coolant question

[HeWhoKillz]

If you hear gurgling in your coolant, and can see bubbles floating to the top of the coolant resevoir, what does this indicate? This is while the engine is running.

[534BC]

If they system was full and had no air pockets then it can indicate a crack/hole/break (some leak) into the coolant. It may be from block, head, ect. To verify this, have someone do a combustion gas test on it by inserting the analyser filled with fluid into the radiator neck while running the car. The tester I'm familiar with will turn the fluid from blue to yellow if there's combustion gas present.

[HeWhoKillz]

Originally Posted by 534BC

If they system was full and had no air pockets then it can indicate a crack/hole/break (some leak) into the coolant. It may be from block, head, ect. To verify this, have someone do a combustion gas test on it by inserting the analyser filled with fluid into the radiator neck while running the car. The tester I'm familiar with will turn the fluid from blue to yellow if there's combustion gas present.

I had actually just changed the antifreeze. Most of it is water right now though.

[curtis73]

Coolant pressure test first.

Several things can cause it - the thermostat could be stuck closed making it overheat in the block and boil out the radiator. The Radiator cap could be faulty and not holding pressure letting things boil. You could also just be boiling water since you don't have enough antifreeze.

... or worst case scenario it could be a cracked head, block, or blown head gasket.

[HeWhoKillz]

Originally Posted by curtis73

Coolant pressure test first.

Several things can cause it - the thermostat could be stuck closed making it overheat in the block and boil out the radiator. The Radiator cap could be faulty and not holding pressure letting things boil. You could also just be boiling water since you don't have enough antifreeze.

... or worst case scenario it could be a cracked head, block, or blown head gasket.

Well, several months ago, I had what "Acted" like a blown head gasket. There was a massive puff of white smoke out the tail pipe and the smoking died down as I tried to make it home. The engine was letting out smoke and it seemed to be under the exhuast manifold but also some from the back of the engine down below. The car also had an overheating problem. I'm assuming all the antifreeze was boiled out which is why the car overheated. It didn't sputter or sound like it was missing out like another car did that I had wiht a blown head gasket. So I changed the head gasket. The old one really looked fine and I got a used head off another one that I got to hear run. I put everything back together and the car ran fine except for a leak somewhere in the back. It was antifreeze leaking. It was all over the transmission and back of the engine like it was spewing out. The big hose in the back was fine and not cracked or anything. I can't find where the leak was from. After filling the antifreeze AGAIN only this time I used water because I wanted to just see what was leaking, there was the bubbling in the coolant resevoir. How do you bleed the cooling system?