Cooling problem?

Plat0ribs

Registered User
Just got through rebuilding the entire suspension, brakes, steering, clutch, Slave Cylinder, U-joints, extension case, hillbilly motormounts, new exhaust, the list seems endless... However I did not do a thing to the engine, except change the oil/filter.

Get it all done and fire it up a couple time to bleed the brakes and then the test drive around the block and down the road for some muffler welding. This where I realize I didn't top off the radiator. So I put about 3/4 of the gallon of antifreeze in and it still seems to be running funky, sounding hot...

This morning I check the manual and do all the stuff to bleed the cooling system, light it up and let it run. I'm seeing a few bubbles (small bubbles) in the over flow tank. Does this indicate a very small HG leak or is it just trapped air finding it's way out?

So I ran it for quite a while and the fan did come on finally no leaks, not seeming over hot... I shut it off and after a few minutes I see more small bubbles going into the overflow tank, with the engine off and cooling down, what gives, Should I assume I'll see captured air bubbles for a while, while things settle down? If this is the case I'll be much relieved.

Is what I'm seeing normal, or at least explainable, do I have something to worry about? Is there a way I can verify I DO NOT have a probelm ... short of compression testing?

Any techniques or things to check, please tell me so I can verify I'm relatively good to go, or flip out.:eek:

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Chris
 
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You are probably ok if it didn't overheat when you first drove it. The last time I saw this it was a leaky intake runner gasket letting boost leak into the cooling system.
 
I'm thinking these engines (cooling passages) have a lot of trapped air space.

I'll keep an eye on it and report back. Seems OK though, Monkey mind can't take these stress tests. :eek:
 
If the cooling system is being pressurized from a leaky intake manifold gasket that won't show with a combustion gas kit but it would tell if the head gasket was shot. If you know someone with an emission tester you can always hold it over the radiator with the cap off. If it picks up emission gasses then combustion gases are leaking into the cooling system.
 
I was operating on the premise that the engine was fine when I started on it. This is based on my first hand experience when I bought the car and drove it home from Cleveland two years ago IIRC. I'm thinking I've overreacted to a non burped SC coolant issue. I've since repeated the proceedure for bleeding it a couiple more times, ran it up to "fan on" temp twice (15+ minutes) and nothing except a diminishing amount of bubbles. I think I'm fine. I had changed the oil and filter so it was lubricated and running on ~2 gallons of coolant so I think I'm A-OK.

Just distrubing after all that work! :p
 
Mine did the same thing when I first bought it. I did the bleed procedure and installed a stant cap with a pressure release and every time i drove it for a while and got it warm i eould po the hood and relieve the pressure eventually i got it out.
 
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