Headgaskets?

Black89XR7

Registered User
Ok so I finally got my thermostat housing to seal and I put in a 180* thermostat. I had my cougar idling there for a while and I was messing with something else when i noticed a huge white cloud emerge from the engine bay. I ran over there and looked and coolant was just spewing out of the upper radiator hose where it meets the radiator. The overflow tank was filling up with boiling coolant and the radiator cap was hissing. The temperature was in the normal range between the o and the r. Once i shut it off i noticed that the fan got unplugged somehow so i plugged it back in and it still did not work. I will have to look at it tommorow and see if it works once I turn defrost or the ac on.Do you guys think it is time for head gaskets or do I have another problem? I have a '89 XR7 parts car that i may take the fan control module and see if that solves the fan issue. I should have some time tomorrow where i can look at it some more and pull the plugs and see what the oil looks like or if there is anything else I should look for?
Thanks in Advance,
Travis Hammerling
 
I think you should address the leaky hose/radiator connection and the probably failing radiator cap.


you more than likely got air into the system. That air needs to come out, and that's probably what you saw as "boiling coolant" in the overflow tank.
 
I think you should address the leaky hose/radiator connection and the probably failing radiator cap.


you more than likely got air into the system. That air needs to come out, and that's probably what you saw as "boiling coolant" in the overflow tank.

I was planning on getting a new radiator cap for it tommorow as the one that is on it is probably the factory one. What do I need to do in order to get all of the air out of the system?
Thanks,
Travis
 
I was planning on getting a new radiator cap for it tommorow as the one that is on it is probably the factory one. What do I need to do in order to get all of the air out of the system?
Thanks,
Travis


When you're refilling the radiator remove the plug that's in the extension that comes off the thermostat housing(usually has a big white cap that says remove while filling).It lets the air exit the system while you are filling it once the system is filled you should be able to squeeze the radiator hose and have fluid come out of the hole where you removed the plug.

Jay
 
yeah, careful with that bleeder for the air. If yours is stuck on there, you may twist off the entire extension.

That bleed screw has a tiny path up the middle and out two sides under the top of the screw. Clean that up and it'll work without your having to take the entire screw out to bleed the air.

just letting the motor idle will allow you to notice that the electric fan cycles on and off as the temperature needle on the dash goes up and down a little bit. That cycling will push out air and suck in coolant from the overflow tank.

Let that happen until you don't see any more bubles intering the overflow tank.

Then, turn on the dash heat. It it's still kinda cool, rev the motor to 3000 rpms a few times and watch the engine cycle the fan some more.

once the heater is blowing HOT and there's no more air bubles intering the overflow tank, you've probably got 99% of the air out of the system.

Be careful taking off that bleeder screw. use 2 tools. one on the top of the bolt, and one underneath holding the tube steady.

take a picture.
 
Thanks for all of your help guys. I got it fixed and as you said it was just air in the system. Thanks!
Travis
 
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