takerwolf

I've got a non-turbo that runs good and does not smoke but been running a bit hotter then it should. It does not smoke at all but is filling the overflow tank after driving awhile. Right now it has no thermostat since one is on order and I'll get it tomorrow. It runs nice and cold till it sits awhile then slowly starts getting hot.
I took the cap off and started it and can see some small air bubbles which means a bad seal but if the thermostat is gone and the coolant is flowing will it bubble even on a healthy engine?
Also, what are my options? I know the obvious is a full rebuild but I was wondering if I could just replace the coolant seals for now as I'm in the middle of a turbo project on the other car. Or since it's dying already what about stop leak/block sealer for a small leak? Or will that damage something else? Just for a band-aid so I can drive it till the other is done and then get it rebuilt properly.

LAN

iTrader: (1)

replace the coolant seals only? fck that. rebuild it.

if you don't want to, . I read in the tech section of ROTARYRESURRECTION.COM
about BlockWeld. Check it out.

Go48

iTrader: (7)

If combustion gases are getting into the coolant system and causing air bubbles, I would expect to see smoke coming out of the exhaust. Don't mistake turbulence in the coolant for air bubbles. If you definitely see air bubbles, it is likely rebuild time, but the lack of smoke seems a bit strange.

I would not automatically conclude that your coolant seals are leaking. As far as overheating a little when sitting, do you have the original fan and shroud on the car? Is the fan running when it seems to be overheating a bit? An idling car can easily overheat if there is no air being pulled through the radiator by a fan.

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

also, if they're id no thermostat they'res a good chance that the coolent is flowing to fast to properly cool off in the radiator which is causing the slight over heating and extra turbulence in the coolent system, get the new thermostat in and then make your dianosis, i think you will be fine

takerwolf

Thanks, I'll post what I figure out. The no smoke confused me too. I was wondering if flowing coolant causing small bubbles (turbulance), looks like pop fizz maybe but way smaller. I drove it last night to work though which is a short drive and the overflow was full again and it got just a little above the bottom line of the "ok range" (though above half I think is a problem) and that was with a 16psi known good radiator cap. Could hear a bit of air coming out of the filler cap though. So that's when I decided it is probably a seal I was unsure when I posted.
I found that block weld thing too but it sounds like it was done with a piston engine so I dunno.
And yeah, I will rebuild it since it's got 165k on it but was hoping it would last for a while. So if possible I'd like to fix it cheap even if temporary. I just bought a GT3540 for the turbo and still need to get a front mount so a rebuild would stop that project. I just got the car a month ago b/c they couldn't get it to start, I got it going after a couple hours and it runs like crap for about 20 seconds when cold then smoothes right out, no 3k warmup even though the sensor is connected, maybe it's b/c of coolant I dunno.

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

when it is really humid out and i leave my car outside all night it will do that, but if its in the garage all night usually, or it is dry and warm out i dont have any issues, but im pretty sure i have leaky injectors because it reeks of gas when i first start up, my only guess would be you are having a similar problem, with the start up and all, 165K is alot and fuel injectors could probably use a good cleaning anyways, my guess is that the colder humid weather keeps the extra gas leaking from the injectors from evaporating thus giving me a super rich start up, just a thought

takerwolf

Yeah if it's not coolant I'm sure it's leaky injectors, I'll send them in to Marren they did a great job with the T2, better valves then new (plate instead of ball). I bought 2 bottle of block weld and the degreaser, I guess I'm going to try it tomorrow but I'll check here first. I think it's blown even though it doesn't smoke, how else would it overflow while cold? Even if I overfilled it that wouldn't explain the add coolant light coming on once in a while. I drove probably 45 minutes today after refilling and it went off a few times near the end of getting home but went back off. It was running halfway up the temp gauge with the open thermo and 16psi cap.
Even if I overfilled it it wouldn't keep acting like this would it? It sat all night last night and then today I took the filler cap off to pour the overflow back in and I heard a pretty good pressure release.
And I do plan on rebuilding but if I could put off for at least a couple months to finish the turbo upgrade that would be great as I want to rebuild it right not just fix the coolant issue.

NeCr0mStR

iTrader: (3)

I agree, proper diagnoses would require proper operation of all components.

SPIKEFC

i'm having the same problem but i think i'm pretty sure it's my seal. i don't see smoke either and my overfill bottle gets full too, but my cap is messed up so i need a new one. i always end up needing to put more coolant after driving her. i don't see bubbles when i have the cap off but i do see bubbles with the cap on and the overfill cap off with the tube in the coolant. i don't know i'm going to get a better cap first.

eds90gxl

Sounds like another one here, my 90 gxl n/a having the same issues, and not only does the filler tank get full, but my temp gauge goes up and comes down frequently. Could it be the sensor in the water pump housing? Sometimes if the temp goes up too high I turn the car off and back on again while driving and the gauge goes back to normal for a while and then starts to do the same thing again. What is more weird is that the car drove fine for like 3 days in the heat and all and no change in the coolant level at all, but this morning started to act up again. Fun......

