odd cooling system problem

Well, its odd to me anyway. It started with a mech sealing up an oil leak on the front crank seal. He said I really needed a new harmonic balancer, which was scored all the way round on its hub. I have little understanding of the actual mechanics of what he was talking about, and I didn't see it. [I couldn't form a blueprint in my mind, unless I see how the parts mate]. He got the small oil leak stopped, but I've had intermittent coolant leaks ever since.

First it was cause the overflow tube was left off, then it was the lower hose wasn't tight. I'd stay dry underneath for a few days, after I fixed these things myself, and then I'd see small amounts of coolant on the concrete, about every four days, over night.

Once when I was fueling, and came back out from inside the QT, she was running out pretty good from underneath. I got down on the ground, and it looked like it was coming out in small drops right below the water pump, or timing cover housing. I took it in to see if they could see exactly where it was leaking from. He said he couldn't tell for sure either, he didn't think the water pump was bad, [however he could tell that?], and talked me into putting a free $20 of Wynn's coolant system treatment in her. I don't believe in using stop leak, but he convinced me this was different, and absolutely would not clog anything, including heater core.

Everything was fine for a few more days, then I notice the first drive of the day she wants to heat up. The temp gauge just keep rising steadily. Way over where she normally runs. Out of coolant? No. Losing coolant? No, not that I can see. None in the oil, [that I can see]. None coming out the exhaust, [that I can determine]. None on the ground. But when I turn on the heater full, and fan full, just before she starts to hit red line on the temp, and she goes back to normal heat range real quick. And stays there, regardless of what I do with the heater and blower. If I make half a dozen trips that day, its the only time she does it, the very first trip. She don't do that again till next morning! Never again in the same day, even if she sits off for several hours.

I replaced the thermostat, cured it. For the first day at least. Now its back to doing the same exact thing. One guy says I have air trapped in the block and intake coolant ports. That I need to drive up on some ramps, [to get the radiator higher than the top of the block, loosen both the coolant sensor on the intake, and coolant sensor on the block to bleed the air lock out. [I don't know]. Another says I have a bad head gasket, or seal.

What doth the doctor sayeth?

Hatt

Reply to
DJ Hatt
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sounds like that stop-leak crap is gunking up the thermostat

wait till you need heat...............

Reply to
Gary Glaenzer

I've got heat Gary, works fine.

Hatt

Reply to
DJ Hatt

give it a few weeks to solidify

I hate that crap with a passion..........although it's good for a couple of heater core jobs a year

Reply to
Gary Glaenzer

Well, there I went and trusted somebody again. I used that solid crap stop leak, way back in the 60's once. Never had a problem thereafter. But then you started to hear people say bad stuff about it, here and there. I think those that had problems with it though were people that would keep buying it and putting it in. You know half a dozen of them instead of fixing the leak the way it should be. I thought this guy knew what he was talking about, shoulda known. But then again, I looked for technology to have taken a quantam leap too. Big deal huh? I only put one bottle in Gary, and I'll run the shit clean out tomorrow if someone is willing to say Wynn's don't give a damn, or its gonna screw things up. Right now though, I'd like to know what the answer to my questions are. I mean if there are any. Are you saying the thing is acting the way it does because I put that bottle in? Its got a new thermo in just yesterday. Could the stuff really be powerful enough to keep it from opening when it should?

Hatt

Reply to
DJ Hatt

Oh, come on. Rad. in a can is a Godsend, if you are a sleazy used car salesman.

Reply to
Chevguy

Your waterpump is shot. The pump shaft seal has blown allowing coolant to leak out of the lower weep hole. This hole, in turn allows air to be sucked into the system as it cools (coolant contracts causing vacuum). This is what is causing your overheat on the first start of the day. Replace the water pump.

Doc

Reply to
"Doc"

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