Im about ready to get rid of my car!!! I hate this money pit

[Talon69]

I do hate it but i love it at the same time, it has grown on me over the years.
BUT!!

I have a new problem that occured yestarday, i noticed my car getting hot so i shut it down, looked at fluid and not much left in engine. So i refill and does the same thing like 10 miles later. Now i get it home i fill up and let idle for 20 minutes and it stays nice and cool.

So i take it down the road and it does it, i noticed its putting the fluid in the overflow!!! So i empty the overflow take it down the road boosting and the overflow is full and engine starting to run hot.

No oil in fluid but i think i have a head gasket problem!!! I have the 4 layer metal head gasket and arp studs how can my head gasket blow out if it did?

I cannot see it being the thermostat since i let it idle for 20 minutes and it was fine, besides there is only 3,200 miles on my engine and all other stuff.

Opinion plz

Thanx
Eric

[Blackcrow64]

Sounds like the problem I had with the Firebird a while ago. I actually had lines blowing off cause it was building pressure in the system. I repaired them and tried it again and the pressure busted my water neck. Turned out to all be a thermostat problem. I replaced it and haven't had a problem all summer yet. I would try it first as it would be the simplest and cheapest thing to do.

[Talon69]

Originally Posted by Blackcrow64

Sounds like the problem I had with the Firebird a while ago. I actually had lines blowing off cause it was building pressure in the system. I repaired them and tried it again and the pressure busted my water neck. Turned out to all be a thermostat problem. I replaced it and haven't had a problem all summer yet. I would try it first as it would be the simplest and cheapest thing to do.

Yeah i was also thinking of changing the thermostat 1st even tho it only has 3,200 miles on it, i guess it could be a defect or something.

But i think im still leaning torwards that $100 head gasket
Wouldnt you normally see oil in the antifreeze tho?

[Blackcrow64]

Normally you would. I really doubt you blew out that headgasket. I have the same one setting here right now and as I look at it I don't see any way for it to be possible unless your running 50+lbs of boost.

[eclipsed at 3am]

maybe something is blocked in there, possibly the thermostat.

when i lived in michigan, i had a 1g gst. in december i parked my car in the garage and then came to florida to visit my dad for a month and a half. when I got back, my car hadnt been started, and there was ice in the coolant system. When I would let the car idle in the driveway for 5-10 mins, it would be fine, normal op temperature. but when i would try to drive it, it would heat right up. I dunno if there was a chunk of ice blocking something or what, but i had to let it idle for like 20-25 mins and then it started working fine. So im thinking maybe that might be your problem. or maybe your thermostat isnt opening up. thats the cheapest fix ever too. thermostat and gasket and maybe some sealer, all for $10 at autozone or someplace. then you could try a new radiator cap, $4. i actually thnk the radiator cap is cheaper than the thermostat. yeah...yeah thats it.

[clipse_thumper]

my guess is the thermo. thats what it sounds like. same problem here but that fixed the job.

[Talon69]

i will keep you all updated, everyone on dsmlink forum says if your pushing fluid its normally the head gasket. Alot of them say they have had this problem with these gaskets and others and they just retorqued the arps down to 115 ft/lbs. Solved the problem.

So i think im gonna retorque them today and see what happens.

[gthompson97]

My guess is also the thermostat. You could try having your cooling system flushed and new coolant put in (not just drained and refilled). Also replace the thermostat if the re-torquing doesn't solve it.

[Talon69]

it was raining all day today and the garage is full so hopefully tomarrow.

I do not think its the thermostat from all the reading i have been doing from dsmlink.com. Pushing coolant is a big thing i guess with turbo cars, expecially with the mls gasket. Alot go back to oem composit and torque arps to 115 and never had any problems again.

I will do the head first before the stat just because thats what im leaning torwards, thanx for replieing and will let u know tomarrow what goes on

[eclipsed at 3am]

if yu just put on that fanncy-shmancey head gasket, why do you think it would b the problem? to me, re-donig the timing and all that just to take the head off would be the last thing i did. (do uhave to redo the timing when you take the head off?) juswt cause it sounds like a pain in the butt, check all that the simple stuff first. doing coolant flush wouldnt be a bad idea, unless you hvae just had it done, because its an important part of maintenance anyways. or did you just do a engine swap? afriend of mines from california had a coolant problem, and his problem ended up being the heater core was all blocked up. if you got a coolant flush, it might also show where your problem is, seeing as how it puts the system under pressure, and you can see where everything goes. if this sounds stupid, then it probably is.... rigt now everything jus sounds llike a good idea to me. chilis happy hour!


or just get a honda they never have coolant probs as far as im concerned

[ez1286]

Check all the coolant lines maybe you have a leak somewhere. Did you fully fill the coolant eliminating all the air in the system (fill it full the fill a funnel and leave it in the hole and start the car and run it with the heat on full blast until the car gets to op temp and when there it stops bubbling into the funnel.) Also check the overflow for holes because it's cheap plastic and you could suck air into the system and when it heats up it dumps the coolant and that leaks so it sucks in more air.

[Thor06]

I'm with the guys on the DSMlink forum, I dont think those MLS HG's can blow out that easy but the normal 85 or whatever ft/lbs of torque isnt enought either.

[ez1286]

If you replace you hg, get an ics titan, thats what i have, tested to 1400hp and 43psi (overkill, but i feel safe to turn up the boost a bit)

[Thor06]

Ha ha, or OEM composite ones have been proven to 600 hp and you dont need a good surface to get a good seal.

[nofear39427]

Get the car re-timed and if that dosent help....sell it to me