Hey all, any ideas apprciated:
Here's the lowdown: I picked up the LJ78 this morning in Calgary. Everything ran great: engine temp never left the lower part of the dial, EGTs never topped 850F. Ran a steady 100kph at about 2800 rpm for over 2 hours, no problems...
...until I hit Lethbridge. As soon as I hit stop lights and started idling here and there, the temp needle started rising to the middle of the dial. I stopped by my buddy's house, and I let it idle for a minute or two. When I came back to the car, the gauge was in the top 2/3 and a small puddle of coolant was forming under the truck. I checked the fan, and it was spinning away. Anyway, to avoid another tow, I drove the sucker straight home, and by the time I got home, the temp gauge was at 3/4 and the coolant in the expansion tank was bubbling away - very much like what happened on Monday when it boiled over. I turned the truck off and the tank continued to bubble for a few minutes, and some coolant pooled on the ground beneath.
I guess that this probably means cracked head or failed gasket, since it does sound like there is a lot of gas escaping through the expansion tank, but why would it run beautifully for two full hours before acting up in around-town driving? I've got a new rad cap and new thermostat. What about a blockage in the cooling system somewhere? Water pump problem? Would something like that cause these symptoms? Anyone have any ideas?
Cheers,
Robin
Here's the lowdown: I picked up the LJ78 this morning in Calgary. Everything ran great: engine temp never left the lower part of the dial, EGTs never topped 850F. Ran a steady 100kph at about 2800 rpm for over 2 hours, no problems...
...until I hit Lethbridge. As soon as I hit stop lights and started idling here and there, the temp needle started rising to the middle of the dial. I stopped by my buddy's house, and I let it idle for a minute or two. When I came back to the car, the gauge was in the top 2/3 and a small puddle of coolant was forming under the truck. I checked the fan, and it was spinning away. Anyway, to avoid another tow, I drove the sucker straight home, and by the time I got home, the temp gauge was at 3/4 and the coolant in the expansion tank was bubbling away - very much like what happened on Monday when it boiled over. I turned the truck off and the tank continued to bubble for a few minutes, and some coolant pooled on the ground beneath.
I guess that this probably means cracked head or failed gasket, since it does sound like there is a lot of gas escaping through the expansion tank, but why would it run beautifully for two full hours before acting up in around-town driving? I've got a new rad cap and new thermostat. What about a blockage in the cooling system somewhere? Water pump problem? Would something like that cause these symptoms? Anyone have any ideas?
Cheers,
Robin