stupid cold/stupid me!

[JustinB]

So... Weather outside's been frightful, and I was thinking I should put some new coolant in the wagon.... and then I didn't. It was about 23 degrees one day and I went out and checked and it was fine so I thought, "well, I'll be just fine". This morning when i left work it was 4 degrees and on the way up a hill I overheated and something blew up. Now I need to figure out what happened. Really hoping it's just the hose or the radiator. Radiator is froze solid except for the top, so probably not that, but I can hope right? Hope the head's okay.... I feel like the biggest moron. :(

[datto510]

Live and learn bro, live and learn.:D

[datzenmike]

Last winter I left my freshly transplanted Z24 till too late befor checking. The rad and block was solid. I opened the drain and fugured the next day it would warm up and drain out but no. I started it but the pump was froze and the belt started smoking. Loosened it and re-started it and warmed it up for a min and shut off to let the heat soak through the block and thaw it out. Did this several times and yanked the lower rad hose off and drained the block. Eventually the rad thawed and drained.

 

Drained the system for the winter this year.

 

 

If there was a big cloud of steam then likely the hose popped off. If the thermostat was frozen the water wouldn't circulate past the temp sender and tell you it was overheating. Pressure would build and with luck pop off the bottom rad hose.

[DanielC]

I feel your pain.

A few years ago, I let my 521 sit without sufficient antifreeze, when I was not driving it.

It had a JDM L-18 engine in it, that was originally a fuel injection motor that I put a L-16 carb and manifold on. I did not know it, but it had the "peanut" combustion chamber, and bigger valves in it.

When it froze, it cracked the head from number two cylinder intake valve to the number three intake valve. Turned a very desirable head into scrap metal.

Second dumb thing I did is this. I turned in the 4 cylinder fuel injection manifold in for scrap metal. Wish I had it now.

[hang_510]

So... I was thinking I should put some new coolant in the wagon.... and then I didn't.

Now I need to figure out what happened.

 

shoulda added ANTI-freeze :blink:

[ggzilla]

Same thing happened to me in '86 when we had the big freeze. Like Mike i removed the fan belt and ran the engine a bit at a time until it melted the water. It was OK after this, but only because I remembered before it was too late (about midnight went out and thawed it).

[JustinB]

Went out and warmed it up a bit at a time to get the water in the engine thawed. Took off the radiator and brought it in to the shower (yeah, my girlfriend loved that one...), thawed that out, went back out and hooked things back up. Put in a bunch of anti-freeze and some new water and ran it for a while. No leaks.

Don't know what happened unless the fluid reservoir overflowed somehow... which doesn't make sense really but that's what side all the water was coming out on so that's all I can figure. Anyway, for now at least it seems fine. I drove around for about a half hour with no problems. Glad nothing really catastrophic happened.

[Bleach]

My z has been stranded 20 miles from my house for the last week. I don't even know if it has water or coolant in it! :( Its always been garaged at night before... now I'm worried.

[]2eDeYe]

Which Z? If it's the fairlady, I would imagine it's empty...

[Bleach]

The 280ZX

 

The Fairlady has no engine or radiator in it right now. :)