datsun 210 a15 too hot?

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

okay so, my car drinks a lot of oil, and has a few coolant leaks, but i top off all my fluids regularly. ive noticed that my car is starting to run hotter by the day. i dont know the exact temperature, but the needle on the gauge has gone from leaning slightly to the left from the middle to differing between pointing straight up and leaning a little bit to the right. 

automatic transmition, 

nissan a15,

blah blah blah you get the idea

i recently did bypass my heater core though i dunno if thats got anything to do with it.

help

it gets as hot as 120 F in the summer here and i daily this car

[IZRL]

You need to fix all the coolant leaks. Even if you top it off, it might be allowing air pockets to be introduced and to circulate in your engine. This can cause some overheating. Fix the leaks and try and purge the system of air. Replace the thermostat if you haven't already done so while your at it. This might not be your main problem, but this is a good place to start IMO.

Edited February 28 by IZRL

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

10 hours ago, IZRL said:

You need to fix all the coolant leaks. Even if you top it off, it might be allowing air pockets to be introduced and to circulate in your engine. This can cause some overheating. Fix the leaks and try and purge the system of air. Replace the thermostat if you haven't already done so while your at it. This might not be your main problem, but this is a good place to start IMO.

working on the leaks, bought hoses 2 days ago, need to replace them, how would i go about getting air pockets out of the engine?

 

[datzenmike]

If the heater is by passed make sure there is something blocking coolant flow. Otherwise hot water from the head is fed directly back into the water pump without any cooling. Effectively by passing the radiator. Usually works ok in the winter but as it warms up it puts a strain on the cooling system.

 

Air pockets are unlikely. First the engine tilts up at the front so any air will migrate there. Second the thermostat is the highest and most to the front part of the head. As soon as the thermostat opens any trapped air moves out into the top of the radiator. Fill slowly allowing time for air to move and after warm up check the radiator level as it may have dropped when any air came out, and top it up. ONLY run a quality 50/50 mix antifreeze/coolant and never top up with tap water. Top up with distilled water only.

 

Check your ignition timing. If retarded it will dump huge amounts of heat into the exhaust ports that is absorbed by the cooling system.

 

 

 

[IZRL]

There is air left in the system any time you drain the coolant for any reason even after you top it off. Could also happen if you have a leak. After fixing leaks you can usually take care of it by topping the coolant off. Starting the car, Letting it run through a heat cycle or two. Letting it cool down than topping it off again. After that I will drive it normal for a day and check the fluid level again the next morning before driving. This is usually good enough. 

Edited February 28 by IZRL

[datzenmike]

It gets pushed out by gravity and the force of the water pump circulating coolant as soon as the thermostat opens. You might be able to trap some air if you fill while facing down a steep hill but as soon as you drive it it ends up in the radiator top tank.

[IZRL]

18 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

It gets pushed out by gravity and the force of the water pump circulating coolant as soon as the thermostat opens. You might be able to trap some air if you fill while facing down a steep hill but as soon as you drive it it ends up in the radiator top tank.

 

"Trapped" might not be the right word. But if there's a leak this could be a cause for air getting introduced into the system. Either way the leaks need fixen. The initial air after refill needs to be removed. And if it's been years since the thermostat has been replaced. Since you're draining the system to fix the leaks anyway and thermostats are so cheap. I would replace the thermostat. Which could possibly be causing the problem as well. 

[datzenmike]

If I even suspect something coolant system related I put a new thermostat in. I never test, waste of time, if it's coming out anyway and you need a new gasket, might as well replace it.

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

hey so i took my datsun down to where i saw the 77/78 210 that i mentioned in another thread today, i was driving on the highway and my engine almost overheated 3 times *on the way* , i had to stop and let it cool down 3 times (on the way there), i have a three speed with 166xxx miles on it, so i was driving 60-70 mph (high rpms), and noticed that every time i let of the gas so that  i didnt get up into the 70-80mph range, the engine would get significantly hotter, to the point of... well, almost overheating before i would interveen by stopping on the side of the road. and letting her cool off. now im going to talk about the 210 i stumbled upon off an exit on I-10 southern az.

