Coolant system issue

[jdearden]

Ok so to start from beginning. Water pump and housing broke. The dish inside of the housing had come loose and warn the housing a lot. So possibly small bits metal in coolant system

The problem I am having is once the car is up to temp and thermostat opens pressure builds up and over flows the header tank.
I initially thought air lock but I've spent 2 days bleeding the system running water through. Where ever the issue is it's after the thermostat.
I was thinking maybe there is a blockage after the thermostat from all the possible bits metal warn off the housing.
Has anyone got a diagram of the coolant system and where the water goes and flows. Where would be the smallest part, most likely to block.

Cheers

[Green3R]

pretty sure there's a cooling system diag in the build manual.

I found mine bled thru easily just being on a slight uphill slope I ran the engine and undid the small top hose one the rad. untill coolant came out.

Possibilities:
Is it possible to put the stat in the wrong way round?

Are there bubbles in the header tank? Could still be air, or at the other end of scale, failed head gasket?

Pressure cap on header tank failed?

Edited by Green3R on Sunday 27th October 14:03

[jdearden]

Have bled it like that. Been jacked up for 2 days.
The stat can only go one way.

[jdearden]

Doubt it's head gasket as car runs smooth as anything and it's a new engine
Last year.

ive checked the thermostat housing and its def teh right way round according to the build manual.

Edited by jdearden on Sunday 27th October 14:34

[Green3R]

from the build manual;



check the pressure cap isn't stuck open as well.

[D_G]

Make sure the little return hose from the top of the radiator to the expansion bottle isn't blocked, if it is you won't get it bled properly.

[jdearden]

D_G said:

Make sure the little return hose from the top of the radiator to the expansion bottle isn't blocked, if it is you won't get it bled properly.

If it was blocked it isn't any more. Can blow through it.

[jdearden]

can anyone confimr that teh thermostat only fits one way. im pretty sure it does.

[jdearden]

also has anyone ogt a link to the demon tweeks high pressure cap. i dont want to order the wrong one.
also does the high pressure cap only work with the pro alloy header tank or does it work with the original also

[TuxMan]

Pro alloy only I think mate , this is the one most of us use .

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/radiator-...

Tux

[jdearden]

TuxMan said:

Pro alloy only I think mate , this is the one most of us use .

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/radiator-...

Tux

Cheers mate. Il buy a new standard one tomorro and try that.

[TuxMan]

Could try taking the stat out too see if it makes any difference .

[Metalman]

It does sound like you still have air in the system somewhere, have you thought about air stuck in the heater matrix as it is at a high point of the car?

[jdearden]

Metalman said:

It does sound like you still have air in the system somewhere, have you thought about air stuck in the heater matrix as it is at a high point of the car?

Where is the heater matrix.
I've had the car jacked up from back as high as possible.

[Metalman]

Heater matrix is under the dash, do you still get hot air coming out the vents when the car is up to temp? When the stat opens you should get hot water flow through the pipe to the matrix, then the return should warm up. If not it could be full of air, worth checking just in case. The two pipes to the matrix I'm talking about are above the fuse box. When I changed coolant in my car I had it jacked up at rear, front, sides and it bled through no probs.

[mgbond]

TuxMan said:

Pro alloy only I think mate , this is the one most of us use .

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/radiator-...

Tux

Does that fit the pro alloy header tank as I'm sure the std one lets water out?

What pressure rating have u guys brought?

Edited by mgbond on Sunday 27th October 18:11

[Green3R]

I had the front up high rather than the back, so that the small return hose on rad was the highest point and bled the air from there.

Pretty sure you've tried it both ways though...

Heater matrix is in the fan unit, so under the dash. It's probably a fairly high point.
Turn the heater fully to hot so the valve is open.
jack car up at front or park on steep uphill slope.
Worked ok for me when I changed the rad.

[jdearden]

New cap fitted and problem resolved. For it to go a split a coolant hose going to oil filter.
Can't catch a break at mo. Anyone know where this hose goes to.

[andygtt]

This is almost exactly what happened to mine a few years back...water pump failed by internals coming loose and wearing a hole in housing... After that bleeding the system was a nightmare lol

Finally got it fully sorted in the summer so keep at it mate you will get there :-)

[Green3R]

check build manual there's a pic in there of the water pump to oil cooler.

I'd assumed they all had remote oil to air coolers, but it seems the standard is oil to water cooling.


bit confusing but it looks like one hose comes from the heater matrix return, so down the tunnel. The other one must go direct to the water pump.

Edited by Green3R on Monday 28th October 18:31