Good news. Bad news and a bit of help please?!
Discussion
Fitted some new red rose discs and yellowstuff pads today, as well as swapping the wooden dash bits to the aluminium ones, also fitted new water manifolds and silicone coolant hoses as id been losing a bit of coolant after a drive, all good so far then, we even found a suspicious looking split hose. So we put it all back together and start bleeding....and bleeding...and yep, struggled like hell and now the car will warm up, the fans will kick in she cools down slightly then the gauge hits 110 and the cap gives way! done this two or three times with continuous bleeding etc.
Now were certain everythings gone back as it should but does anybody have a schematic for the water? To be honest much as i hope its not, ithink a head gasket has gone due to the pressures were getting
Now were certain everythings gone back as it should but does anybody have a schematic for the water? To be honest much as i hope its not, ithink a head gasket has gone due to the pressures were getting
Well, much as I don't want to depress you, I've had very similar symptoms more or less since I bought mine in February, finally tracked down yesterday to hydrocarbons in coolant, so I think my head gasket's leaking slightly.
See here for details...
If it was fine before, though, then it's maybe more likely that you've connected something up wrong, no? I made a note of the connections because I've bought new pipes but not fitted them yet. I can't find the sketch though, I think it must be in the car. In a barn, on a farm, miles from here... If you want it, I'll get it tomorrow.
See here for details...
If it was fine before, though, then it's maybe more likely that you've connected something up wrong, no? I made a note of the connections because I've bought new pipes but not fitted them yet. I can't find the sketch though, I think it must be in the car. In a barn, on a farm, miles from here... If you want it, I'll get it tomorrow.
Cheers! i read your thread yesterday but because we found the split hose i thought that must be it, the car was still running perfectly as it always has until we finished doing what we were doing, i cant see what but im hoping as you say we have made a mistake coupling up.
I think ill order a block test from Frost, but the car is miles away from me too!
I think ill order a block test from Frost, but the car is miles away from me too!
Onzlouk said:
Cheers! i read your thread yesterday but because we found the split hose i thought that must be it, the car was still running perfectly as it always has until we finished doing what we were doing, i cant see what but im hoping as you say we have made a mistake coupling up.
I think ill order a block test from Frost, but the car is miles away from me too!
Yeah the Frost kit was what I used. I think ill order a block test from Frost, but the car is miles away from me too!
Here's the pipe connections as I remember them:
Edited by tvrgit on Friday 4th September 14:37
I've just done a complete system drain and re fill after replacing the engine water rails. To refill, I opened the three bleed points (rad and two water rails) and filled via the header tank. When water seeped out of eack bleed I closed them in turn. Then I ran the engine and repeated the process.
When you start the engine from cold watch the water gauge rise. You should see it suddenly start to fall at the same time the top radiator hose starts to warm up, this means the thermostat has opened OK. It should then start to rise again until the fans cut in.
I use a cheap infrared thermometer from Maplin to check the coolant hose temperatures to ensure water is flowing through the whole circuit see http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=infra...
When you start the engine from cold watch the water gauge rise. You should see it suddenly start to fall at the same time the top radiator hose starts to warm up, this means the thermostat has opened OK. It should then start to rise again until the fans cut in.
I use a cheap infrared thermometer from Maplin to check the coolant hose temperatures to ensure water is flowing through the whole circuit see http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=infra...
jonbarrett said:
I've just done a complete system drain and re fill after replacing the engine water rails. To refill, I opened the three bleed points (rad and two water rails) and filled via the header tank. When water seeped out of eack bleed I closed them in turn. Then I ran the engine and repeated the process.
When you start the engine from cold watch the water gauge rise. You should see it suddenly start to fall at the same time the top radiator hose starts to warm up, this means the thermostat has opened OK. It should then start to rise again until the fans cut in.
That's exactly how I filled mine.When you start the engine from cold watch the water gauge rise. You should see it suddenly start to fall at the same time the top radiator hose starts to warm up, this means the thermostat has opened OK. It should then start to rise again until the fans cut in.
