a hot head

[spans]

Hi all,

Well I have been having this niggle with the cooling fan still coming on, and this week the gauge started to rise, and I could not drive the beast over about 50 mph, so I thought that I would have a look at the thermostat, and I could not believe it, it was useless, I put it in a jar of boiling water and it would not open at all, not even a little, now I drove the car without the stat in place, and even now it will still get hot, I think that I could have buggered the new head already, but I hope that its just the gasket, anyways its going to have to come to pieces again, and all for a damn £8 thermostat.

there was no signs of water loss, just the gauge rising higher than normal that was the only sign, I will have to get the head pressure checked when I remove it to be sure, but I am really worried about it, as the water could have been boiling in the head and I would have never know at all.

I have not let the gauge go much further than the normal mark, and it have not ever overheated, any ideas on my chances ???
Now all I have to do is explain all this to mrs Spans, oops

[Sancho]

Excuse the novice boy chucking his tuppence in here, but:

1. I presume you checked your rad cap too.

2. Would it no be easier to do the normal rough tests for a cracked head - running with the rad cap off to see if water sprays out and having the water checked for emissions - rather than getting the head off.

Is it a Stevo head? Mine's got that sticker on the side that tells you how hot it's been. I think he warranties them up to 120 degrees or something.

Good luck with it anyway.

[spans]

Hi,

No sadly it isn't a stevo one, if he'd done it I am sure that he would have checked the thermostat

But it doesn't push any water out, so I am just hoping and praying that it will be ok, if not, I will just have a lesson earned, I have spoken with the immortal one, and I am still breathing (for now)

Some advised me to sell it, but I love these cars, like err no way dudes !!!

[MattF]

Some advised me to sell it, but I love these cars, like err no way dudes !!!

You tell 'em.

[Jezware]

Hi,

No sadly it isn't a stevo one, if he'd done it I am sure that he would have checked the thermostat

But it doesn't push any water out, so I am just hoping and praying that it will be ok, if not, I will just have a lesson earned, I have spoken with the immortal one, and I am still breathing (for now)

Some advised me to sell it, but I love these cars, like err no way dudes !!!

If it's not losing any water, then it isn't likely to be the head. Before stripping everything down, I would put a new thermostat in and cap on, check you viscous fan is working OK, top up the oil if need be in it, and make sure your rad is clean. If it is an auto, check your transmission fluid as well, if this is manky or low, it could be causing the auto box to heat up, which in turn heats up the coolant through the rad.

[spans]

advise sought

Peeps, its a long shot, but before I start ripping my car appart (again), I thought I'd ask you lot here as you are in the know and I err ain't!

My rad, when the car is running say for about 10 mins on tickover the rad top tank is hot, and the bottom tank is hot, but most of the rad core is stone cold, now would this be telling me that my rad is stuffed and not the cylinder head after all??

I'd much rather get a new rad, but don't want to shell out on one if I still have to dismantle the whole cylinder head and do another total rebuild. I know that my auto rad has an oil cooler inside of it, but I don't quite know what bit and I might have been just feeling the temp of the oil cooler.

To be honest I feel like I am clutching at straws, but when the car has been on a run, there is no water loss, and no bubbles in the water either, which there was when it had a naff head.

Any help peeps would be great, I might just put a new rad in anyways, but it would be a waste of funds if there was nothing wrong with it in the first place, and I need to nail this once and for all, before the immortal one casts that all seeing eye in my direction...

[BUSHWHACKER]

I would take the rad out and give it a damn good flushing from both ends, sod the hosepipe ban (if you have one) you need a vehicle to get to work to pay the water bills.......er for water that you're not allowed to use!
Also, check you heater hoses, are they hard when cold? they could be blocked as they can perish from the inside.

[Gizmo]

Have a flow test on the rad!

[spans]

Hi Peeps

Hi all,

Thank you all for your help support and advice, I have now had the rad tested and it was fine (sadly), so its off to remove the head and start looking for the fault, one thing I know that there are a few places to get a new head, but where would I find a block or "short Engine"?? I am praying that I do not need it but it is a possibility.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Just a though, you did have the heater controls set to 'hot' when you checked the coolant levels etc?
It maybe just a circulation problem or massive air-lock. Don't condemn the head just yet.

[spans]

Hi ya Vince,
Sadly the heaters are working fine, its like if I go over 100kmph I have to put the damn heaters on full to just to keep the truck from overheating, this is ok, but it tends to melt the driver, and I am worried that in the future that even with the heaters I won't be able to keep the heat down.

After a journey, the rad is so hot that you could cook yer breakfast on it.

I am hoping that its just the gasket, but I am trying to prepare for the worst, if its the block then I just don't know what to do, if its the head, maybe I can get it skimmed or replace the head, if its the gasket, then I just buy another one (toyota dealer maybe). I will get the head pressure tested on tuesday morn.

[Sancho]

I believe Stevo could sort you out with a whole recon engine, but lets hope it doesn't come to that eh?