radiator help?

[paintballer317]

ok, so i drove my car for a couple hours the other day on the interstate. then the next day, i tried to drive it again and it started overheating. when i pulled over, i found pools of coolant on top of the engine block and under the car. i figured my thermostat went out and the coolant started boiling and went out the overflow pipe on top of the coolant reservior. i bought a new thermostat and replaced it, i checked the old one by putting it in a pan on the stove and heated the water to see if the thermostat would open. it didnt. so i put more coolant in the car and drove it to see if it helped. it over heated again and now i see some coolant on top of the radiator. it only leaks when the car gets real hot. so i cant figure out why its not staying cool. the reserviour always still has some fluid in it so i didnt think it was a leak, so i dont know whats going on. i think i might need a new radiator now because i found coolant on top of the radiator, i think its spraying out where the plastic clamps onto the actual radiator on the side.

[rhjames]

any easy way to test radiator for leaks---

go to Home Dept or Lowes and purchase 2 PVC pipe end caps-- sized to fit in your radiator hoses.

put one on the return hose (engine side, of course), use the radiator hose clamp to keep it in the hose end.

the other one should be drilled, tapped to allow you to install a 3/8 pipe thread fitting to hook up to a compressed air line---you can put a lever valve to close off the air, and you should also install a pressure gauge to monitor how much air pressure you put into the radiator---30 psi should do the trick. You can do this with coolant in the radiator, or without. it's a a little less messy if you empty the radiator first, and just listen for air leaking---use windex spray to find leaks, if any.

pressurize the radiator, and you should be able to find the leaks without removing the radiator from the car---if it leaks...you know what to do.

--R

[paintballer317]

ok, im 98% sure there is a tiny leak in the radiator. on the top passenger side corner. but would that explain the engine getting hot? it only leaks when the engine overheats, as far as i know anyway

[paintballer317]

would this require a new radiator or can i use the liquid jelly gasket stuff and seal it up?

[paintballer317]

it doesnt drain the reserviour dry, so its not the lack of coolant thats overheating it. i would understand the radiator leak if it drained all the coolant but it seems logical that if theres coolant still in it then it would cool the engine untill it all ran out the hole. or does the radiator need to be pressurized to cool off the coolant?

[JhwShark]

R has a great radiator test kit...but it sounds like you found a minor leak; insignificant to the problem.

I am not sure about the jelly stuff but in the past on a prior BMW 2002 I used the aluseal in a tube from an auto store, it did not give me any problems, I put 200k on the car. I am not sure about using that kind of band-aid on a SHARK??

A couple of thoughts:
How is the water pump? Was it's fan pulley real hot? Is the belt on its pulley lose? Is there any leaking out the bottom of it, if you can see? small seal hole sometimes opens leaking when the pump is failing/bearings burnt, at its expiration.

If you have to replace it do the timing belt at the same time.

Jon

[paintballer317]

i just replaced the timing belt and water pump like a month ago. ive probably put about 150 miles on it since at most. i didnt have a tension checker or anything, it may be to tight or whatever. could that cause a problem? and what is the best way to check if its functioning?

[JhwShark]

A couple of ideas on testing the pump:
Try to move the pump pulley, if the pump shaft shows any visible wobble or the bearings are making noise, the pump should be replaced even if it isn't leaking (because it soon will be!).
Also, squeeze the upper radiator hose when the engine is hot and idling. Careful, because the hose will be HOT! If you do not feel much coolant circulating through the hose when you rev the engine, the pump may be bad.
Feel for the hole/plug under the shaft behind the pulley, if it is dripping the seal is going??It is hard to do this.

Wait for the car to cool and open the bonnet start the car and see where the water is coming from, besides the hole you know of in the radiator. Disclaimer: do not get the car to hot!

Have you checked the torque of the pump bolts since you have had the problem? Is it a new pump or re-built? Is the gasket wet? If so replace the gasket?

[Mrmerlin]

First check the timing belt tension, the belt could be loose and thus not turning the waterpump fast enough.
Next figure out the overheating if the car overheats in 5 mins or less when its idling then the waterpump impeller has failed.
If the car overheats after you are driving for a few miles then the belt driven thermo fan clutch is probably toast either remove it and polish the brass pin and refill with Toyota silicone or replace the fan clutch.
You can buy a new side tank for the radiator if it has plastic end tanks get a new O ring seal as well the tank will leak at the top of the pass side end tank, dont try to plug it , as the tank will continue to crack along the flange.

