enjoy.

That plug at the bottom of the radiator doesn't seem large enough to pass globs of gunk, etc...should i pull the bottom hose by the a/c instead ?

I would say yes, but only if you saw some really big build up in the bottom of the radiator. I'd almost be looking to remove the thing and really be giving the thing a cleaning if you see that much build up though. The cleaner should break the particles down to be able to flow through that small hole though.

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

If you are talking to me ... their are a few different choices with cleaners for the radiator. Their is a bottle called Super Radiator Cleaner, which cleans the system of heavy rust buildup and scale buildup. I might even suggest this to you, waldick, if you really see that much buildup in the radiator when you are draining it before the flush. The bottle of flush that I refer to above was perfect for me, as I've not really had over heating issues with the car, but it did start to run on the warm side, which is why I flushed it before something bad might have happened.

The cleaner = driving, which I didn't really want to do for 3 hours when it was 11:30pm. The flush = heater at full for 10 minutes, this is what I was going for as I didn't have that much buildup in the radiator when draining. Their is also another bottle of stuff called Prestone Cooling System Treatment, which is what I think you are talking about being added to the already present coolant. Here is a link to Prestone's site to give you a little more information on their cooling system treatment products, Prestone :: Products : Cooling System Treatments.

Edit: Noticed you weren't talking to me, but I'm going to leave this hear for whatever purpose it might serve.

The stuff i used is not the treatment, but the 50/50 prediluted stuff, second from the the top on the coolant page...



edit: oops, cross post, sorry

 

[kustomcougar]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

i pretty sure for that coolant to work it has to be mixed with the coolant already in there, thats why it says it "WORKS" with any "COOLANT", i could be wrong but thats what im thinkin, and the coolant the cougar requiers is orange and that stuff you used can me "mixed" with it

 

[jank]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

i pretty sure for that coolant to work it has to be mixed with the coolant already in there, thats why it says it "WORKS" with any "COOLANT", i could be wrong but thats what im thinkin

It says it works with any coolant for you to buy it as a replenishing coolant for burn off/evaporation of the other antifreeze. Meaning, you already have coolant in the lines and you need to top it off with something to keep it filled.

 

[kustomcougar]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

ya to top it off but not to use only that is what im saying, i say drain it out and get the orange coolant, you need a lil more than a gallon to fill it up

 

[waldick]

Re: Overheating Diagnosis help needed...

Ok, i feel better. Autozone didn't steer me wrong then. I guess i replace the thermostat, waterpump, flush the system and see what happens...

Any reason not to use Autozone thermostats ? and what's up with the gasket costing more than the part it seals ?!?!?!? Hard to believe !


Cross your fingers !