Coolant forced out of Radiator

[supraguy31]

Ok all, I should know the Issue with this but Im not as much of an Expert as some of you are so Im going to ask and hopefully someone will give me a Straight answer to what this Problem might be.....

I have a customers car here, Now about 6 months ago, he had his engine Built using ARPs, MHG, and all the goodies, Ok now he didnt use his original Block as he had another block from a car that the Speedo said 100,000 miles on it. When he pulled everything off the donor block the Graphite HG wasnt blown or anything like that so all he did was clean the top of the block off with some cleaner, Installed a MHG and put everything together. Problem is and I think this might be the problem but not sure is that when he Pulled the stock HG off the motor, The top of the block had the Diagram of the HG imprinted into the top of it. He said that you could feel the small rings around each cylinder hole. He asked the Builder if it would be ok to leave it this way and not have it Decked and he was told that it should be ok.....

Ok now, What his Problem is and he has been having this Problem ever since the motor was built and installed.... He can fill his radiator up with coolant and not have any Coolant in the overflow bottle. Now if he drives the car for 10 miles and then checks his coolant afterwards, its being blown into the overflow to the point where it comes out of the Drain tube. He fills the radiator up after it cools down and drives it home, Pops the hood and same thing, Coolant pushed out of the radiator and into the overflow to the point that its coming out of the overflow. ''Everytime he has to fill it back up, it seens as though its only pushing about a 1/2 gallon of coolant out. Open the radiator cap and no coolant visible. Engine never overheats as he is using electric fans but he seems to always be driving with low coolant. He has replaced the radiator with a new one, He has a full Aluminum one installed and he has pulled the thermostat and it still does the same thing. Temperature gauge rises alot quicker than my 7M engine does (three times as fast) but gets to normal operating temps and fans kick in, 2 to 3 minutes at Idle.

Im thinking since the block wasnt decked that there is Exhaust gases leaking into the radiator somehow and causing the temps to rise rather quickly and the Excess pressure is forcing the water out. Only problem that this doesnt explain is that why is it only pushing a certain amount out and then stopping.

Can someone guide me in the correct Direction so I know what to do with this car.....

Thanks All
Robert

 

[figgie]

pressure leak SOME where in the cooling system.

On that note too.

You need to have coolant in the overflow bottle as when the system cools it pulls the coolant from the overflow. No coolant means air gets "ingested" by the cooling system.

Did you check the radiator cap?

 

[supraguy31]

New radiator cap that came with both the new Radiators. When its forced out after the first time, he looks into the overflow bottle and its completely full so He leaves it that way hoping that it will pull it back into the radiator. Basically, he is loosing more coolant than the bottle can hold hince the 1/2 gallon of coolant loss normally within a day or two and no coolant visible inside of the radiator.

He has a CSF and a Haste full Aluminum radiator but with 1.3bar caps.

 

[figgie]

I would still pressure test the entire cooling system.

If the head was not machined to MHG requirements. You will have issues (with leaks)!

 

[supraguy31]

Let me correct myself, The head was machined and everything, The block wasnt touched on the Surface other than a wipe down hince the Stock HG impresson into it. Basically he would have had to Deck the block to get that Impresson out of it.

How do you pressure test the cooling System since Ive never had to do it.

 

[figgie]

Let me correct myself, The head was machined and everything, The block wasnt touched on the Surface other than a wipe down hince the Stock HG impresson into it. Basically he would have had to Deck the block to get that Impresson out of it.

How do you pressure test the cooling System since Ive never had to do it.

umm.

seriously?

well here you go.

https://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2281&select=&page=3

from matco tools, Part#: PTK70888

Snap-on and MAC has them too. I think NAPA, autozone should carry some version of it.

 

[black89t]

sounds like the hg is leaking between the cylinder and waterjacket. it could be that the cooling system isn't build pressure making the boiling point of the water to low because of a leak somewhere else, but i doubt it. i say bhg.

edit: if he used a stocker i bet he would be having this problem. lol at over rated mhg.