[paintballer317]

so if i can replace the plastic side then i dont have to buy a new radiator right? the water pump i put on was brand new and if the timing belt tension was off then ide guess it was too tight. ive never done anything with the clutch fan so thats probably it. the water pump is fine i think. it over heats when i drive a few miles and is fine at idle for 20 minutes or more. it only starts to get hot when i get going.

where can i find the plastic tank for the side of the radiator and where it the clutch fan so i can take a look at it?

[paintballer317]

another thing is, i drove the car for like 4 hours the night before i found this problem. it ran fine and stayed cool. so i dont think its my timing belt tension or problems with the water pump.

[Mrmerlin]

regardless, you need to get the belt tension checked before you run the engine, you could damage or crack the driver side camshaft where it goes into the head, this is usually the cam that fails due to over tension.
For the Radiator Roger@************ sells new tanks and seals , simply open the phone book and find a radiator repair shop that can replace plastic side tanks usually about 75.00.
Tank is about 90.00
The fan clutch should offer drag when the engine is cool if it spin freely then you will need to either refill the one you have or replace it.
To refil the unit you need to carefully remove the silicone that holds the Bi metallic spring in then remove the brass pin, inspect the pin sides for gouges if the pin side surface is smooth then thats good you may be able to clean up the surface with some 600 grit paper put the pin in a rubber hose to hold it. You can get new silicone fluid from the Toyota dealer, they sell it for refilling the fans.
If the pin is damaged then the new fluid will leak out,
one 2 oz bottle should fill it

[MPDano]

Originally Posted by Mrmerlin

The fan clutch should offer drag when the engine is cool if it spin freely then you will need to either refill the one you have or replace it.

It should feel more loose when car is cool, more drag when the car heats up. More drag so the fan will cool the engine.

Kind of a slip in a sense, this way the fan isn't cooling the engine when it needs to heat up.

You can also tell, when you car is heated up, and have someone shut the engine while your looking at the fan. It should give very few rotations and it will stop quickly. If the clutch it bad or low/no oil in it, it will kind of free wheel.

This is what was wrong with mine as my electric fans kept kicking in on idle. I replaced the Fan Clutch with a know good one and all is good.

[paintballer317]

so im still confused. are we talking about the big fan right between the engine and the radiator? i know that belt is loose because the tensioner wheel kinda cocks to the side when i pull it tight. i figured since there wasnt hardly any resistance then it would be ok. i didnt know the fan tightened up when it got warm.

[JhwShark]

Yes, the Big fan between the engine and radiator. Follow their advice, they have the best detailed knowledge: which I appreciate reading all the time.

It is a viscous Fan, meaning it uses viscosity (of Silicon), as temp changes so does the viscosity of the fluid. As viscosity increases or decreases you haver more or less drag (friction from the fluid).

WSM Vol.1, from memory I believe??
Jon

[MPDano]

Yup, there is only 1 manual fan on your car. The one between the Radiator and Engine, which has a Clutch in the center of it.

Loose belts are bad. The test on tensioning these belts correctly is: with firm pressure, it should only flex the thickness of the belt. If belt is 3/4 " think, the flex should be 3/4"'s.

The Fan Clutch is what tightens up as this is how it give more air to the Radiator.

[paintballer317]

ok, well thats probably it then. its pretty darn loose. ill go try and report back.

thank you for your help!!

[paintballer317]

ok, so i tightened the fan belt, both of the bolts that are used to adjust the tension were loose. i took it down the road and it still gets hot. the fan spins somewhat freely with a little bit of resistance when its cool, and spins freely with no resistance when its hot. the only leak i can find is the one in the upper passenger side of the radiator right where the metal crimps on to the plastic on the top, not on the sides. the return tube on the upper passenger side has good coolant flow, i squeezed it when it was cool and i could feel some fluid inside, i squeezed it when it was hot and the tube was firm showing me good flow.

does this mean i need to work on the fans clutch?

[MPDano]

Yup, you just found your problem. Either find a good used one. Those bad boys are super expensive new. Or there's a write-up on how to inject Silicone Oil in them.

[paintballer317]

ok, i have the fan off, do you have to dissassemble the fan assembly to service it? or is there a spot in the front that allows you to put in some silicone?