Overheating...gah

[PorscheKitty]

So I was going off the fact that usually a waterpump will leak if its bad, so i put in a thermostat...took me FOREVER to get the freaking snap ring out. GRRR. but i got it and put in a new therm as the old one was shot....fresh coolant...tried to vent the system per Clarks Garage instructions and it just didn't seem to be doing what the site said it should....either way i put in fresh coolant and with the car running there was pressure in the hoses...the upper hose was much hotter and pressurized than the lower, however...and the car doesn't blow hot air. The heater doesn't work...at all, even revving the motor the heater won't heat up...and the car still overheats...

Am I leaning towards clogged radiator/heater core?
Could the water pump still potentially be the culprit?
All of the above?
The car for sure is overheating because i can feel the too high heat off the motor...but my temp gauge seems a little wacky, it kind of jumps up to the high line and sometimes it'll move down a bit then shoot back up...ack

and how much of a pain is it to pull out the heater core and the radiator if i need to take them to a shop?

[paper1122]

Clogged radiator definately seems like a possible culprit. I have to imagine there is some way to check if the water pump is bad though. Probably the only way to know is to have the radiator flow tested at a shop?
I've never pulled either so I wouldn't know, hopefully John or someone will chime in as I am not the expert.

[John_AZ]

Originally Posted by PorscheKitty

So I was going off the fact that usually a waterpump will leak if its bad, so i put in a thermostat...took me FOREVER to get the freaking snap ring out. GRRR. but i got it and put in a new therm as the old one was shot....fresh coolant...tried to vent the system per Clarks Garage instructions and it just didn't seem to be doing what the site said it should....either way i put in fresh coolant and with the car running there was pressure in the hoses...the upper hose was much hotter and pressurized than the lower, however...and the car doesn't blow hot air. The heater doesn't work...at all, even revving the motor the heater won't heat up...and the car still overheats...

Am I leaning towards clogged radiator/heater core?
Could the water pump still potentially be the culprit?
All of the above?
The car for sure is overheating because i can feel the too high heat off the motor...but my temp gauge seems a little wacky, it kind of jumps up to the high line and sometimes it'll move down a bit then shoot back up...ack

and how much of a pain is it to pull out the heater core and the radiator if i need to take them to a shop?

Q1. A snap ring plier with a 90 degree head is required. The snap ring goes in with the opening at 12 oclock position.
Q2. No heat-Do you have heater hoses to the heater core. If yes, continue.
The heater control valve-back of engine. Does the valve shaft move when you use the climate control lever on the dash. If not, you have lost the heater control clip on the inside-up by your right foot OR the clip on the heater control valve. BTW- if you see a white, crusty deposit on the heater control valve-replace or you will be dripping coolant on the clutch-not good.
Q3. Old school to remove the heater core was to remove the dash. A new method available with less work does it from inside under dash. I doubt if this is your problem.
Q4. How does a shop test our radiator? Remove-place outside water hose in bottom and backflush. If you see water out the top---good. They do not "rod out" our radiators like the old days. Replace-still hot?-usually get a new one.

You have a common problem.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=421319&highlight=thermostat
More posts like this.

GL

John_AZ
1988 924S + 1987 924S DD

[Slam]

Gauge can get wacky with air in the system. I'd start by bleeding it again. However, hot upper and cool lower - I'd suspect water pump. Depending on the year of the car, you might benefit from a rad service or a new rad. Probably not the heater core.

[PorscheKitty]

the lower gets warm, but the upper is scorching...1988...turned 20 this year...one year older than i am

if the rad is partially clogged i'd have issues trying to bleed it, right?

i know i needed to try the hose thing but for whatever reason the hoses i have don't thread onto the water spickets at my apt. complex...have to find a diff. hose or something...

I'm just trying to see what i can do at home to figure out the problem because i'm strapped for money, i just started a new job and won't get a full check for a while, and I hate just seeing the car sit in my garage and beg me to get her fixed so she can get out on the open road again...blahhhhhh. I would like just to go through everything right now, but I can't. GAH

oh and when i installed the new thermostat...i accidentally forgot to tighten the hose clamp and when the car got to op. temp, pressure popped the hose off and coolant when everywhere >.<' (<~squinty sweaty face, lol) i put more coolant and re bled and everything but still, block and upper hose uber hot and yeah....i'm sad

[drew1]

Make sure thermostat is put in the right direction.

[PorscheKitty]

tis

[Techno Duck]

Its possible the impeller is slipping on the shaft and not circulating coolant. Im not sure how you can actually test this though other than taking the waterpump off the car.

The fact you are getting no heat means its possible there is still air in the system. Purging the air can be a serious pain. Elevate the front of the car as much as possible, heat on full blast and rebleed, taking care to watch the temperature gauge while doing this in the event the water pump is not functioning.

Funky temp gauge readings can be a grounding issue or a sender issue. Check the wiring for the temp sensor, which is located ontop of the block (towards the front). You will have to take hte j-boot off to get a good shot at it. Clean the connectors if needed.

Are the fans turning on?

Edit - Im thinking you may be able to remove the upper radiator hose on the radiator side and elevate it slightly. Back fill the block from the top of the hose and have someone turn the car on. You should get coolant eventually come up out of the hose. This is not a perfect test however because the thermostat will still be closed and impeding flow. The other way is to simply open the bleed screw where the upper radiator hose attaches to the block. When you get a full stream of coolant out of it, that basically means all the air is out of the system.

