bloody cooling system again

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

In an effort to get rid of my cooling system leak, ive been paying some attention to the thermostat housing. I dont remember how much effort i put into sealing it when I rebuilt the head, but having pulled it off just now, there was no real evidence of much sealant having been used. So i cleaned the mating faces up with a bit of wet n dry and thinners and used the trusty old red hermetite on it. The thing i noticed is that at the bottom of the stat housing, the section around the stat which mates against the head is quite narrow, something like 2mm - 3mm, and it fits right up against the gasket face of the head, not set back from it. I had a fair chunk skimmed off my head, not leaving much to seal. This could be my problem. I stupidly didnt take any photos of it.

Hopefully the liberal use of hermetite will sort it.

When i filled up the system again I took a little video clip to show what i was on about before with the bubbles in the tank when you rev the engine. Shouldnt be doing this should it....

http://www.born-cynic.com/random/headerbubble.AVI

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

looks normal(ish) to me. You have air trapped in the system though or you wouldn;t get the bubbles comign up. Water pours in from the vent hose as well that upsets the water in the tank.

As for the stat housing I never use sealant the rubber ring on the stat is what seals it.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Yeah, the rubber ring should seal it, but the waters going somewhere so im just going belt and braces on everything now Smile

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

mine is the same.

Thing is when I take the cap off the level shoots right up. Even after 3 or so days, it retains pressure fine but when the pressures released ther air bubble grows and the level ges right up above the max mark. Even filling it to the top of the bottle doesn't put enough in.

Tis a pain in the arse.

say I got for a drive, motorway, nothing special just 70 or less, after abotu 30 miles pull off open the bonnet, touch the rad, top it freezing cold, bottom half boilign hot, heater also roasting, open the bleed nipple rad heats up heater cools in proportion. I also unclip the header tank lift it up and can hold it for up to 15 mins and still have air from the heater goign into it.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

also notcied when i had my head down there that the nice new rear engine mount that i put in just a year ago is now also starting to show signs of distinct fucked-ness. Great.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

yep, rear mounts don't last long on this chamade either. Thing is the hatch was ragged senseless and it was original mount and I stuck it on the chamade, was gone in a few months. Currently runnignt he old prima's rear mount, so far so good but the new front mount is a bit dodgy as its creatign a hell of a vibration.

Spammer Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 5717

going to be a stupid question but how many engine mounts are there in my ph1 and how can i check they are allright or not ????

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

3 mounts...just look at em. Tug the engine about a bit and see if theyre split.

one in each front corner of the engine and one in the middle at the back. bit hard to see if you dont know where/what youre looking for.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Oh yeah...since this thrwad is about my cooling system woes...a quick update...checked the coolant again todayand its dropped a bit. dont know if thats becasue the leak is still there or some airlocks have come out during the day today. Im betting on it still leaking. Getting upset now.

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

also when driving the thing..excessive movement of the gearstick...if u dont hold it and put power down and release...power down and release...see how much the stick moves to anf fro by.

neal do u think that if ur stat housing is sitting so low it may have been bent/disorted when ur put the new head on and torqued it down? i the housing was in contat with the block?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

file/sand the stat housing flat if thats the problem. Is it actually leakign from the housing?

Schakal the mounts will be gone, they always are.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Dont know where the bloody thing is leaking from, thats the problem!!

No obvious signs of water anywhere around the engine that i can see.

Pressure in the system is gone within half an hour.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

air lock or into the clylinders maybe.

You work somewher efancy they not got a bore scope ye can borrow?