More cooling problems

[Reynolds]

Hi all,

I just want a few peeps to make me feel a bit better - I have perused the forums sections here about bleeding air from the cooling system. I wont say how, but last week my rad cap came off in spectacular style releasing all the coolant from my engine (I steam cleaned my garage and myself (with burns to prove it)). The temp was well above the middle line as my fans had not come on. I only realised this as the system disharged the contents into the engine bay. Anyway, I refilled with hot water and bled the system. The cooling fans are now on a manual switch which I basically keep on all the time now (the otterstat switch is at fault). Since the cooling discharge event the car has done 500 miles to France, all going well. However, on its leg back form France the car mysteriously got too hot (220) with fans on and boiled over when the car came to a stop.

The car was cooled down and refilled, it made it back to England fine with no overheat. I started the car today (3 days later) and after 3 miles or so, the temp was 220 with fans on. I stopped, and bled the system, there was lots of air in the system. The temp went back to normal. I drove it 200 miles round trip to Cambridge, on getting home I stopped for 30 mins, got back in the car and started the engine again, the temp shot back up to 220 within about 2 miles. The radiator and attached pipes were not hot at all. I pulled over and re-bled the system. Lots of air again.

The car runs fine but it is asthough air is getting in, I am just concerned I may have a leaky head gasket or crack that is allowing super hot air into the cooling system. Looking at the forum just now, Claire says she seemed to get air in from nowhere and its what is happening with me. I am just concerned by the quick time it took to get real hot after starting up and the amount of air that appears to be in the system after I apparanetly bled it. The car doesnt rock or splutter. I have just noticed I have not bled the system to your recommendations here, i.e. with the heater on and the rear of the car up reference the front of the car. I also did not bleed direct from the radiator as well.

I will do this and see what happens. I am under the impression that the cooling system is a real pig to bleed, I just want someone to agree that it is unlikely it is a crack in the head or the gasket. It wouldnt make it the miles it has done like that surely?

To summarise my essay, if I bleed the system to whats recommended here, I think the problem of quick overheating will go away, I guess as the air lock makes its way around the system and collects, it reaches a position to allow overheating. I will buy the auto kit ASAP and pop that on. Does the system really take this long to bleed and can air really appear to come from nowhere and would it take nearly 500 miles to get round to causing a problem?

Please tell me it is not my head gasket

Thanks in anticipation...... I'll buy someone a crate of Magners......

[bozzzydmc]

its not your head gasket ... a crate of Magners is mine


No but seriously , hopefully its not and just air in your system, yes you need the bleeder kit on asap .

Couple of tips ...raise the back end of the car a little.

From cold run the car and make sure there is no air in the radiator by pulling off the top hose ' carefully'

Make sure the new pump bleed kit runs uphill from the pump to the hose off the header bottle, its not going to work if its not rising up to this ( make sure its away from any belts etc too )

Dont go opening the bleed screw when the car is hot !!

If you need a new rad fan switch i have one i can let you have very cheap

[Reynolds]

Reading all the previous forum points, i am thinking I have not bled it properly - seems a few folk think it is automatically their head gasket......

Is it just me up this late worrying about their car? It must be like having kids to look after, except worse! I may pop out and snuggle up to her

[Reynolds]

Thanks very much Mike, I can sleep a little easier tonight!!!! (i'll pop the Magneras in the fridge!)

Where can I get a self bleed kit from?

Anyhow, I will do the bleeding ASAP and let you know - the car is in Kent with my brother at the moment, i didnt fancy driving it back to Bristol.

Thanks once again

[Daniel Shane]

Ed Uding does the bleed kit.

http://www.dmc-service.nl/Producten/Pro ... pdates.htm

Go about half way down the page

Dan

[bozzzydmc]

http://www.deloreans.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=998

see this also

[Domi]

Daniel Shane Wrote:Ed Uding does the bleed kit.
http://www.dmc-service.nl/Producten/Pro ... pdates.htm
Dan

Anyone has a picture of the kit installed on a car :?:

[bozzzydmc]

[Reynolds]

Many thanks guys, very much appreciated. I'll put an order in to Ed and fit it as you have shown.

Should all be fine after that.

Cheers again

Chris

[Domi]

Thank you for the pictures :wink:

[cineman]

i have installed the Self Bleed kit and i assure you that is very usefull. I changed my radiator last weeks and my waterpump and refilled the car and just the day after i made more than 300km without problem.
This is the procedure i follow:

I keep open the little hose on the top of the radiator.
I raise the back of the car a little, and i begin to fill water in the bottle. When the water begin to exit from the little hose on the radiator i close it (maybe with some other help)
Then i go ahead and i fill until the water in the bottle reach the minimun level.
Now, i go in the car, and i start it. I turn ON the Heater of the AC mode, at max heat (there is water also in that system it think)
I do some rev on the engine, and keep and eye on the water bottle, continuing to fill it keeping it at the minimun level.
So, if you have the Self bleed kit, during this filling and rev the air will escape from it.
Keep the car on, and take a look at the engine temp. Let it go to temperature so the termostate will open (always keeping eye on the bottle, letting it on the min level and refilling if needed)
After a cycle of the Fans the water will be in the entire system and you will not have more bubbles from the self bleed kit.
Some air can still be in but use the car and the self bleed will do all, you only have to check the water level... like i said after that procedure i used the car for a travel of more than 300km without a problem. I only needed to add a bit of water after some road.

[bozzzydmc]

Nice write up Andrea..thanks !

Yes you are correct about the heater inside the car this uses the same coolant as the radiator.



Part 3 goes to the rear of the engine block (return )
Part 6 goes to the back of the pump (flow)

The pipes onto this interior hearer matix are not quite at the top of this hence i believe this causes air in the system that needs to be got rid of.

[Chris Hawes]

Some of the best updates are invisible i.e. you don't really notice them but boy do they make a difference!

My car had a self bleed kit fitted to it long before I bought it and it will be crucial to ridding the excess air out of my system once it has had a new radiator fitted!

[Chris Williams]

From practise myself I have found the best way (other than a self bleed kit which should be mandatory) is to have your car parked on a nice steep gradient, front end down. I have never had to disconnect any of the radiator pipes by doing it this way. Mind you my drive is on a very steep hill!! :wink:
Chris

[Reynolds]

Very useful advice. Until I get the self bleed kit I'll do all the traditonal bleeds and see how it goes. I remember the radiator was quite cold when the system got real hot last time, likely to be the air lock? I assume if the air lock gets to the thermostat it wont allow flow to the radiators...