P3RF3CTSHiFT

Yea I know what you're thinking, "This guys cars overheating so now he's jumping on here without even doing any research or lurking" I have read maybe about 15 different threads ranging from here to Zilvia to NICO and so on and so forth, but my situation seems to be different than all of the others I've read about, so now I resort to getting feedback. I have read all of your noob warnings, so please be gentle hahaha

Here's the lowdown, 1991 Hatch; Gunmetal Gray; 173,xxx miles; mostly stock besides plugs, wires, rotor and cap, and Spectre cone filter (blahhh)

I started having alot of issues with my cooling system, bought the car, drove for about a month no problem, then started having issues, my buddy who is also a member here (S13 Madison) suggested bad thermo, so I bought a new one and went to replace it, turned out I didn't even have one -_-
I understand I live in florida and we technically dont need them in this hot climate, but cavitation isnt something I want to deal with, so be it. After I replaced the thermo I ran pretty good until about recently. Hoses started crapping out, I had been wanting to replace them anyways so it was a perfect chance.
After flushing out and replacing the upper and lower hose, plus another new thermo and rad cap (It was a duralast thermo and I wasnt happy with it) Went with the STANT thermo and cap.
I was still having problems, turned out the water outlet hose next to the upper was cracked, so I replaced that.
I suppose your waiting for me to get to the point right?

I'm still overheating, but the thing is, it will get to operating temperature, I can drive it for about 15 minutes and it will start climbing, and sometimes it might not even climb. If I drop the car to neutral and turn it off, then coast for about 10-15 seconds and turn the car back on, the temp gauge will have dropped quite a bit from hot and will return to oper. temperature. It will then stay at operating temp for the rest of the time I drive it no problem.
I was running water + water wetter but now I'm running straight water because I'm losing water and I can't keep buying water wetter.

My oil has no bubbles and is the beautiful dark color it should be, likewise the water has no milky spots and doesnt feel or smell like oil at all. It's got a bit of rust color because of the old radiator and all the crap that's probably built up in my system, but you know.

So I'm pretty sure of my options..
50/50 coolant mix douchebagggg
New radiator
Water pump
poopy clutch fan
clogged system
air pockets (I park on an incline at work so I tried burping it out there, it got a little better but still no cigar)
Blown head gasket...

I plan on running through all of these other options until I reach the last thing on the list, you all know I'm dreading to pull my engine...
So on that note, please throw me your ideas and suggestions, hell, troll me if you want. Just give me something that might help me out!

Super Coupe

Test your clutch fan by trying to hold it back. Compression test, see how that comes back. I would honestly replace the water pump, its most likely old anyways. Are you losing any coolant?

mewantkouki

Please video tape this and post it online when you try.

Super Coupe

LOL obv not with your hand but some sort of stick.

obituary

loseing water ya say... what / where from? that could cause an air pocket!

KRUKED

Jack the front end up as high as possible and force feed coolant/water. You will get a great deal more of air pockets out better. Squeeze the hoses also while feeding. Replace coolant temp sensor that runs to the cluster, (the single wired one).

Empire

glad to see I wasn't the only one who pictured some poor schmuck holding the fan with his hands and having his buddy start the car.


If the radiator is full of rusty crap, then it might be clogged up.
and if the water pump is old as balls, then it is probably going bad and you're loosing coolant through the weep holes.
A long screw driver, end on the water pump, handle on your ear, you'll be able to hear the bearings in the pump as it spins. Should sound like water flowing. But if there is a grind/crunch, then the pump is bad.

Since you say the radiator is all rusty and crap, I would want to replace it with at least a more fresh one. And try to flush out as much of that crap out of the block as possible. I've shoved a hose in one end and watched chunks of shit fall out of the other end.

Compression test might help figure out if the head gasket is bad. They can fail in such a way that a little bit of coolant gets into the cylinder but not into the oil or anything. Leak down test might be better.
Or hell, drain out the water, and fill it with antifreeze. That stuff smokes like a mofo.

Beyond that, you really gotta figure out where the water is leaking from.

does it over heat at idle?
Let it sit and run and just go over the whole thing with a fine tooth comb until you can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, there is no leak.
Many times, the heater core lines will have little pin hole size leaks in them that won't show up until the system is hot and pressurized.

KRUKED

If you replace the water pump, I have one in really good condition I'll sell ya fer twentee buckaroos

P3RF3CTSHiFT

hahahaha that would have been a great laugh to see my ass trying to hold the clutch fan with my hand and yelling at my buddy to start it up, I cant even stand getting my finger a little to close let alone getting my hand caught! That was funny man for realzies.

The clutch fan does feel like it's had better days, it's got a little more play in it than my buddy's hatch.
The water pump looks and sounds like it's in good condition, I don't think there are any problems there.

Empire : No it doesnt over heat at all at idle, like I said, I can start it at idle, get it to operating temperature, start driving for maybe ten minutes, it will start to climb so I'll turn the car off and coast down the road, once I turn it back on it will have already dropped a few clicks and will ride at operating temperature for however much longer I drive.
For instance, I drove from bradenton to sarasota and back this evening, it starting heating after I left my house, did my thing, and made the whole trip without the needle even budging.

I jumped out at one point when it was getting hot and felt my top hose, it was really pressurised and I couldn't even squeeze it, but as soon as it started dropping the hose felt normal. Which is pointing me into the direction of an air pocket, simply because I've messed around with the coolant system alot these past few weeks and I havent had the chance to get rid of all the air properly.
Honestly, I refuse to fall pray to the blown head gasket lol

At this point I am no longer losing water in my radiator, I've checked it a few times since I posted this and it's still at the level I filled it to.

KRUKED : I borrowed a floor jack from my buddy so I'll be doing exactly that tomorrow morning, but which temperature sensor? Isn't there one in front on the block by the upper hose and another on the back of the block? There are two wires on both of those, so you may have to further enlighten me lol.
I thought maybe one of the sensors was bad so I ran self diagnostic today after work, got the "All okay" codes so those seem to be intact.

I also skipped the fact that the whole system looks really gunked up, the radiator is rust colored and almost looks like it's starting to grow barnacles (HAHA) and all the ends where my hoses go, and where the thermostat goes has alot of nasty build up and crap in there.

I'll snag some 50/50 tomorrow as well and try to do a really good flush of the system, I know there's orange dreamsicles hiding in there somewhere lol and then burp the air out the right way and we'll see where it get's me.

Thanks you guys for posting up I really appriciate it.

EDIT : Annndd my heater core is actually disconnected, as I believe some resistors are bad in my blower motor, I personally did not disconnect the hoses from the firewall that is the way it was when I bought it -_-

KRUKED

I'm assuming that you have a dohc so here we go... Both sensors are on the front of the block and side by side and they screw into the upper water neck area. You'll just barely see in the picture below that the coolant temp sensor for the ecu has a red connector and the one that runs to the cluster is roughly an inch away, to the right. The one on the right will have a male butt connector for 1 single wire while the one running to the ecu has a clip for 2 wires. Hope I haven't lost you. Replace the sensor on the right, the one w/ the single single wire butt connector If you need a better picture, let me know. This is the only one that I have available at the moment.