[VM0824]

im driving home and notice im really really hot. soo i then notice that at 55 in 5th gear it stays hot but if i downshift it cools down. im guessing the thermostat is stuck and at higher rpms the water pump is pushing water past the closed thermostat. also it was VERY responsive to my driving, as in it would react just a few seconds after i pull away from a light and get really hot really fast

when i get home, shes VERY low on fluid. now i have no reservoir (not my doing) so im again guessing the fluid boiled out at those high temps. BUT im afraid of what came first. did the thermo get stuck and boil out the water? or did the water leak somewhere and thats why it overheated. idk about head gasket, oil isnt chocolate millky, no signs of a leak. water pumpdry and spinning. ideas?

[DigitalDC89]

get a reservoir on there asap. if the water expands or boils out of the weep hole, that will only aid to the problem of running hot. since the t-stat is the cheapest of all the replace, and easiest to check, i would do that first. pull the radiator cap and look down inside to inspect it for clogged lines, that could be it as well.

also, is this based on the stock gauge, or a real temp gauge? stock ones are NOT very accurate...

[VM0824]

Stock gauge but still. Gonna change stat out, still fluid, add reservoir, and hope its not something more serious

[DigitalDC89]

when you pull the t-stat, toss it in some boiling water to see if it opens properly. if it doesnt, then theres your problem.

[VM0824]

ooo yea i was wondering how i could test it. although now that you say that i feel like i should have thought of that myself lol

[VM0824]

tstat opened after boiling for a bit. and not THat much. just enough i guess. hoping it was just a lazy tstat.

my only other thought is possibly a bad temp guage, although the ECT is new. any other ideas? hopefully this will just have fixed it.

[nolife]

The overflow bottle collects water as it expands with heat and pressure surges from the cooling system. That water is pulled back in when the car cools down. It and a working radiator cap are required parts of the cooling system. With no overflow bottle you will always be low on water and low on cooling system pressure which will cause boiling, erratic water flow, and thermostat operation (it only works accurately with flowing water, not steam or air).

[VM0824]

So I'm gonna rig something up. Should I need more than a liter of reservoir?

[Bubba95SN]

Closer to 3.

[nolife]

Originally Posted by VM0824 So I'm gonna rig something up. Should I need more than a liter of reservoir?

Probably bigger but not sure how much bigger. The tube from the under the rad cap should attach to the bottom of your rig bottle so it sucks back in water and not air and make sure the top is vented. The rig does not need to hold pressure, just 200-240F water worst case. I wouldnt put too much effort into a rig job though, you can buy a stock like aftermarket replacement with a top and hose for about $40. Your local auto part chain store probably has universal replacements too.

[1989Gt.]

WHynot just go to the junk yard and find one, And make sure you use a working cap you can get a pressure tester and check your stock one tho but its probably not working. You the coolant needs somewhere to expand too

[VM0824]

yea ik its a sin, i didnt do. everytime i pop the hood i find something else the guy who owned it before rigged.

anyways i have a bigger problem. i changed the thermostat and got a new gasket in there but i leaks like a sieve. my god it wasnt just trickling out but a small stream! i tightened the bolts down even harder but its still coming out pretty fast in a broken stream. i had some copper gasket maker laying around and tried that. same thing. i noticed that their are 2 bolts but they arent opposite each other. one is like 4 o clock and the other is like 11. i feel like i needs another bolt at like 7. its impossible to see right where its coming front if your looking head on. but if i look from the driver side it appears to be coming right from the bottom of the gasket.

anyone else run into this? im afraid i may have cracked something or idk. but the fluid pours out without the car even running. as im filling the radiator im watching it run into a puddle.

ideas?

[DigitalDC89]

check the t-stat housing for cranks, same with the intake manifold. i doubt either cracked from a simple t-stat install, more likely a bad gasket. any chance it didnt get aligned just right, or old gasket material was left behind?

[nolife]

There is a grove in there, make sure the thermostat stays in the groove. If it slips out beofre you get it tightened, it will leak. Get a thermostat gasket that has a peel and stick surface or some sticky gasket sealer like gasgacinch to hold the thermostat and gasket in place in the manifold while you tighten. You may have cracked your gooseneck as well, it is cast aluminum and cracks easily. The order is thermostat in the groove (with spring part inside engine), gasket, then gooseneck. If it is done right, 10-12ftlbs on the bolts and a paper gasket is enough for it to not leak. Any more and there is a problem.

[VM0824]

The order is thermostat in the groove (with spring part inside engine), gasket, then gooseneck.

the groove is in the "gooseneck". i installed the thermostat into the goosneck (cuz the grooves in there), then the gasket, then put all 3 into the engine. but ill def try the other way tomorrow.

[nolife]

Maybe I'm backwards then but I remember doing mine the other way. Sounds like you had it right but it still could have slipped.

[fogged306]

It's not hard for that thermostat to slide down out of that grove. Very good chance that's what happened.

[VM0824]

YES that was it. when i pulled it off i could see the indent of the thermostat on the gasket where it slipped down. i have the gasket and tstat drying in place with some rtv, then im gonna try it again. good catch fogged!