Or anything elseA sniff test kit for the coolant will rule out the head gaskets.
mot emissions kit will also work, if you speak nicely to your garage
mot emissions kit will also work, if you speak nicely to your garage
You could try a coolant pressure check. Kits like these work well. Get the engine up to temperature, switch off and pump up to 10-15psi. Then you can usually spot leaks without the fan blowing it everywhere !!
Thars not a bad kit that matey
Howdy friends,
My 01 Rover has been in the wars for a while regarding its cooling system that started with a slow-ish leak a few months ago. I got my local mechanic to have a look while it was in for a service and they said the manifold outlet pipe looked a bit busted and should be replaced. They also mentioned that the top rad hoses were looking a bit fat. So we replaced the manifold and all was good for a few days before it started leaking again.
This one took me a while to figure out, it seemed that coolant was coming out of the overflow hose from the expansion tank, I noticed the coolant expansion tank cap wasn't sitting flush and was a bit warped, so I replaced it, this seemed to do the trick until I took the Rover on a longer journey and found a pool of coolant below the radiator the next morning. I troubleshooted it down to a leaking top rad hose, and seeing as they were a bit fat anyway, I replaced it.
Once again this was all fine on my shorter journey for a few weeks, until I did a longer journey (50 minute drive) and the engine overheated. Interestingly, the Rover was fine the entire drive until I had to stop at traffic lights for a while, when it started again that's when the coolant exploded out of the radiator cap. Coolant was running all over the road. Very good.
Next steps will be to buy a new expansion tank and cap, as the expansion tank thread seems to be munted and is causing the radiator cap to warp. I'm just worried that the system might be over-pressurising, and that's what caused the fat upper rad hoses. I'm fairly confident I did a good job burping the system of air. I'm not sure what else to do :|
Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated
If you have a compressor and compression tester adapter that fits in the plug holes then you could connect up the airline and see if a particular cylinder pressurises the coolant.
Datatek
Well-Known Member
I would have thought pressure would leak past the piston rings before the coolant would be pressurised.?
Depends how bad it is. You have to make sure the valves are shut, of course. If you take the cam-cover off you can see when the lobes are flat and you can freely twist the tappets with your fingers (on the oil burner of xourse). That's how I worked out my head / head gasket was a gonner. As soon as I pressurised #5 the coolant pushed out of the expansion tank. When I got the head off it was pretty clear that end was a mess as all the head bolts were rusted and the head was cracked. I ought to update the thread with pictures from the PC really.
If you hear it hissing from the exhaust manifold then there's something up with the exhaust valves and if the inlet hisses then it is the inlet valves. If the dip-stick is whistling it is going past the rings. Quite a useful check.
Scotiawhiskers
Well-Known Member
That is a useful bit of advice. Although it is head off in any case, I don't know if my Triumph 900 is a head / gasket issue, or if it is the rigs / bore that are causing the problem on no1. Something like that might clarify it nicely and give me more idea what I am in for when I get the lump out. Be a useful pre-warning of costs / availability. Already considering if it would be more cost effective to get some copper sheet and make my own head gasket rather than try to track down a top end kit....
enjoi
Active Member
Allllrighty! It's been a minute but I finally got time to remove the radiator & viscous fan properly after having to wait for an order of a spanner that would fit
They both look in okay shape, the bimetal strip isn't gunked up or anything, though it doesn't turn a whole lot when I hit it with a heat gun. I'll slap a video up to see if you think it looks normal.
Is there anything I can do to sanity check the radiator while it is out of the car?
As for the pressure testing, during my penultimate service, which involved my mechanic spotting a leak from the manifold outlet pipe, they also pressure tested for leaks and didn't spot anything.
They both look in okay shape, the bimetal strip isn't gunked up or anything, though it doesn't turn a whole lot when I hit it with a heat gun. I'll slap a video up to see if you think it looks normal.
Is there anything I can do to sanity check the radiator while it is out of the car?
As for the pressure testing, during my penultimate service, which involved my mechanic spotting a leak from the manifold outlet pipe, they also pressure tested for leaks and didn't spot anything.
Never tried a heat gun. Is it stiff turn after its been sat? Does it free up after a short while?
You can visually test the rad to make sure the fins aren't blocked, them you can lay it flat and fill will boiling water, as quick as you can. The objective is to look for any lingering cold spots. You have to be quick before heat conducts through the aluminium
You can visually test the rad to make sure the fins aren't blocked, them you can lay it flat and fill will boiling water, as quick as you can. The objective is to look for any lingering cold spots. You have to be quick before heat conducts through the aluminium
Allllrighty! It's been a minute but I finally got time to remove the radiator & viscous fan properly after having to wait for an order of a spanner that would fit
They both look in okay shape, the bimetal strip isn't gunked up or anything, though it doesn't turn a whole lot when I hit it with a heat gun. I'll slap a video up to see if you think it looks normal.
Is there anything I can do to sanity check the radiator while it is out of the car?
As for the pressure testing, during my penultimate service, which involved my mechanic spotting a leak from the manifold outlet pipe, they also pressure tested for leaks and didn't spot anything.
Normally they blow air though the rad with it sat in a water tank for leaks. Hose down and then blow all the fins through with an airline. Apart from flushing that's about your lot.
enjoi
Active Member
Back flushed the rad today. Water came out pretty grubby featuring some sediment and rocks. Now I’m no expert but that doesn’t seem great.
Half tempted to just buy a new rad, thermostat and viscous fan and call it a day.
Half tempted to just buy a new rad, thermostat and viscous fan and call it a day.
Attachments
I went for an all aluminum rad.
Mine would take a one out nearly every year!!
Mine would take a one out nearly every year!!
enjoi
Active Member
Oh dear! How did you manage that?I went for an all aluminum rad.
Mine would take a one out nearly every year!!
That is one thing I’m worried about, I haven’t really gotten to the root of the fat hoses. Would be bummed to replace the cooling system to find a cracked head or similar.
Are the fat hoses rock hard? Can you run the engine up to temp with the expansion cap off? Does the coolant smell bad?Oh dear! How did you manage that?
That is one thing I’m worried about, I haven’t really gotten to the root of the fat hoses. Would be bummed to replace the cooling system to find a cracked head or similar.
If you're in doubt, you can buy test kits off ebay quite cheaply
enjoi
Active Member
The hoses have since been replaced, though I don’t recall them ever getting outrageously hard. I did check.
as for the expansion cap off test, I do recall a time I didn’t screw the expansion cap on properly and coolant came flying out the overflow hose after idling for a while.
I’d have to reconnect everything back up to test it properly, at the minute everything is drained and disconnected
Ok. Old hoses deteriorate, so hopefully just that. If you're not watching the temp, it can boil over without the cap, so again not an immediate worry, depends how hot it got
enjoi
Active Member
I like your optimism
I just got myself one of them trendy Bluetooth obd2 readers so I should be able to get a better idea of temps!
You get engine data with the likes of 'torque', at least on the Thor engine. Coolant temp, voltage, fuel trims, MAF values and engine codes
Datatek
Well-Known Member
As I said, on the V8 but not on a diesel.