[callmethewander]

Kitty, I read somewhere that you had a clunking in the front end. Did you check the sway bar straps, i've had several rust thru and break already and then the sway bar bounces around hitting stuff and making a clunking noise. the temp problem could be air in the system, if you haven't tried venting it out, do that . there a vent screw on top of the engine. Your oil pressure readings are def screwy, the pressure should go up as the idle increases, not down. some of your probs might be electrical. and how 'bout some pics?

[PorscheKitty]

I have tried venting it, I've got the front end in the air but I don't think i'm really getting it to vent properly and i've never done it before on that car and I don't have anyone around that can help me right now. And reading the procedure on venting is one thing but seeing it getting done would help me understand if i'm doing it right or not

Yeah the clunking is only over bumps, but when it does go over a bump, in my case its the speed bumps in my apt. complex, its like MAJOR clunkage...even at like 2 mph, the left side is solid and good but no matter how slow i go over the bump its like KADOOSH.
I was looking under there and it looked like there were these little rubber bushings on the lower control arm that looked like they were cracked and squished...i haven't been able to get a good look under there yet...its still infested with black widows...i leave it alone for like ten minutes and theres already new spiderwebs under the car...AHH...I've seen too many mechanics get taken out for a while because of one of those gnarly spiders, ewww.

[bud9344]

I have never have the front end up in the air to venting the radiator.
Follow the upper rad hose to the engine, there is a venting bolt, that you should crack open while filling up the Coolant and wait till coolant come out from there

[bud9344]

Here is a picture the the venting bolt located(86 car),in the area where the upper rad hose connected to. Actually it is call the bleeder bolt. Use a 12mm wrench to crack it open ,you don't have to take it all the way off.
Make sure you tighten it back up once coolant start to come out fron there and top up the coolant in the coolant bottle.

Good Luck

----------------------------------
Bud

87 930 Black
86 951 Black
86 944 N/a Part Car
87 944S white
83 944 N/A Black
83 944 N/A White Auto

[John_AZ]

Originally Posted by PorscheKitty

Yeah the clunking is only over bumps, but when it does go over a bump, in my case its the speed bumps in my apt. complex, its like MAJOR clunkage...even at like 2 mph, the left side is solid and good but no matter how slow i go over the bump its like KADOOSH..

Front struts are shot.
Good---Boge/Sachs OEM $98 each
Better--Bilstein $133 each
Best --Koni $422 each ('88)

Rear is also required...

Gl
John_AZ

[callmethewander]

great pic bud, worth a thousand words! Kitty i have found that a good set of ramps (if you don't already have them) are great for looking underneath, what you describe really sounds to me like a sway bar bangin around. I'd still like to see more pics, if you 're shy you can always pm me.

[HondaDustR]

If the struts have replacable inserts, check to see if the screw on cap that holds the damper in the strut tube has loosened up. I have had bad cluniking over bumps caused by that before.

For bleeding, I have found a modified technique that works very well. The front can be jacked up, but it has worked well on flat ground, too.
1. Fill the block up through the upper radiator hose as much as you can.
2. Put it all together. Then dismount the coolant expansion tank so that you can elevate it above the bleed screw. This is a cheap easy way to get an effect similar to using a pressure tester to bleed. Also make sure the heater is turned all the way up.
3. Open the bleed screw, hold the tank up at least a couple inches above the level of the screw, and let the coolant fill it up until air stops comming out the bleeder.
4. Close the bleeder and start the car.
5. Hold the tank up and open the bleed screw while blipping the throttle slightly to dislodge any air circulating in the block. This ensures that there's minimal air in the block so the water pump, thermostat, and temp sensor will operate correctly. The water pump does recirculate the coolant within the block until the thermostat opens, and the thermostat won't ever open if it's not exposed to heated coolant, overheating the engine in the process.
6. Close the bleed screw and let the car run until you can feel the radiator getting warm, signaling that the thermostat has begun to open.
Repeat step 5.
7. Close the bleed screw, and let the car warm up to full temp... until the radiator is very hot to the touch or the fans click on.
8. Repeat step 5 once the car is fully warm. Be careful, since the coolant will obviously be scalding hot now. If the fans are cycling on and off consistently, and the temp comes down pretty quickly when they do come on, that's a good sign that it is at least mostly bled. Close the bleed screw once you are satisfied that there's no more air in the system.
9. Remount the expansion tank.

Very Important - do not let the tank run dry while doing this or you will have to re-bleed.

Hope that helps. I have tried bleeding the "regular" way with very mixed results (and lots of wasted coolant!). The problem is, you need a constant positive pressure to help force the air out of the coolant stream, rather than just bubbling on by the bleed screw. I have used my method several times with instant repeatable results, and best of all, there's no special tools required.

[bud9344]

Pic off why my car is clunking when it hit a bump on the right front.

The rubber bushing off the sway bar has slip out off the bracket.
I have to replace it .

--------------------------
Bud

[John_AZ]

Originally Posted by bud9344

Pic off why my car is clunking when it hit a bump on the right front.
The rubber bushing off the sway bar has slip out off the bracket.
I have to replace it . Bud

Yes, I agree and maybe a steam wash as well.

PK bought her car for $400. I would guess maintenance and replacement parts were not high on the PO's list of things to do.

John_AZ

[PorscheKitty]

Thanks guys you're all helpful...I've gotta check the stuff out and if I'm successful, I'll go detail her and and put a much better picture of her up...if i'm not, well blah. just got to keep figuring it out

I've only got crappy night time pics and she's really dirty...been sitting out in the baking CA sun for over a year before I got her and put her in the safety of my garage...so yeah, I will get more pics and stuff hopefully soon

[callmethewander]

we've seen plenty of 944's. I meant pics of you!

[PorscheKitty]

well i don't see pics of you guys