running with a busted radiator on a 3b.. how bad is it?

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brisveganbj42

brisveganbj42

Joined
Jan 9, 2005
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hobart.tas.au
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Hey guys,

I discoverd i have have some sort of leak in my radiator. i was filling it up on sunday after noticing some fluid on the water pump, when i topped up the radiator with coolant it pretty much came straight out the bottom.

ive have a mechanical water temp guage and the stock gauge and they rarely get more than 190f. even after a few solid all day runs. when i visited my mechanic on monday and mentioned it he sed they rarely get up to tempin the city but once they go on longer journeys its often too late and they have already gone.

i'm gonna pull it out tomorrow night and see whats what but i wouldnt mind some of your feedback.. if your runnin around with an empty radiator, how bad is it for your 3b? or is my 3b cooked already?

looking forward to your words of wisdom! :P

thanks,

andrew.
 
Some says 3B is very fragile in overheating situation and I personaly experience that bad situation. I think it’s VERY bad driving a 3B with a empty radiator.
 
hummm,
this really isn't a serious question is it?

run a diesel with out the benefit of a rad for cooling and you will be guaranteeing a dead head in a short period of time as well as boiled oil, scored cylindar walls, incorrect tolerances for bearings and lifters...

now if you just had a low rad and the temps were kept down as you said then "probably" no damage was done... but an empty rad?
 
well im not sure that its completely empty.. like i mentioned i haven't had a chance to get it out yet and see where its leaking from..
hopefully i'll have some more info tomorrow. car runs fine after replacing wheelbearings/cv's/hardbrake lines and the alternator the couple weekends. but im kinda over fixing the 40 though :rolleyes: either way it needs to be fixed and i have no idea how long its been like that. i get it regularly serviced so id assumed it was all ok.

ive refilled the overflow bottle and i hope the leak isnt at the bottom of the rad. i didnt get to fill it right up and see how much was still in there. there is a bit of fluid under the thermostat which led me to checking the rad.

anyway.. the radiator is comin out tomorrow night and i'll probably replace the hoses while im there as the spares are taking up valuable space in the toolbox.
 
This is a bit like "how long is a piece of string?"

If your asking if you have done damage it depends on how hot it got and for how long.
Most engines will handle a quick trip into the red and recover ok.
For more than a few minutes ,well its a bit like holding your head underwater;)
 
roscoFJ73 said:
For more than a few minutes ,well its a bit like holding your head underwater;)
Click to expand...
nice analogy...
 
Ah, you nay-sayers are all doom and gloom.

I drove Classic Tippy for 2 years with a hole in the rad.
I even drove it from the Columbia Ice-fields to Calgary with a boat in tow with a 1cm open hole in the top of the rad. You can drive for a long LONG while with a damaged rad.

What you cannot do, however, is drive for any distance with no water in the head. I must preface all of this by saying that my experiences are with a rad with it's hole at the top such that water leakage was minimal and as long as the water didn't boil off, you would always have coolant in the head.

Now, if you're inclined to drive around a 3B with a hole in the rad, there are a few things you may want to modify about your driving style. First of all, you should know that diesel engine temperatures are directely related to throttle position. You can keep the coolant temp below boiling by keeping the throttle at no more than about 25-33% open. With such limited fuel going to the engine, as long as the head has water in it, you can drive indefinately. DO NOT open the throttle more than about 1/3. I found that adjusting the hand throttle to the 'really REALLY slow' setting, I was able to keep the engine temps normal, and bomb along the highway at an excruciating pace of aprox. 50kmph on the flat. Going up hills involved engaging low range.

Just be sure to stop every 1/2 hour and top up the rad, and stop at every river/stream crossing and re-fill your 5gal water container. We only used about 40gal of water from Columbia ice fields to Calgary.

Also, always drive around with the heater on high and blowing as hard as possible. If the heater starts getting really hot, you know you have to back off on the throttle. When it turns ice cold (or as ice cold as it can get on a 32C July day in the sun), you know you're in imminent danger of loosing water to the head. Stop now and add more silty stream water.

And I would further point out that only whinners say that a 3B head is fragile in a low coolant situation. I challenge anyone anywhere to show me the head that works when it doesn't get cooled as designed. That freaking 2L-T head sponatenously kaputs even when well cooled! A 3B head is not fragile. heck, even when cracked, some people don't even know it and continue driving for years on broken heads never knowing any better. How many other heads out there can you say that for?

Good luck, and happy no-rad driving. I say keep driving it. The $120 to have rad-shop fix it for you is much better spent on sipping beverages when you're on the side of the road re-filling the coolant with dirty river water.
 
Peter,
ever thought of writing a book?
your story telling is second to none...
 
just a bit of an update..

had the radiator out last night.. and could see no physical signs cept for a slight leak at the top corner.. dropped it in to the radiator place this morning and they said it was only 5% blocked.. HAH! anyway.. my paranoia cost me $88AUD and a few hrs of stuffing around. now i have a cleaned radiator, a few fresh hoses and new fluids..

i did notice one thing tho.. there was a heap of gunk under the thermostat housing on the block that was like swelled up paper .. there was a bit of coolant leaking around that area.. not sure.. also after bleeding the system (running with radiator cap off with front end up hill) and then going for a drive there was a really strong smell of coolant, so much so i pulled over.. i turned around to go back home and it had kinda disappearred.. is that normal for a radiator thats just been cleaned/re-installed? the temp didnt get over 180f at all on the drive (kept a very close eye on the aftermarket temp guage).

Anyway.. I know I didnt give you guys much info to start with and the question was pretty much like 'how long is a peice of string', but i value your feedback all the same.. AND its another thing i can cross off the list as being refreshed.

thanks guys.
 
brisveganbj42 said:
just a bit of an update..

had the radiator out last night.. and could see no physical signs cept for a slight leak at the top corner.. dropped it in to the radiator place this morning and they said it was only 5% blocked.. HAH! anyway.. my paranoia cost me $88AUD and a few hrs of stuffing around. now i have a cleaned radiator, a few fresh hoses and new fluids..

i did notice one thing tho.. there was a heap of gunk under the thermostat housing on the block that was like swelled up paper .. there was a bit of coolant leaking around that area.. not sure.. also after bleeding the system (running with radiator cap off with front end up hill) and then going for a drive there was a really strong smell of coolant, so much so i pulled over.. i turned around to go back home and it had kinda disappearred.. is that normal for a radiator thats just been cleaned/re-installed? the temp didnt get over 180f at all on the drive (kept a very close eye on the aftermarket temp guage).

Anyway.. I know I didnt give you guys much info to start with and the question was pretty much like 'how long is a peice of string', but i value your feedback all the same.. AND its another thing i can cross off the list as being refreshed.

thanks guys.
Click to expand...
You probabaly smelt a bit of overflow cooking on the engine as it warmed up.

Keep an eye on the pressure in the hoses. If they are reasonably hard when hot its good.
You will also need to retighten all the hose clamps again in a few weeks,dont forget.
 
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