84 overheating?

back round on the vehicle..... 84 coupe, approx 88000 miles....How can i tell if my car is overheating? I do not have a temperature gauge, but my car sounds like its in overdrive or something. also my coolant seems to be leaking, however i see no leak spots under the car. also it seems my radiator is spitting out coolant after long drives...any advise? thank you in advance....

If it's spitting coolant, that's a good sign that it's hot enough to boil over. This can even be due to a faulty radiator cap, but there are so many causes of overheating that we have to take this step-by-step. One common cause of overheating is a plugged catalytic converter. Other symptoms of this are an egg-like or match-like smell of sulphur, power loss that's the inverse of vehicle speed (in laymans' terms, power 'falls off' as you increase speed, with more power falling off as you get faster), and low economy.

Other causes of overheating are failing water pump, failing (or failed) fan clutch, slipping belts, a restriction in the cooling system (such as a defective -stuck- thermostat, calculus in the radiator), a blown head gasket (you did mention that coolant disappears but there are no drips, this is a symptom so check the condition of the oil), restrictions in the airflow through the radiator (i.e. grass, bugs etc), even a slipping transmission.

thnx.... any advise on how to start checking for these things? thx again... i am definatley a nOOb on repairing cars, but i do want to kind of get things done myself and continue to maintain this car...

Start with replacing the thermostat. You might need to have the radiator 'rodded' if there's a calcium buildup. Visually inspect the belts - there should be no more than 1/2" deflection on the LONGEST stretch. Check the fan clutch - a good spin of the fan (with the engine OFF!) should cause it to rotate no more than 1/2 turn, less if it's hot. If it spins more than that, replace the fan clutch.

Clean the outside of the radiator by spraying water through the core, from the engine side (so the water sprays through the radiator grille).

Check for restrictions in the exaust - you can use a vacuum gauge for this - if there is an exhaust restriction the vacuum will fall off as the engine idles.

after checking the engine, i noticed a build up of coolant in front of the radiator....does it need replacing?

after checking the engine, i noticed a build up of coolant in front of the radiator....does it need replacing?


the first thing to do is make sure you have no leaks..........next replace radiator cap............this is cheap and most likely needing replacement......


the reason i say this is because if you have no pressure in the coolant system your engine will over heat......when there is no pressure coolant boils at 212deg f at sea level.....lower at higher elevations.....when this occurs the boiling coolant can't be pumped /circulated by water pump.....


as mentioned before if your head gasket is blown, exhaust gases will do the same thing to the coolant.....


any coolant leaks must be repaired or you will have overheating....


when you don't have a temp gauge you can check temp by filling coolant reservior to full cold,when engine is cold, then when at normal 195deg f coolant should be at full hot ... if you find that the coolant is above full hot it is a good sign that your running too hot.....

One common cause of overheating is a plugged catalytic converter.

This is a bit off what this thread is asking, but; How can I tell it my Cat is plugged? What are some other symptoms of a plugged cat.

And, how can I fix it?

Thanks.

88 305 V8 Broughm 112000 miles.

This is a bit off what this thread is asking, but; How can I tell it my Cat is plugged? What are some other symptoms of a plugged cat.

And, how can I fix it?

Thanks.

88 305 V8 Broughm 112000 miles.

See post #4 - Exhaust Restrictions.

This is a bit off what this thread is asking, but; How can I tell it my Cat is plugged? What are some other symptoms of a plugged cat.

And, how can I fix it?

Thanks.

88 305 V8 Broughm 112000 miles.


go to the caprice section and read under vacuum engine trouble shooting... using a vacuum gauge with this chart i suppied you will be able to find what area is in need of attention......

go to the caprice section and read under vacuum engine trouble shooting... using a vacuum gauge with this chart i suppied you will be able to find what area is in need of attention......


Thanks, that helps. Somehow I never read that thread.