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

im having issues to.....sometimes it smokes for 5 minutes and other times it wont smoke at all....i have to put coolant in about every 4 days..(top it off)...but it never overheats or overflows and i can hear the bubbles after i turn it off....im gonna try the block weld trick soon...

takerwolf

Are any of your other gauges acting funny? Could be a loose wire issue.
Didn't do the block weld yet. I turned her on today and let it get warm enough for the idle to drop without putting any more coolant in even though the buzzer went off for a bit then quit. The overflow was already full and I never saw anything come out of it so that's confusing. But then after it sat a while I took the filler cap off to add a bit more in and again a pressure release when dead cold. Or is that something normal? Either I don't have a blown seal or it's so small it takes it awhile to build up enough pressure. I'll see what happens tonight when I drive home from work, I only added water not coolant till the bleeder valve let some out and did not add any more.

takerwolf

Hopefully will be doing the block weld tomorrow, had fun with rusty overtightened bolts.
eds90gxl: I saw somewhere when I was looking up info if you have a temp sensor mounted somewhere near the thermostat and not in the block like the stock one the air will make it jump around. If it's the stock one maybe the sensor is broke, on my T2 I hada partially broken connector, it was still attatched but swiveled around so I replaced it.

takerwolf

I did the fix by the full directions plus run it 4 times and let it sit instead of one. After the first time it seems to be if not fixed at least much better. I'll have to post once I drive for a week or so. But only issue so far has been running a bit warm (halfway) after idling for 15 minutes, but cooled right back down to where the thermostat opens after driving a bit. I don't think it's overflowing at all but it could be as I didn't mark it or anything. But if it is it's really slow. I idled it for 30 minutes tonight and it ran nice and cool (160 thermo). Also, started by itself, no running rough for 30 seconds with throttle added. It has no antifreeze in it atm and the underbody panel is not on as I took it off to get to the drain easier and broke 4 bolt heads. Anyway, I'll have to post results after I've driven it around.

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

where did you get block weld??? all i ever find is bars leak...

takerwolf

It was from walmart actually, auto stores aren't open after I get out of work. It wasn't called block weld though, I can go find the bottles tomorrow. Bar's leak may be the same but since it wasn't a clear bottle I couldn't tell. If you find a clear liquid with copper chances are that's it. It was like 3.68 or something a bottle, I used 2 then added another the next day after the flushing process. I haven't drained it yet, figured I drive another day or two and let it work some more, no signs of any issues yet. I can post tomorrow after I see what it was.

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

thanks man!!!! great help!!!

takerwolf

No prob, so far it seems to be working, I haven't drained it out yet but I will shortly. I think it's ok, I'll have to check the overflow and see if it's added any yet bu no add coolant buzzer or starting problems. Check your radiator too, my cousin who is a mechanic at Toyota (which I plan on taking classes for shortly, not my ideal place but the college has a Toyota program and he said they pretty much get you a job when your done and I could always transfer if Mazda gets an opening, plus my uncle is a salesman supervisor there so I should definitely get in, too bad I'll have to work on Camry's :p) Anyway, here is what the Walmart bottle says: brand is CarGo, Liquid Glass Metallic Seal-Up I wonder if aluminum would work better then copper since aluminum is what the motor is anyway (bar's leak has an aluminum one).

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

so the choice really doesnt matter...ill try the bars leak i guess...
thanks

takerwolf

as long as it's liquid glass with copper or maybe aluminum. The thing said copper but maybe aluminum is new I don't know which is actually better. It'd be nice if they had clear bottles or said if it had metal in it though.

braggy_g2

takerwolf,

how'd yah do it? the block weld? I've been having same problems too. My overflow bottle always gets full and my gauge goes more than half even though its been driven for a short period of time, lets say 15 mins. When i stop my engine, it forces coolant out of the bleeder (the one on top of the overflow bottle). Tried the bubble test and there isnt a lot of bubbles though. All i can describe is that it doesnt look like champagne bubbles, lets say really really few bubbles. No white smoke on start either. So its hard to conclude that the problem is coolant seal, and we all know how much it cost to fix it. Been reading ur post lately and im interested to do the same. Can you please give me some details regarding what u exactly just did? Thanks! Im almost in the verge of giving up on this, coz i cant drive my car to at least 60 miles.

takerwolf

Yeah that's the same was mine was acting, just do a search for block weld on here, there was a link to a very good list of directions in the 3rd gen forum which is what I used. I drove it a few more days before draining though. New update though, when I flushed it out I overflushed it I guess trying to get all the white liquid out and saw a chunk come out which I was hoping wasn't the patch but seems it was, after driving for 2 hours it started filling up again. I'll try putting another bottle in and hope the system is still clean enough for it to work and post again. I had talked with a rebuilder before doing this and what he said made sese, the coolant is at 13psi and the engine is at over 100psi so which will win? I thought about it and I wonder if the seal is blown on the intake side maybe that's when you get all the smoke but if blown on compression or power sides you get backpressure in the cooling system.
Anyway, it's driveable like this although stop and go traffic gets it warm halfway but I'll try again anyway, maybe I'll end up rebuilding sooner. I don't think that cost is really that much to fix it but it's alot of time unless you've done it alot. I think I'll try that bar's leak $10 stuff too.

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

you try the bars leak yet???
ive been smelling coolant once in a while driving but not having the other issues of a blown coolant seal....i might just have a leak hopefully but i am not sure yet...
my friend has a pressure tester im gonna use soon...