Not overheating but close

[WagonBurner]

My hot wag runs a little cooler without the t-stat. I can drive around town and it is ok, when I go faster it gets hotter. it was pretty cold last night (could see your breath, good wind) I went out to a local playground. The gauge got to red couple times and over flow bottle was working. then it would cool down some. almost went down to normal (on the gauge) few times. I don't know if it has a fan clutch. (don't think so) I turn the fan when its cold and it takes effort and turns the pully (and belt a bit) I read in my haynes manual and someone mentioned a revers turning system on some I6 engines. I will have to check. would a normal water pump and the reverse system one be swappable (maybe they gave me wrong one?)
I still have no heat, I couldn't figure out what to bolts under dash to remove for heater core removal. (had a blanket with me last night...brr) I get 3 different air flows from the heater fan (barely noticable, just coming out and a bit stronger than I can blow) but it was all cold.

[OBX-AUTOMOTIVE]

THE HEATER CORE COULD BE CLOGGED ...I CAN'T REMEMBER IF YOU'RE THE ONE THAT POSTED BEFORE ABOUT OVERHEATING....IF YOU ARE...YOU HAVE A RESTRICTION SOMEWHERE.... ...THE BLOCK,THE RAD...TAKE THE RAD CAP OFF...AND LOOK IN THE TOP OF RAD...YOU SHOULD SEE THE WATER MOVING...WITH IT RUNNING.. ..HOW ARE THE RAD HOSES??? IT'S POSSIBLE THAT A HOSE IS CLOSEING UP!!!!YOU KNOW WEAK!!!...WHAT ABOUT A FAN SHROUD???..THAT WOULD HELP!!!WHAT ABOUT THE DREADED BUGS IN THE RAD?????.... ...HELL!!! I GIVE UP....ME!!!!! :eek: :eek:

[WagonBurner]

Ya I am the guy with the overheating Prob. I think restriction also, I took it to a local rad shop. for some reason it was idleing fast (started that day) the guys had it all day, finally got to it. They said it was idleing too fast, they couldn't get it down. and they said something bout the top hose pulsin or something. Basically they did nothin but waste my friday. I suggested a flush but they said that it prob. wasn't the prob. I won't go see them again.
The rad is new but when I look into it I don't see much movement.

[OBX-AUTOMOTIVE]

CHRIS...REPLACE THE TOP HOSE..TO START...TRY REMOVING THE HEATER HOSE'S AND WITH THE GARDEN HOSE SPRAY WATER IN ONE HOSE AND SEE IF YOU CAN GET WATER TO COME OUT THE OTHER HOSE...YOU WOULD BE FLUSHING THE HEATER CORE OUT.... ..TRY THAT!!!...ME!!!! smile.gif smile.gif .. .....HAVE THE HEATER VALVE IN THE OPEN POSITION....

[JNErotten]

Ok, bypass the heater core by:
A. Attaching the two hosesm going to your core together with a connecter.

or

B. Rout the hose that flows into (left or top I think)your core back to the block where the outlet of the heater core is hooked up to.

Run vehicle and get on highway if possible. If it stays pretty normal then gets hot on the highway, then your plugs some or all of your plugs are fouled. At slow speeds it's not so bad, but at high speeds those plugs and pistons really have to work hard to pull the others weight. I'ts over working the ones that are fireing makeing them get red hot, and possibly causeing detonation. Hot plugs will heat up a block QUICK, plus the extra strain the whole engine has to go through with fouled plugs. Also, you timing may be retarded to much which will cause detonation and over strain on the engine also.

Hope This Helps,
J

[Hump]

I disagree J. Fouled plugs create less heat, because they don't fire properly or at all. Spark plugs do just that, spark. If an engine is running with one or more fouled plugs, then it will not run as smoothly, and will be less efficient because the fuel in that cylinder is not being used. The other spark plugs cannot compensate for that.

WB did this occur suddenly, or have you had work done to your GW? I've known of people who put that leak stop crap in there radiators and have had blockages. Don't get me wrong that stuff will stop leaks alright, but what is left over sticks to every other passage way in your whole system.

I'm not sure how you would make sure your water pump is working, but that would definitly be a good place to start. I'm with Gary though, check and see if you have any hoses that collapse when the engine is running. Don't know what to tell you about the heater core. I had one that didn't work in my old volvo wagon, but it was either keep a dash or drive with mittens on. :D

Good luck, and I hope you have better luck finding a competent shop to have a look see.

[reddog]

The upper hose is under pressure, the lower under some suction. IMO the lower hose is the first suspect between the two if there is a flow problem. I would guess that reverse flow pump is not interchangeable but don't know about flow direction on the 258. If the flow is surging through the system then I would suspect a hose first, then look into the pump. As gary said look in the radiator tank for water flow (without thermostat) and look at the lower hose while it is running. The clogged heater core is not causing the problem but is more likely a sign of past neglect. Try flushing the heater core with the garden hose carefully as the water pressure coming out of a hose is alot higher than 15 lbs.
Did you have a overheating problem before you replaced all the parts? If not then double check the pump.