 

[SideWinderGX]

If he had got a second opinion from someone who isn't completely RETARDED, he wouldn't be in this situation. Both the block and the head need to be resurfaced if you can feel ANY imperfections with your finger, or see something as huge as the imprint of the last headgasket. Dur, thats not good.


MHG holds more power a lot better than the stock, when everything is done correctly. If people get bad information (such as this guy, from the 'mechanic') or they just skimp on things (machining the head, decking the block) things will go wrong. Do it right, do it once.

 

[black89t]

well buddy, my point is most people that bash on the stock hg have never even ran a new one with arp's at the right torque spec. i'm guessing you haven't either. well the funny thing is i have. not that i don't like mgh. i'm going to be using one on my other motor. its just that for a lot of people there not needed. and like what happened above they oftenly don't get istalled right. i just think people over look the stock hg for what its good for. and how much easier they are to seal.

 

[supraguy31]

A sealing Problem sounds about correct. Like I said, His temp gauge jumps up really Quick and if you touch the upper radiator hose after a minute or so with the Thermostat out, its already hot or very warm.

Ive heard this from others also that if your going to be running a MHG then you have to make sure both Surfaces are completely straight, Graphite (Stock) HG you can get away with as they fill in those not so Perfect flat spots and still seal

 

[a_sesshoumaru]

try with a compressor putting air into the cylinders at 60psi, if you see air bubles coming out of the radiator is a head gasket or cylinder head problem, i had that problem with a metal head gasket blown only when i did power runs and when the heater hoses were not routed properly.

 

[supraguy31]

latest status... I went out today and started the car up to see how fast it warms up. By my watch, the Gauge started moving within 30 seconds of starting and was a full temperature about about 2 minutes without touching the gas. Not sure if this is relivant but I thought that it might mean something.

 

[figgie]

The OEM gauge is highly inaccurate but NOT that inaccurate. Sounds like exhaust gases are seeping into the cooling system.

I think NAPA sells a test kit that will test for CO in the coolant.

 

[supraguy31]

autozone has one in there loaner tool department but they call it a block tester. U use it through the radiator also and it turns the fluid from Blue to yellow if it shows any signs of Exhaust gases.

Would this be what I need to Pick up to confirm our theory?

 

[figgie]

autozone has one in there loaner tool department but they call it a block tester. U use it through the radiator also and it turns the fluid from Blue to yellow if it shows any signs of Exhaust gases.

Would this be what I need to Pick up to confirm our theory?

correct

there should never ever be any gases outside of steam, inside the cooling system

 

[supraguy31]

Thank you sir, Going to go and get it and test it out. I will let you know what the results are. Shouldnt take long at all.

 

[Who]

latest status... I went out today and started the car up to see how fast it warms up. By my watch, the Gauge started moving within 30 seconds of starting and was a full temperature about about 2 minutes without touching the gas. Not sure if this is relivant but I thought that it might mean something.

That sounds way to fast to me. Down here in FL with the ambient morning temp at 85F. When I start the car in the morning I have to make myself sit and wait to bring it up to temp. No way does the needle start to move at 30 seconds.

 

[supraguy31]

I think Im getting down to the Problem now, Owner came over again today and we took it out for a test drive. As soon as we pulled but into my Garage, I popped the hood and I wanted to see how much Pressure there was on the cap. Well, I turned the car and some white Foam came out of the radiator mixed with patches of brown foam. Pressure wasnt that much at all and the radiator was a 1/2 gallon low. Overflow was actually at the full mark this time but Im thinking that its because all the water is gone out of the radiator to the point that its not rising high enough.

Oh, And by the way, The inside of the radiator smelled Horrible, Smells just like raw gas if you stick your nose to the Outlet when the car is off ofcourse. No water in the oil though.

So do I have a Seaping HG or Blown HG issue here?

 

[black89t]

its blown. just change it.