That's also exactly how my car behaved the first check.
On every decent run (over say 25 miles), it was like the OP's...
The header tank on mine usually has very little coolant in it. If you top it up it blows it out. I have also got the water wetter as well as 40% antifreeze in mine.
The system on a Cerbera usually has a good bit of pressure in it. I have not had a cooling problem for 3K since I fitted the Track Car cooling fan chip. I think the OP has got too much coolant in the header tank and air in the system still. It can take a few days for things to settle down after draining and refilling the system.
The system on a Cerbera usually has a good bit of pressure in it. I have not had a cooling problem for 3K since I fitted the Track Car cooling fan chip. I think the OP has got too much coolant in the header tank and air in the system still. It can take a few days for things to settle down after draining and refilling the system.
We filled it from cold with the radiator plug out until fluid appeared then closed it, opened the bleeders and filled a bit more. We then ran the car up and topped up as the level decreased in the header tank and used the bleeders whilst running, with the cap of fluid would spew out. Ok so we left it off too long perhaps, tried the same process again but fitted cap leaving bleeders open until fluid appeared and closed them, left it running a while and the temp got too high so we stopped it, the cap then couldnt be removed then for approx 5 mins due to the pressure and fluid wanting to come out.
We then repeated the process as the level in the tank had dropped again, this time it made temperature fans cut in ok then temp went up again so we stopped it.
15th time lucky we started again and took car for a short drive, ok for 5 mins then the cap blew with steam and fluid everywhere, temp upto 110, thats when we called it a day. The whole system was heated up.
I am just about to book in for 2 new gaskets but reading the various opinions maybe its worth another attempt at bleeding the system?
We then repeated the process as the level in the tank had dropped again, this time it made temperature fans cut in ok then temp went up again so we stopped it.
15th time lucky we started again and took car for a short drive, ok for 5 mins then the cap blew with steam and fluid everywhere, temp upto 110, thats when we called it a day. The whole system was heated up.
I am just about to book in for 2 new gaskets but reading the various opinions maybe its worth another attempt at bleeding the system?
New theory and last hope!
The first time we filled it with water coolant mix one of the new clips broke under the pressure and we lost a lot of fluid, we continued topping up with water only in our efforts to complete the job. Possibly leading to the problems we then encountered with overheating, ie not enough coolant in the mix to stop boiling on hotspots, somebody has suggested a 50/50 mix with added water wetter before we go down the head gasket route!?
What do you think?
The first time we filled it with water coolant mix one of the new clips broke under the pressure and we lost a lot of fluid, we continued topping up with water only in our efforts to complete the job. Possibly leading to the problems we then encountered with overheating, ie not enough coolant in the mix to stop boiling on hotspots, somebody has suggested a 50/50 mix with added water wetter before we go down the head gasket route!?
What do you think?
Take the thermostat out, join the main flow outlet to the stat to the radiator inlet pipe, and blank of the bypass pipe that would normally feed from the thermostat .. then run it up and tell us what you find.
I had a car in the other day where the thermostat had stuck full open, yours might be stuck full closed. .. so just take the stat out of the circuit and see if it cures your steamy car
I had a car in the other day where the thermostat had stuck full open, yours might be stuck full closed. .. so just take the stat out of the circuit and see if it cures your steamy car
To be honest not 100% sure, stripped bits back out and drained it all off, refilled with a good mix of coolant and bled it all perfectly while it was cold then ran it up to temp and stopped and bled it again. All good first time.
I had ordered a new thermostat and cap just in case but didnt need them. Ive also got the block tester here from Frost, i think ill run that anyway.
Also gunked and sprayed the rad through as its a bit road grimy, it ran home at around 78deg, which is about 6/7 deg cooler than it ran before!
Cheers for the help and suggestions all.
I had ordered a new thermostat and cap just in case but didnt need them. Ive also got the block tester here from Frost, i think ill run that anyway.
Also gunked and sprayed the rad through as its a bit road grimy, it ran home at around 78deg, which is about 6/7 deg cooler than it ran before!
Cheers for the help and suggestions all.
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