metalmonkey47 Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 I was wrenching on my Weber this morning trying to get the truck running after a bout of the usual 'shit in the jets' problems I had last night. Ran the motor, warmed it up, adjusted the idle mixture, turned the truck off. Now I've been noticing for some time that I've been getting bubbling that sounded like it was coming from the gas tank whenever I shut off the truck after a long drive. Welp, heard it again. Turns out, it's coming from the radiator. I opened the cap and I have a fuck ton of foam in the radiator. Question is: What causes this? Naturally the first thing I thought was head gasket. -No oil in coolant -No coolant in oil -No coolant in the exhaust -No sweet smelling exhaust Basically, NOTHING supports a popped head gasket except my compression test. I found 120PSI on cyl 1, and averaged 160 on 2,3,4. However, this was also the first compression test and the motor has less then 1000 miles on it yet, and hasn't been giving me many issues at all. Most were carb related. It's highly possible that the rings haven't fully seated on cyl 1. With that said, it was overheating at one point, if you recall it was because if carb jetting being wayyyyy too lean. That's been fixed. I've done a little reading and there are tons of theories out there from coolant contamination, etc. http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?s=30c5f07dbfa840c35a94393623b44132&t=12874&page=2 ^This guy found running no t-stat was his issue. I'm actually not running a t-stat at the moment either. I suppose I need to go toss my 160 back in. EDIT: For relevance, I'm using a FelPro gasket on a close chambered A87 with a C/R of about 9.5:1. I have a NISMO gasket sitting next to me, and plan on putting it in. Just gotta get a timing chain first since we re-used the old one. (Kit we had was for the wrong motor) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 If you have the H gasket and plan to change the chain then do this. This will eliminate a bad gasket and a lot of time worrying about it. Always run a thermostat it speeds the time it takes to warm the motor up, and a motor runs best and lasts longer when it's at operating temperature. I would flush the cooling systen for sure. Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Have you bleed the cooling system? Sounds like you have some air trapped in there and your pump is cavitating. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 I got my new t-stat in, and its no change. No surprise. I got a new chain coming tomorrow, so maybe I'll pull the head tomorrow and check it out. How would you bleed the cooling system on these motors?? It circulates well, but I have some slight bubbling in the rad. Just small bubbles flowing along with the coolant. I'm really leaning towards the HG Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Pull the head.Look close at the "low hole".Bad rings SHOULD show up on the wall.Have the valve seating on that hole checked also.Assuming all are nominal,the the HG is the next culprit. Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 The easiest way to bleed the water system is to install a Prestone flushing tee in the highest heater hose even if you never use it to back flush the system, which you should do anyway. Open the cap and squeeze radiator etc. hoses. start the engine with the heater inlet valve open and get some circulation. the entrapped air will bubble out of the tee. Top off with coolant mixture and put the cap back. The Prestone tee usually comes with a snap in gooseneck which fits into the radiator and directs the flushed coolant away from your paint. Quote Link to comment
Stupid_fast Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 How would you bleed the cooling system on these motors?? It circulates well, but I have some slight bubbling in the rad. Just small bubbles flowing along with the coolant. You won't believe how simple it is to bleed! I had overheating issues for months before I figured out how to bleed the rad! Simple! Cold or cool motor, remove the radiator cap, with the cap off warm up to operating temperature or around where my autometer gauge reads 100-120 ish, put the cap back on. Your system is now bleed'd. Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 whats #1 do on a leak down test? id have to bet its letting out pressure into a water jacket... pump up #1 and see if you hear the sound and get the bubbles... that will tell you for sure.. do it on all 4 just to see too. 1 Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 I am going to agree with Farmerjoe om this one. Do a leakdown test. If you already have a compression tester, you can probably remove a checkvalve in the hose going to the spark plug hole, and get or attach a fitting to pipe compressed air into the cylinder. Make sure the cylinder is exactly at TDC, and not a few degrees off. If it even slightly off, there is a really good chance the pressure will put that cylinder to bottom dead center, and then you have valves open. Keep clear of anything that could rotate and hurt you. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll be back in a little bit. I'm at work right now, but here's a short video of what clued me into looking into the radiator in the first place. I'm gonna drain the oil tomorrow and see how it looks. Video will be up in a few min. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkKyua49YvU&feature=youtu.be Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 'coke coming out my radiator' :lol: too much green coolant mixing with air.. itll do that.. reason it doesnt bubble every time, is the engine wont stop on a pressure stroke for number 1 every time. kinda hit and miss how it wants to end up resting. id have to say, hook up some air to #1 with it at TDC, and in gear, and see if you get the bubbling again. i bet it comes back. Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 You won't believe how simple it is to bleed! I had overheating issues for months before I figured out how to bleed the rad! Simple! Cold or cool motor, remove the radiator cap, with the cap off warm up to operating temperature or around where my autometer gauge reads 100-120 ish, put the cap back on. Your system is now bleed'd. Basically this. You need to wait for the thermostat to open and allow the coolant to fill all the passages. Leaving the cap off gives the air somewhere to go. If you watch the coolant in the radiator you will see the level drop when the thermostat opens. Shut it down, top it off and cap it. Newer cars will have a bleeder somewhere. It is at the highest point in the cooling system, if there isn't one you can get the prestone deal as mentioned by Stupid_fast. The key is to make it the highest point in the system. X whatever on the leakdown as well. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted July 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 I'm gonna get back to all that in a little bit ^^^^ Leakdown test Thursday maybe? Whenever I'm off. I don't have one, but I have access to a shop with one so I'll just pay the guys. I trust what they do, so I'll hand 'em my keys. Another issue that's not worth starting a thread over: Put a new carb adapter on to replace the tall, warped, home made one I had on there before that came from a JY. Got it all buttoned up and the damn thing won't run. Obviously a fuel problem. I can pump the throttle and it'll run, but otherwise it'll choke and stall. No power, running like shit. Already pulled EVERY jet out and they were all clear. Floatbowl is FULL. The truck ran fine before this adapter went on. I inspected the adapter before I put it on and it was in perfect shape. I pondered the idea of a vacuum leak, but the leak would have to be severe and obvious to stop the truck from running/idling/revving whatsoever. It smells like it's running lean too. I'm gonna blow some compressed air through the passageways really quickly and see if maybe something got lodged in there. Any thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 24, 2013 Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 Some carb clean sprayed on the adapter mating surfaces while it's running will let you know if there is a leak there. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Was running Replaced carb adapter Now doesn't run wtf? Did you keep the carb upright? If tipped over sediment in the bowl could get in the jets. Gotta figure the last thing you did to it caused a problem. Could be a massive vac leak too. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Got it!! Tore the gasket putting it on and didn't notice it. Made a new one, and now it's running fine again. Back to the coolant issue. I changed the oil this morning and it was perfect. Clean, clear, no i foam, coolant, etc. Started it up and ran it for about 30 min with the cap off, put the cap back on and drove 15 min. Opened the cap and found a little foam. Fuck me right? Drove it to Lowes to get hardware, and when I got home checked again, no foam. Perfect green coolant. Haven't seen any foam in hour now for the first time, so maybe it was air lock in the pump/somewhere that was aerating in the pump. Still gonna do a leak down test. That'll tell me if the low compression on cyl 1 is rings, valves, or head gasket. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 You get a thermostat in yet? Quote Link to comment
Stupid_fast Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Started it up and ran it for about 30 min with the cap off, put the cap back on and drove 15 min. Opened the cap and found a little foam. 30 min ? ?? I usually run mine for like 5 min... lol! You open the cap on a hot motor ?? That should spray boiling coolant everywhere... Pressure problem in your cooling system ???? Quote Link to comment
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