Kerry

[JNErotten]

I didn't mean the plugs that wern't fireing got hot. I meant the ones pulling the load did. Plugs can cause overheating by getting to hot themselves. Thats why they recomend short insulater tips for steady driving, and long for stop and go. to disapate heat away better. I had the problem cause the PO of my Wag was putting in WAY too much lead substitute. Before I checked the plugs, she stayed cool in town but got hot on the highway. My 4 rear plugs (232 straight 6) were so full of crap I couldn't believe it. Just dry caked on crap. Strangly, the first two were fine, go figure. Either way, once I changed those, everthing was fine and she stays perfect. Of coarse, it could be anything, butpulling a few plugs sure beats pulling a water pump, or boil checking a thermo first.

J

Ps Check you water pump by undoing your hose going into your heater core and pointing it down towards the ground in a bucket if possble and safe. Should have a garden hose like flow comeing out. You won't realy see anything moveing in your radiator unless the thermo has opened first.

[Marvin Gates]

Did you say you were not running a thermostat? If you don't have a thermostat the water flows through the system so fast that it doesn't have a chance to cool down. The thing about back flushing the heater core really works, when I bought my Wag it had set for nine years and the heater didn't work so a friend told me to back flush it and it has worked like a champ ever since. Mouse

[WagonBurner]

All hoses are in good condition.Upper and lower rad hoses have springs in them.
New since I got it (3 months)- Rad,water pump,plugs,wires,msd coil,I6 300 cap & rotor,carb kit,fuel filter (right side up now)assorted fluids,lines,rocker cover gasket. (POS plastic cover still leaks)

I drained the system and ran the garden hose through both hoses off the heater box, top rad hose and small hose off t-stat housing.I had flowage everywhere. Closed system and filled. Yanked the plugs, they had black harf crap on all but one (the good looking one is from cyl 6 where the pushrod was off for ?? years) the others varied in crap. while plugs were out I did comp.test.(new message) stuck everything back together and went for a drive. It didn't overheat, ran about normal on road. got hotter on hwy pushin it. about half way or bit more. Back to road and it cooled down again. Maybe fixed...

Still no heat...Got the core out and squirted some spray-9 down it an swished/rinsed haven't put it back together yet. Gonna clean some stuff first. I see how the door in the heater box opens (cold-hot switch on dash) but how does the door on the firewall open?

Got rid of the last of the ac hoses and big metal block under the dash. gettin lighter all the time smile.gif ;) ;) :mad:

[OBX-AUTOMOTIVE]

DID YOU EVER CHECK THE RETURN HOSE FROM THE HEATER CORE TO SEE IF IT IS HOT!!!GRAB EACH HOSE WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING TO SEE IF EACH ONE IS HOT ....IF THEY ARE, THEN THE HEATER IS WORKING...AS IN THE FLOW OF THE WATER!!!!!...NO HEAT INSIDE YOU SJ THEN YOU HAVE A BLOWER OR CONTROL TROUBLE...KEEP TRACKING IT DOWN.....ME!!!!!............. ....I'M SENDING YOU A BILL FOR ALL THIS INFO :D :D smile.gif

[WagonBurner]

Its back to work now so I will try an get it back together tonight and see if it is warm yet. Btw when I yanked the core it had a little coolant in one line (in) the core still just had water from the flush.

thanks peoples

[killroy]

Ran into the no heat thing with mine when I got it, come to find out that the door that goes from the heater core into the vent systemm had a bad controler valve on it. keeped it closed all of the time. so as I replaced it, I got pleanty of heat. BTW that controller is a pain to get at ;)

[WagonBurner]

I was wondering about that door. I get very little blowage through the system. Does the stock fan have just 1 hamster wheel or 3 like the a/c fan?

I have alot ripped apart right now so it would be the time to do it.

[killroy]

there should be a spring on it, if you pop that spring off you should be able to open it by hand then test for flow at the vents.

[Marvin Gates]

Something else you might want to try after you get everything working right, on my 75, the blower motor seemed like it wasn't putting out much air (didn't turn very fast) so I went to the junk yard and got the motor out of a late model, but when I got it home I found that the squirl cage is longer and won't fit the old heater box, so I went back and got the box that it screws into, figuring I would have to modify something to make it fit but surprise,surprise, it bolts right in and you don't have to do any modifications at all. The middle speed on the late motor is the same as the high speed on the old one, the new one really whistles (lots of air to defrost the windshield now) hope it might help someone out if they are thinking about doing this. The way to tell the difference between the old motors and the new one's is the old is held in with 5 screws and a metal box, the newer with the faster motor is held in with 4 screws and the box that it is screwed to is fiberglass. Mouse

[ November 13, 2001: Message edited by: Marvin Gates ]