always check the basics!

 

Yeah? Hopefully that dent is fixable, I don't have any spare radiators up here for the rx-7, and it's not exactly currently driveable.

 

the reason air can get in yet you don't have a coolant leak is because air molecules are much smaller than the coolant molecules.

I had the same problem as Rob. The engine would run hot, but it never overheated. I knew about the Lisle funnel, but could not find one locally. Instead I used an empty quart size oil bottle with the bottom cut off and the right size o ring on the neck.

anyhow in my case after the t stat opened and the air bubbled up through my home made funnel, I left the funnel in the filler neck and let the engine cool down for several hours. I then restarted the engine and after the t stat opened I got one more large bubble and several small ones. That did the trick, my car now runs at about the 1/4 mark instead of the 3/4 mark on the temp gauge.

 

I don't have any overheating problems. It's just a coolant being replaced by air, eventually causing overheating if left unchecked.

Having to go back and refill the coolant every time I start it back up isn't something I desire to do.

 

its not overheating we are talking about, its running warmer then you think it should

 

glad to hear it's a simple problem and not a blown coolant seal

 

The funny thing is, I had to frakishly tighten my worm clamps to seal my hoses up at junctions. What is metal is your rad made of?

I just couldn't get a damn seal. I cranked those babies down hard and no more leaks.

 

Brass or some similar metal.

I'll be removing it shortly and figuring out wtf went wrong.

 

Mine is brass also. What did you tighten the worm clamps with. IME, it is always best to use a screw driver until you cant turn it anymore, then use a wrench to turn it down another turn.
With this new rad, I had to do 2 extra turns with the wrench, but the rad upper and lower necks where are slightly different angles than stock so the hoses didn't fit as perfect.

I still don't understand how you compressed the brass using a worm clamp though.

 

Alright you found the problem.

For others out there, sometimes air is sucked in also through the hose and hose joints between the coolant reservoir and rad.

Also, not sure if it was mentioned, I warm up the car with the cap off and let it run for a while after it's warmed up until no more bubbles are seen. And always have the heater on hot (mentioned already).

 

get a water bottle

jack the **** out of the front of the car
cut that **** and jam that on the radiator cap, and put like duct tape or something to seal it and keep that **** filled and just rev it, go inside, take a ****, come back out rev it a bit more, wait a bit, then slap the cap on and ur all good

 

what in the hell are you talking about. His problem is he has a bad seal on the radiator hose neck. I am not sure what psycho method of bleeding air from the coolant you have there but it doesn't seem very safe.

 

Why not?

It's exactly as said above with the bottle of oil w/bottom cut and finding a rubber seal to fit the gap on the filler neck, ducttape would just be... easier?



I'm gonna have to try this, no air comes out but I flushed my rad pretty good and it runs just as hot as before (And nobody can remember it ever having a coolant change, and its been in the family 18yrs....) it just takes longer to get up to the same marking, unless its past 95 out it wont go higher tho