1990 240sx questions / help

My son just bought his first car, a 1990 model 240sx. w/130,000 miles. It was understood from the start, that the motor would run a bit hot during use, but never run hot when idling for extended periods of time. The previous owner had supposedly changed water pump,. and thermostat, and temp gague, but nothing has solved its running hot. Its benr actually been boiled over. No oil is in the water and no water is in the crankcase, and no smoke is seen from the exhaust.

Any clues as to what I may look for on fixing this overheating p[ropblem. I though about flushing the radiator and cooling system and refilling with new anti freeze, and possibly replacing the thermostat again.

What is the odds on a blown cylinder head gasket or cracked head? How / what is a good way to check? Car seems to run fine, and after two days so far it has not run hot, but due to its history I want to see if I can find the culprit and make it right for the boy. He needs it for getting from home to work and back, and without it he is dead in the water.,

If its a head or head gasket whats involved as far as replacing same?

Anything else in general I should look for that may be a chronic type problem with this vehicle. Its a 5 speed, and overal it is in great shape.

Thanks

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foundry and general metal working and lots of related projects.Regards Roy aka Chipmaker // Foxeye Opinions are strictly those of my wife....I have had no input whatsoever. Remove capital A from chipmAkr for correct email address

Roy, Congratulations on the purchase of the 240SX. They are good cars with a pretty reliable engine. If you would like more information on the 240SX, just go to the following websites:

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- click on the FAQ button for troubleshooting info You might also want to consider joining the Amarok 240-Chat list where you can discuss any related problems with your 240SX.

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your overheating, make sure that all the air has been purged out of the cooling system. There is an air purge bolt/valve by the top radiator line on the engine block. Open the air purge bolt valve as you are pouring radiator fluid into the radiator. Make sure you jack up the front of the car & turn your car heater on as you are doing this - the engine should be running as you are pouring the fluid in.If this doesn't work then, things you want to check are:1). the Mechanical Fan attached to your water pump -2). Make sure the fan shroud is still on the radiator - the fan shroud makes a difference.

3). Make sure you are using a genuine Nissan thermostat - fellow Nissan 240Sx owners have mentioned that they have problems with aftermarket thermostats not functioning properly and causing overheating problems. Usually the problem is solved when the aftermarket part is swapped out and replaced with a genuine Nissan thermostat. 4). Chemically flush your radiator. The radiator can clog up with time if it's not pr> My son just bought his first car, a 1990 model 240sx. w/130,000 miles.