 

i finally got there...

it was an orange b210 with the 3n71 3 speed in it like mine, so i assume that its an a14. 73xxx miles! but... it was a tow/storage yard and somebody was storing it there. i gave the guys there my number and they said they would call the guy who owns it and ask him for a price, then call me back or have him call me, if its under 1200usd ill buy it, but otherwise its not worth my time, no rust (really straight, clean body) given the fact its an southern az car but the thing was completely sun rotted, windsheild in peices, interior completely exposed to the elements. and theres a good chance they wont even sell it, given the fact that its sitting in a storage yard. last time it was registered was 21 or 22, tag expired in 23, so its probably been sitting a year or two, didnt get the chance to closely inspect it and pop the hood or anything but ill assume it doesnt run, but giving the fact its got less than 6 digits on the odometer, im confident i could get her to fire up in less than a week. theres more to talk about with that car but anyways.

 

on the way back i tried this method of holding my foot in a perfectly still position on the gas the whole way home cruising at 55-70 mph with minor foot adjustments, and she got hot, but no where near as hot as it did on the way there, i didnt have to pull over at all.

 

i also noticed that my car was sputtering a bit and misfiring at idle, and given that my car consumes a lot of oil, i changed the spark plugs, but this did nothing. 

my car was still sputtering and misfiring at idle

 

also when i let the car sit for any given time, when i start it there is a loud screeching that stops when the car is revved a few times, (very subtle clacking noises as well that also stop after a few revs) 

 

with all of this collected data it all leads me to assume that my timing chain has gone defect in some way and has slipped a tooth or two, which means i am running the risk of throwing a rod.

 

i hope i am wrong but, that is my analysis, i need feedback from an experienced individual

sorry, that was a lot of typing goodbye now.

[datzenmike]

Tighten your fan belt. That's the screeching noise. Check belt for glazing or damage.

 

Engine off, spin the fan blades by hand. There should be firm resistance and the blades stop moving as soon as you let go of them.

 

 

As the odometer only has 5 digits, once it reaches 99,999 it rolls over to 00,000 again. 73,000 is likely 173,000. Does the wear on the brake pedal, driver's door arm rest and driver's seat bear this out? An engine with 173,000 would likely not have the original belts and hoses, possibly an aftermarket alternator, fuel pump and almost for sure not the original muffler. 

[high winder]

Sounds like a lot of issues, I’d check your timing, make sure your thermostat isn’t sticking.

as for the oil loss could be a number of things ranging from bad rings to a head gasket leak

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

If using oil, is it possible that you ran it too low on oil and hurt the bearings? It is possible for an engine with bearing damage to create enough heat to make the cooling not effective.

 

First things first though. Did it get hot enough that it quit running? If so, that's bad. Have you verified the gauge with an actual thermometer? One basic rule of mechanic-ing is to never assume that your gauge is correct. Verify it with a probe stuck into the filler neck of the radiator. Or install a temporary mechanical gauge. There are so many ways that an electronic gauge can have faulty readings, not the least of which is age.

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

1 hour ago, datzenmike said:

Tighten your fan belt. That's the screeching noise. Check belt for glazing or damage.

 

Engine off, spin the fan blades by hand. There should be firm resistance and the blades stop moving as soon as you let go of them.

 

 

As the odometer only has 5 digits, once it reaches 99,999 it rolls over to 00,000 again. 73,000 is likely 173,000. Does the wear on the brake pedal, driver's door arm rest and driver's seat bear this out? An engine with 173,000 would likely not have the original belts and hoses, possibly an aftermarket alternator, fuel pump and almost for sure not the original muffler. 

ill check all of that on my car thanks

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

6 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

If using oil, is it possible that you ran it too low on oil and hurt the bearings? It is possible for an engine with bearing damage to create enough heat to make the cooling not effective.

 

First things first though. Did it get hot enough that it quit running? If so, that's bad. Have you verified the gauge with an actual thermometer? One basic rule of mechanic-ing is to never assume that your gauge is correct. Verify it with a probe stuck into the filler neck of the radiator. Or install a temporary mechanical gauge. There are so many ways that an electronic gauge can have faulty readings, not the least of which is age.

never has the engine quit running on me unless the fuel gets cut off or a line gets clogged and i have to blow back through it

and yes the gauge could very well be wrong, i have popped the hood and i am able to palm the valve cover without being burned… but when it reads as hot as it did i was experiencing all the symptoms, loss of power and throttle response and a few odd smells

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Tighten your fan belt. That's the screeching noise. Check belt for glazing or damage.

 

Engine off, spin the fan blades by hand. There should be firm resistance and the blades stop moving as soon as you let go of them.

