coolant issue (1 Viewer)

[FLoudog]

Yesterday I either overheated or busted a hose and all the coolant leaked out. Not really sure where to start. Whats the best way to troubleshoot coolant issue? Should I fill with water and see if theres a leak somewhere?

I heard a whining noise that sounded like a belt. could that be related to coolant system at all?

 

[charliemeyer007]

Water is cheap and non toxic - fill the system - run the rig to heat it up and pressurize the system if it doesn't leak out while filling

 

[pjohnson]

If it leaked out, it had to go somewhere. Look for evidence of the leak.

 

[charliemeyer007]

A wet fan belt could squeal or whine. Water pump seal could fail, a hose could split or get hole from rubbing. If its a failed hose - plan to replace them all asap as the rest are likely as old and will fail soon at an inopportune time. My 72 takes 4 gallons of coolant (2 gallons of antifreeze and 2 of water.

If it was running fine, then over heating was likely caused by loss of coolant from the "leak". It could be because the system was low due to something like a bad radiator cap.

Know any local "car people" to help you out? Check your oil level (if its milky colored)- could be a head gasket failing due to overheating

 

[peesalot]

There is a big difference between overheating and coolant purge from overflow, vs., all the coolant leaked out ?
while cool, fill until full , leave cap off, wait awhile, put fresh cardboard under to spot drips, if level goes down but no drips thats ok, its just burping and settling, may not happen but could and just top it up if it does, if it holds water level & no drips for awhile ( 20 min at least) put cap on and start er up, dont splash water on the carboard while filling, it makes it hard to spot drips. let it run until operating temp and check for drips/leaks. Run the heater valve open and closed fully a few times. If no leaks, water level good and it overheats & burps out overflow then further investigation into overheating will be nec.

 

[FLoudog]

what's the best way to check if coolant is flowing properly? just monitor temp gages?

 

[FLoudog]

Also, I was just reading another thread where someone used a "vaccuum filler" to avoid burping coolant. Can someone help me understand how that works and where to pick one up? below is quote from that thread.

"I used a cheap $35 vacuum filler to not worry about having to burp it each time. It was a huge time savor."

 

[GA Architect]

what's the best way to check if coolant is flowing properly? just monitor temp gages?

A great tool to have when dealing with the coolant system, Lisle 24680

 

[pb4ugo]

Also, I was just reading another thread where someone used a "vaccuum filler" to avoid burping coolant. Can someone help me understand how that works and where to pick one up? below is quote from that thread.

"I used a cheap $35 vacuum filler to not worry about having to burp it each time. It was a huge time savor."

Thats more for filling the rad. Right now your looking for a source of the leak. The 1st thing is just looking for an area thats wet, then look around for the source of the water. Look under the pulley that the fan is connected and hoses. Also, Grab the fan and see if it wobbles, if it does wobble that means the bearings are bad and the pump needs to be replaced. You can go to your local chain autoparts store. You can borrow a coolant pressure tester with a deposit. Then fill the rad with a water. The pressure tester replaces the rad cap. Pump the pressure tester up to about 13lbs and then look for leaks. Also watch the gauge, to confirm the cooling system is holding pressure or not.

 

[John Smith]

It sounds to me like your water pump pulley seized. That is why you heard the belt squeal before a hose, the water pump, or something else let go, dumping all your coolant.

 

[FLoudog]

So I found the bypass hose that connects the thermostat to the water pump had a hole in the side of it. I replaced it and put new coolant in the system. I ran around the neighborhood for 10 minutes or so and truck started to get hot.

Question- I first had filled the system with water to locate the leak. I then drained the water out the bottom of the radiator. I couldn't get the block drain out so I skipped that and filled with coolant. Was that a mistake? Did I leave a bunch of water in the block and mess the mixture up? how badly would that affect cooling. Trying to figure out if I still may be dealing with a bad water pump or something else.

The block drain is really hard to locate on my 82' fj40. I am new to this so need some leeway. Any tips on locating?

 

[Green Bean]

The small amount of water left in the engine block shouldn't be the issue. Nor should it be a problem that you were not able to drain the engine block. The over heating could be caused by air trapped in the system as shown in post #8 above. It could possibly be something worse but that is the cheapest and easiest issue to first rule out. By the way, there are plenty of posts about draining the engine through the block drain which is located (at least on our 1F) on the lower driver's side near the oil pressure sender unit. Sometimes they have a tendency to get clogged up and you may need to work a bit to unclog the drain opening.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I usually just unhook the lower radiator hose to drain the system quickly. You might have an air bubble - driving up hill a hill should shake it loose. Let the truck in your driveway with the radiator cap off - you should see the water level surge up and down as the thermostat opens and closes.

A bad water pump usually leaks. I guess the impeller could fall off inside and not pump, or it could clogged with something like paper or sealant and not pump. Thermostat can fair close and cause overheating or fail open and the truck will not get very warm.

Loosen the fan belt completely, see if the water pump spins freely and doesn't have a lot of play in the shaft. For like $100 you can change both the water pump and the thermostat. If they are good just put them in your parts box. Get a piece of gasket paper and make copies of your new ones before you install them; that way you will have when you need those parts. Or you could just buy the gaskets.

I still vote for some hands on with a car person if you know any.

 

[pb4ugo]

How much water/coolant did you put in?
Ussually once you fill the rad with water you should start the engine with the cap off and let I warm up. When the tstat opens the water will circulate thru the engine and the water level will drop. It will push some coolant at 1st and force air out, then drop. The upper rad hose will warm up when the tstats opens. Now top off the rad and install the cap.

 

[pb4ugo]

Or get a funnel like in a previous post and it wont be as messy, and warm the engine.

 

[FLoudog]

while chasing the leak I filled the system full. This morning I opened the radiator and drained all out. Didn't open the block plug.

I then put in 2.5 gallons of 50/50 green. Does that mean there is 2.5 gallons of water left in there ?

 

[charliemeyer007]

Those little antifreeze testers are cheap. My rear heater is from a 17 place Chevy van, its like the size of a Subaru radiator - that's why my system is like 4 gallons in capacity. I shoot for more than 50/50 and less than 75% antifreeze myself.

 

[pb4ugo]

For the most efficient cooling you want as close to a 50/50 mix as you can. Did you allow the engine to warm up and allow the tstat to open? I'd also pull the heat knob also, so water is flowing thru the whole system.

 

[Smotride]

If you can't identify the leak visually, you can fill the radiator with water (distilled is best if you have it) and then run the engine. This can help you spot where it's leaking from. However, remember to drain the water and refill with the appropriate coolant mixture once you've identified and fixed the leak.

 

[FLoudog]

I filled her up cold. realizing now that I need to let it run for a while and fill up after t stat opens and also run the heater.