andernamen

iTrader: (2)

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...wpost&t=661311

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the links, I've read them all, tried to balance out all the contradictions with what I had previously heard/read...SO, it seems I need to find and remove this "other" insp. plate on exhaust side, right? I'm NOT looking forward to removing it and trying to see inside, the top one was bad enough! And I need to line up what I prev. called "cut out" landmark of the flywheel with exhaust ports, right? But another thing I came across in those threads, is as simple as "pulling off the distributor cap and pointing the rotor towards L1". Is THIS true( Considering I did NOT ever remove my distributor itself)? My GOD, that sounds too simple to believe, so I don't...For now. If I can now get confirmation I'm FINALLY on the right path as far as reinstalling my pulley, I'll get back to my car tomorrow to hopefully finish my WP replacement. Then I can finally see if my overheating problems are fixed. I should've just tried a thermostat to begin with...

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Put my car back together Sat...It only took about 6-7 qts of coolant (book says 10 qts) even though the rad, and wp were removed, and block drained. Before I ever initially started it, I pushed it outside, jacked up the front and set it back down on little steel ramps so the front was WAY higher than the rear. Poured in coolant until rad was full, left cap off, then started it and let it run/idle like that for at least 20 minutes with the heater cranked. Every now and then risked life and limb to squeeze upper and lower rad hoses to try and burp any air out. Every now and then ran it at a few thousand rpm's, when I did that the level would drop, but then overflow a little when I let off. It never really dropped or needed any added. Took it for a drive, seemed ok, temp needle pointed right at the top of the 1/4 tank hash mark on the FUEL gauge(as it should, and always used to). Drove it back home that night(it was cool), and was ok. Drove it today, and it started to overheat whilst gently rolling through a 25 mph neighborhood! Stopped it, popped the hood, fan clutch was def. engaged, revved it a little, fan disengaged. Upper hose, lower hose, and rad were hot. Temp. was upper 80's amd humidity was ~40%.
I guess "step 1" was an EPIC FAIL...Now what?

Nicholas P.

iTrader: (1)

When you revved it the fan shouldn't have disengaged. If it was overheating it should have stayed engaged. I'm still convinced its the fan. After going through the same problem as you.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I've never had a problem of overheating in that kind of "slow" scenario before...And the fan clutch leaked fluid when I had it off for a couple of days. So AGAIN I ask if anybody has a well informed opinion of super-expensive OEM fan clutch vs. "Advance Auto" type cheaper fan clutch. I purchased the latter about ~24k miles ago. I do have another fan clutch off a parts car that sat untouched since early '91...On a side note, I still hear that same sound when i first start the car for the day...A "gurgling", "aquarium" type sound that rushes from right to left (sounds like it goes from behind the radio towards the speedo). Anyone else have this upon first start-up of the day?

DerrickS

When you replaced the coolant, you had the heater vent open, right? The coolant *will* burp itself if the bottle is working right, you just have to keep adding to the bottle until it eventually does not need anything added to it. It has been this way for me everytime I have had to drain the system. You should replace the cap and thermostat too, just because.

I do agree with Nicholas P that your fan is not working correctly as well. How much did the auto zone unit cost? They aren't that hard to get to, so if it's cheap just replace with another cheap one. You might have just got a bad one the first time.

Good luck, I feel your pain. I think we've all been there a time or two.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

If by "having heater vent open", you mean "having heater blasting", then yes. I filled the bottle to the "full when cold" mark when I reassembled everything. I was adding coolant through rad, not bottle. Bottle's level has never changed. Rad is still full. I did replace thermostat and rad cap with brand new ones.
What about the aquarium sounds?
When fan clutches fail, don't they fail "engaged"? Every single FB I've ever bought had a seized fan clutch...
What about the aquarium sounds?

DerrickS

Yep that's what I meant. Sounds like you covered your bases with all that. However, the aquarium sounds means there is still air in the system. You should have to top off the bottle, so if you don't need too, then somethings not working right.

I know we went through this already, but your *sure* the bottle straw and overflow system are working correctly? You probably already know how this works, but when the whole thing heats up, the air should get pushed out of the system and into the bottle where it escapes. When the system cools, it will suck back coolant from the bottle, so your bottle level will decrease.

This only works when the easiest point for pressure to escape is the radiator cap. If you have a leak somewhere else, even a pin hole, then that is where the push out will occur, and the whole system will be compromised. I had this issue for a while myself with several leaks when I first bought the car (notably the hose that runs under the intake manifold near the back of the engine and underneath the throttle linkage - sneaky little pinhole), and then later on when I made a bone head mistake with the lower hose clamp. However, my bottle *did* lose coolant, since the cool off would always cause the suck back from the bottle.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

After I first filled it, and then went for a drive, parked it and let it cool for about 20 minutes, then i took the cap off(slowly) just to see if the rad level had changed at all. As I twisted the cap to the first stopping point(where you then have to depress it AND twist to remove it) I noticed the overflow bottle gurgling or bubbling. Then I removed cap and the level was the same in the rad and in the bottle. Is that normal or expected?