 

 

As the odometer only has 5 digits, once it reaches 99,999 it rolls over to 00,000 again. 73,000 is likely 173,000. Does the wear on the brake pedal, driver's door arm rest and driver's seat bear this out? An engine with 173,000 would likely not have the original belts and hoses, possibly an aftermarket alternator, fuel pump and almost for sure not the original muffler. 

also the seat of the seats wer torn and really worn but the back rests looked to be almost prestine

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

41 minutes ago, high winder said:

Sounds like a lot of issues, I’d check your timing, make sure your thermostat isn’t sticking.

as for the oil loss could be a number of things ranging from bad rings to a head gasket leak

my rings are absolutely fried by the way lol 

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Tighten your fan belt. That's the screeching noise. Check belt for glazing or damage.

 

Engine off, spin the fan blades by hand. There should be firm resistance and the blades stop moving as soon as you let go of them.

 

 

As the odometer only has 5 digits, once it reaches 99,999 it rolls over to 00,000 again. 73,000 is likely 173,000. Does the wear on the brake pedal, driver's door arm rest and driver's seat bear this out? An engine with 173,000 would likely not have the original belts and hoses, possibly an aftermarket alternator, fuel pump and almost for sure not the original muffler. 

there isnt a firm resistance but it definetley does not spin freely when i let go, i can take a finger and turn the fan with ease but when i spin the fan it does not go more than 180 degrees rotation

[datzenmike]

It should stop as soon as your fingers leave the fan. It should not rotate after. Some of the silicon oil in the clutch fan has probably leaked out. They are not replaceable as they are an integral part of the water pump itself making it a bit expensive.

 

Normal running temperature for any Datsun is the half way point in the marked 'run range' on the temperature gauge, likely a half needle above this. If it warms up and read this then the thermostat is likely working but it could be stuck and prevented form opening further and might over heat when working harder than idle. It's normal to run very slightly higher than normal on very warm days and working the engine but more than a few needle widths is worrisome,. If I suspect any cooling system problem I don't waste time, I just put a new thermostat in. Check but 180-185F should be right for your 210. If this doesn't fix it then you have a spare.

 

If your heater is by-passed and the hoses joined, this is bad. If joined make sure there is a plug inside to prevent coolant flow.

 

Be sure the fan shroud is on. The shroud increases fan efficiency.

 

Make sure the radiator  air flow is not blocked such as having fog lamps. Fins clean and undamaged on the outside, no bugs or dirt stuck to them. Part drain the radiator take the cap off and inspect the tops of the vertical cooling tubes for scale caused by topping up with tap water. ALWAYS use distilled water. I've removed my rad and placed face down and filled with CLR a rust and scale build up remover. Let sit over night.

 

Look at the bottom rad hose and rev the engine up in neutral Give it a good rev and watch to see if the hose collapses from the pump suction. A radiator clogged with scale will almost always collapse the hose from increased suction. A radiator hose always deteriorates from the inside out and if soft will collapse cutting off coolant flow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

4 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Tighten your fan belt. That's the screeching noise. Check belt for glazing or damage.

 

Engine off, spin the fan blades by hand. There should be firm resistance and the blades stop moving as soon as you let go of them.

 

 

As the odometer only has 5 digits, once it reaches 99,999 it rolls over to 00,000 again. 73,000 is likely 173,000. Does the wear on the brake pedal, driver's door arm rest and driver's seat bear this out? An engine with 173,000 would likely not have the original belts and hoses, possibly an aftermarket alternator, fuel pump and almost for sure not the original muffler. 

there isnt a firm resistance but it definetley does not spin freely when i let go, i can take a finger and turn the fan with ease but when i spin the fan it does not go more than 180 degrees rotation

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

ignore the above post, but i used purified water from the store for the 50/50 mixture, and yes i have lots of rust debris in my radiator

[datzenmike]

Tighten fan belt. It's the most obvious anomaly.

[nathan.is.an.idiot12312]

will do ill make sure to update the forum if the problem persists

 

p.s: i do that by loosening the alternator and pulling the alternator further away from the engine right?

[datzenmike]

There's an adjustment strap and a bolt to hold the setting. Loosen the bolt and slide the alternator away from the engine. I use a lever of some kind. No need to over tighten. Push down very firmly on the belt with your thumb about half way between alternator and the water pump. It should deflect about the width of the belt.