alsil Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 I got my motor back together and running a week ago. I figured a couple of days a go I should take it out since I haven't driven it even out of the driveway since Feb 2nd. So my son and I took it out on Thursday afternoon. I drove it out to Hwy 5, and it had warmed up just a little. As SOON as I stepped on it getting on the freeway, the temp shot up all the way to 250. Literally, I watched it just swing right over in less than a second from 110 to 250. I have never seen that before ever, and I've had Mustangs. (If you've had an old Mustang you KNOW what I'm talking about. ) I limped it home, temp at about 230-240 the whole way. I have a 4 core Summit Radiator that I had cleaned, pressure tested and flow tested. I have a 180 thermostat. I have a Flo-Kooler Aluminum High Flow Water pump. I just don't get this. I have built MANY MANY cars and never had problems like this before. It seems like no matter what I do with this car it breaks. I mean, come on, I managed to have a '66 Mustang that DIDN'T overheat. Try that on a 100 degree day in CA! Anyone in the PDX area that might want to come over and help me figure this out? I am so sick of fixing this thing, and not driving it. Thanks Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dp351zcar Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Al have you checked for a short in the wiring? If it just shot over there was it faster than a engine block would heat up? Could your thermostat clamp shut cutting off the water going to the rad? I don't know what the problem is but I would like to give you a hand except I live 2.5-3 hours away. Good luck Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 20, 2003 Author Share Posted April 20, 2003 The wiring is good, first thing I thought was the wire came off the sender. Then I popped the hood and the overflow was full of boiling water....which pretty much confirmed it overheated.... The thermostat is the next step, gonna pull the thermostat housing and check it out. Thanks! Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Al, I'd also check the sendor because that gage should give you a bit more warning. That is an extreme situation... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 sounds like a thermostat hanging up, but yeah, your sender would let you know and it shouldnt even stick closed like until it wants to kick open, meaning it would have gone 180-210, not 110-210 right? i would clean up the sender regardless of what the cause was, and maybe test it. also, check your water pump pulley and its alignment, i had bad alignment once and overheated like that once too. run it with no therm for a spell and see what it does. i dont think you the fan wired backwards or anything like that, thats a rookie move. good luck, those 12's are knocking pretty hard in the back of my lil car, thanx man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 21, 2003 Author Share Posted April 21, 2003 well based on this stuff, I will check my thermostat anyway, but I WILL clean the sensor and see if anything is wrong with it. I have the serpentine setup on my car, so the pulleys should all be fine. I am suspecting that there is a bunch of crud behind the thermostat, blocking water from passing. Not sure how all of the sudden the temp would spike...... This is why this car is killing me, it can't be easy stuff, no. Has to be 'What the Hell??!?!?!' every time. Thanks for all the input. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 Check the radiator hoses. I have a a '66 Mustang (289 with power nuthing) that made me crazy boiling over in the winter!! Turned out to be the lower radiator hose was collapsing due to the inner-support spring being rusted away and the suction of the water pump would kink and seal the hose - only at freeway speed - it would cool fine in stop-and-go traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dp351zcar Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 Another thought I had (yes I do get them sometimes) is do you have all the air out of the system? Also is the radiator hot? If not the water might not be going through the radiator the way it should and the water in the engine boiling away pushing water into the overflow tank. one cubic foot of water is seventeen hundred cubic feet of steam. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 21, 2003 Author Share Posted April 21, 2003 I did think about that, and I thought that if the thermostat has crud behind it (as lots of Fords have happen to them), it can stop the air from getting out...usually the air will get pushed up and out of the system through the overflow, but if there is crap blocking the vent hole in the thermostat.....Also, that might account for the 'all of the sudden' rising of the temp gauge, the air might have all of the sudden (from a bump or something) found a way out, and the water that had been heating up gets up to the top, makes the temp spike......maybe. the engine did cool off a little when I was on the way home..... Sounds like the good ol' hose it out trick is in order.......(You Ford guys gotta know that one!) Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I know I'm late in adding my comment in here, but this is exactly what was happening with mine, UNTIL I finally got the air out of the system, and it was not easy. No gunked up parts on my car either. Once I got the air out, it worked great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bobs302z Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I had problem once as well What I do is pull a plug on the intake now and fill rad untill it comes out plug . put plug in and fill rad the rest of the way .That way seems to work well If you didnt have bad luck you wouldnt have luck at all ALIAS. tommarow is another day . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 21, 2003 Author Share Posted April 21, 2003 ok, sounds reasonable. I'm going to pull the thermostat anyway, just to make sure that's ok, and there isn't a bunch of fretting behind it, then put it back on, and try belching the system like you suggested. Usually just filling up the radiator does the trick, but I guess sometimes from what you said it's common for air to get trapped. I had figured since Air is lighter than water, the water would just push it to the top...maybe in some places it can't (water jackets, back of the heads, etc....). thanks for the advice. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 21, 2003 Author Share Posted April 21, 2003 Update 4/21/03: Pulled the thermostat housing. No crud behind it. Boiled the hermostat. It opened fine. Water pump seems fine, hell, it's only got maybe 5k on it. So my options now are to fill 'er back up, make sure there are no air pockets, and see what happens. Gonna get a new thermostat anyway, just to play it safe. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 Al, It is not unheard of to have a brand new thermostat not work correctly. Since you've tested yours, put it back in. At least you have a known/tested variable. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 21, 2003 Author Share Posted April 21, 2003 yea, makes sense....although I would worry about it, just that it's been used and I've had problems, but since it did open.... Thanks Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 You've got air pockets... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Yea, you're probably right. When I was stopping the car that one day, every time I heard a wierd clicking from the vacinity of the heater core.... I'm thinking it may be water boiling in teh core, and when I stop, the water moves forward and the boiling makes the clicking sound..... Gonna fill the car up, runt he car with the heater on (so the water circulates) stop it, top it off.....repeat..... thanks! Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Did you fix the problem, Al? Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 WATER PUMP Can't believe it. Just got it not too long ago. Thing's not pumping water at all. The reason my temp gauge went up so fast is that when I hit the gas ont eh freeway the water sloshed back and the cold water that had been sitting in the heater hose fitting (where the sender is located) was quickly replaced with boiling water. Was warming up the car and noticed that the water didn't drop when I hit the gas in the open radiator. Crap. Oh well, there's another $100! Mystery Solved. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted May 8, 2003 Author Share Posted May 8, 2003 Been a busy couple of weeks. Got a new job, working lots of hours doing the new and the old job. Finally got to ripping apart my Z to get the water pump off. Took it off, water pump shaft broke in half. Spin it and the impeller doesn't move. The bearings were good, nice and smooth, not loose at all. Figures. that's the first time that's happened to me. Weird. Oh well, that's the way it goes. slapping on a new pump will take care of it. It's never what it seems with this car, it's always something wierd and out of the ordinary. It will be great to get this on the road again. Hopefully out at the track pulling 13's. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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