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

Are you sure you don't have a bad internal water seal that is pressurizing the cooling system?

Nicholas P.

iTrader: (1)

. This video shows a bad leak in the cooling system. Your system is under pressure. When you open the system up you lower your boiling point. This is me holding my old fan while the engine is warming up. I had 3 clutch fans I tried all bad so I had to switch to electric.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Nope, not sure at all. How do symptoms manifest if this is the case(besides running hot)? I've never experienced any coolant leaks or loss/use. Am not now, either. I seem to remember my clutch fan engaging whenever I stopped for a light, or in traffic, etc. And then disengaging once into 2nd gear or so and moving. Noticed today, it's not engaging when at a stop, even as needle climbs towards 1/2 way mark. But still, are you telling me that airflow at 25-35 mph isn't enough to cool the engine? Fins are straight, clean and clear in AC condensor and the rad I put in...

Nicholas P.

iTrader: (1)

If you open the cap, rev the motor and the coolant sinks your water pumps fine, if your radiator and engine is hot your thermostats fine, if your not losing coolant you don't have a leak, if you put in a radiator it's not your radiator. Even with air in the system a proper fan and motion will burp out eventually in the overflow tank. If the car doesn't overheat while on the road driving 55+ until you start to come to a stop... See where I am going.

rotornoob

iTrader: (2)

This is just my .02, but if its overheating and not losing coolant, the wp is working fine, the tsat is working fine, and the rad is clean then I would say its your fan. Just replace it. As far as oem vs aftermarket...I have had very few problems with oem anything so I would say just buy a new oem fan clutch and be done with it.

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

overheating at stop and go traffic: possibly fan clutch or tstat.

overheating at freeway speed: clogged radiator, blockage in airflow to radiator or bad temp sensor.


if you feel that everything is in working order, install an aftermarket water temp gauge (equus is one of the cheapest and more accurate than sunpro or autogage). install it on the heater port below the stock temp sensor, be sure to plug the heater hose.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the help, guys. I was able to get a ride last night and got two old rusty clutch fans of off 2 other SE's to try out. Hopefully sometime today...I'll report what I find. Thanks again.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

By "heater port below the stock temp sensor", do you mean the small rubber line that runs to/through the intake? I really don't want hot coolant going thru my intake(It's only driven in summer), if I plug that line, is that all I have to do? I thought you had to remove intake and install freeze plugs, etc...

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

I tried my two other OLD fan clutches after werk...Outside temp was lower 80's, both fans were engaged ALL THE TIME. Still running HOT! After I tried the first old one, I took it off, put the 2nd one on to try, and was curious, so I started cracking open the still VERY "warm" rad cap...As soon as I started to twist it, it blew HOT coolant out EVERYWHERE...But isn't this normal/expected behaviour? If it was that pressurized, wouldn't it at least make the overflow bottle bubble? Or raise it's level? ...not a happy rotarian.

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

check if there is a difference in temp between upper and lower radiator hoses

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Not to the touch...I could grab either one of them, but NOT hold onto it for more than ~2 seconds.

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

are you saying the temp is pretty much the same? if so, then the tstat is fine.

i didnt read the entire thread so where does it overheat? stop and go or freeway speed

rotornoob

iTrader: (2)

^ earlier the o.p. said he started to overheat in a 25 mph area of traffic so I'm betting its the fan. To the o.p. I would suggest buying a NEW fan instead of a "rusty old" fan. It just makes sense to me that the old ones could also have issues. If you get a new one, you not only avoid wasting time playing with old parts, but you could eliminate the fan from this whole equasion. Since everything else has been replaced it seems like this should do it. If not I would seriously consider getting a new coolant bottle to make sure its working right. Since you are not losing coolant from the bottle I suspect it may be clogged somewhere or have an air leak in it. Hearing the water rush from one side when you start up means that there is air in the system somewhere. It may be getting in from the bottle. Also have you made sure that the oil cooler is clean? If the fins are clogged your temps would increase as well.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Well, the two fans I tried were engaged ALL the time. That completely rules out the fan for me. If I bought a brand new fan, it would NOT be engaged all the time, so how could it possibly be better? Oil cooler and lines are basically brand new. I've always heard the before described "aquarium" sounds upon start up for years and years now. I can try another overflow bottle, but as long as the straw is into the coolant in the bottle, how could the bottle be the prob.? Thanks

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

if the bottle is always overflowing, you need a new radiator cap.

in the event the entire cooling system is good, get an aftermarket coolant temp gauge for a second opinion.

im on iphone so my bad for not following the entire thread.

sevens4me

iTrader: (1)

Bottle level never seems to change. Brand new (12psi?) rad cap. The night I drove it back home, the temp. needle was where it should be and never moved. AND I did some ~1minute long pulls above 5k @triple digits(on a private track of course), BUT temp. was prolly lower 60's that eve.