Overheating 7MGTE! (Don't think BHG?)

[MrMordy]

Howdy all!

Got my car from jimmyrose (another forum member) about a year ago now, but haven't had a chance to play with it a lot.

It's a 1988 7M-GTE Targa Auto

Mods (as far as I know :/ ) :
* Large FMIC - Unknown brand
* HKS SSQV? BOV. Some sequential thing, sounds nice.
* Unknown Brand Boost controller, with boost set to 11PSI
* 3" Turbo-Back Exhaust
* Front bar


Not sure what else has been done to it, it's sounds nice when it's going though

Anyways, the problem is kinda weird. Before I go any further, I can't check the coolant or oil for another week or so, so can't check for BHG properly, but symptoms I don't think match that anyways. Also apparantly HG was fixed not long before I got it.

Problem:
I can drive it for about 15-20 minutes with the occasional WOT to near-redline (stock ECU), then the temps creep towards the red. I've got digi-dash.

If I nurse it, it sits 1 bar below the maximum (top bar is red, one below is green still). It was in this condition the entire time it got driven from Brisbane to Melbourne to be delivered to me by a friend's father.

He says if he kept it at ~95-100km/h off boost, it sat just 1 bar below the max.

I thought with a BHG, i'd have smoke and shit pouring out everywhere. The engine still feels like it has plenty of power, and will kick out the ass-end quite readily, and spin both wheels to about 50km/h from a stop without brakes, even when temps are up.

I get to pick it up from my friend's place where I stored it, next week. I can inspect further then. Though, until then, any ideas??



Now I know you're all prolly thinking BHG, but come on, Bris -> Melb?

 

[grimreaper]

Howdy all!

Got my car from jimmyrose (another forum member) about a year ago now, but haven't had a chance to play with it a lot.

It's a 1988 7M-GTE Targa Auto

Mods (as far as I know :/ ) :
* Large FMIC - Unknown brand
* HKS SSQV? BOV. Some sequential thing, sounds nice.
* Unknown Brand Boost controller, with boost set to 11PSI
* 3" Turbo-Back Exhaust
* Front bar


Not sure what else has been done to it, it's sounds nice when it's going though

Anyways, the problem is kinda weird. Before I go any further, I can't check the coolant or oil for another week or so, so can't check for BHG properly, but symptoms I don't think match that anyways. Also apparantly HG was fixed not long before I got it.

Problem:
I can drive it for about 15-20 minutes with the occasional WOT to near-redline (stock ECU), then the temps creep towards the red. I've got digi-dash.

If I nurse it, it sits 1 bar below the maximum (top bar is red, one below is green still). It was in this condition the entire time it got driven from Brisbane to Melbourne to be delivered to me by a friend's father.

He says if he kept it at ~95-100km/h off boost, it sat just 1 bar below the max.

I thought with a BHG, i'd have smoke and shit pouring out everywhere. The engine still feels like it has plenty of power, and will kick out the ass-end quite readily, and spin both wheels to about 50km/h from a stop without brakes, even when temps are up.
I get to pick it up from my friend's place where I stored it, next week. I can inspect further then. Though, until then, any ideas??



Now I know you're all prolly thinking BHG, but come on, Bris -> Melb?

come on now, your trying to destroy it arent you?

 

[MrMordy]

TBH I do want an excuse to drop in a 2J, but if this thing won't die, I can't really get rid of it lol. It's indestructible!

 

[wardog]

Check your oil and cap to see if ther is anything in it. Radiator may be clogged from sitting for a year? Have you drained out your cooling system lately?

 

[MrMordy]

Check your oil and cap to see if ther is anything in it. Radiator may be clogged from sitting for a year? Have you drained out your cooling system lately?

The car was delivered before it sat for a year, and it had the same problem then. I'll drain both the oil and coolant next week when I collect the car and have a closer look.

Check your oil and cap

cap?

 

[airhead04]

the cap where you pour oil into the engine at. lol

 

[radiod]

If you're going to be draining the oil, just crack the drain plug and catch some of the fluid in a small clear container first. Make sure it's been sitting for at least a couple hours before doing this. If you've got coolant getting in to the oil at all, you'll see it come out of the drain plug first because coolant and water are both heavier than oil. Check under your oil fill cap for gooey light brown or milky residue. Pull the PCV pipe from on top of your valve covers and see if it's full of similar gunk that could be under the oil cap. Check under your rad cap and in your coolant resevoir tank for oil in the coolant. Hopefully that will give you some answers as to whether it's BHG or not.

As for other cooling complications, what's the condition of your AC condenser? What's the condition of the rad? Is your fan shroud on? Do you have the GTE 10 blade clutch fan AND the 2 electric fans hooked up and working? How old is the thermostat? Is the water pump circulating your coolant properly? Is your coolant just down right awful nasty dirty?

 

[D.J.T.]

Have you even tried replacing the Thermostat?.