Blue Antifreeze

[ozz]

I'm now thinking radiator cap bottom seal is letting water straight out of the overflow. You might be able to clean it up or try a new cap.

[Guest janis]

Took thermostat out put everything back together and she is fine..water expanding just little bit bot boiling...notice that gauge did not go over 60 done wee tapping and she want to max and never come down since so its broke too now..fan not kicking in turned wee knob up and down nothing...it worked 2000miles..

Took her out and drive the balls out of it..come home and shes not boiling or nothing running fine as always...

So now whats the difference between fully open stat and no stat?how can it be?maybe it was sized and when expansion tank lid come off with pressure stat blow open?

[Guest mcramsay]

I think you need to start from scratch and put everything as it should be, new stat fitted correctly, system fully topped up and bled through. That is how the engine was designed and should work, if it doesn't then you have to test and find what the problem is. It doesn't make any sense to run without a thermostat.

 

So possible causes- is your rad blocked? Is the water pump actually pumping?

[Guest mcramsay]

Also it doesn't sound like your gauge is working..., if water is boiling and its reading 60 then there is an issue, had the car been running hot and you have not realised?

[Guest janis]

Gauge was working last 2000 miles..was going up and down and worked well..it stayed at 60 since cold weather started so was thinking that shes taking long to heat up so i wanted put stat in...i have some smith temp gauge at home from triumph dolomite sprint..i will put that in and see how it works...

[tractor]

Take stat out and run it just to rule out any other problems such as head gasket

[Guest janis]

Yes i did take it out yesterday and she is running 100%..take her for a good drive and no problems at all..

Ordered new thermostat and infared thermometer gun..seen our mechanic using one looks like a good job..ill be able to see witch pipe is what temp etc..also gonna wire my smiths temp gauge in..

[Guest Gargoil]

That's good news at least, if it's running ok now. Strange that the thermostat is causing problems.

I suppose that if the stat hasn't been opening and your temp gauge isnt working, the engine might have overheated

and caused the boiling. Your top hose will have remained reasonably cool because the stat isn't open, which will have made you think the temp gauge was working as it should be. With the stat out, everything is fine, which seems to fit the fault description.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Gargoil

[Guest janis]

But how about that i took stat out and it was fully open?after it boiling?there is no difference between fully open stat and no stat at all...only explanation is that it opened last moment and was sized till then..

[nigelt]

Janis,

 

Do you have a heater matrix plumbed in?

 

Reson I ask, is that the heater matrix bypasses the 'stat and I found that when I put a 'stat in, the water flowed round the matrix and not round the engine. I had to restrict the flow to the heater matrix.

All very strange as it is all plumbed in correctly.

 

Nige

[Guest 2b cruising]

Guage sensor will give wrong readings if sat in a pocket of air.

[Guest janis]

No heater...i ordered new stat and ill try again when it arrives..

[Longboarder]

Test it in a pan of boiling water on the stove before fitting.

 

Nigel

[IanS]

Have had new stats fail within a few months, often they turn out to be made in India.

There appear to be a lot of rubish parts out there.

Only use Quinton Hazell or genuine OEM ones now.

[Guest janis]

So put new stat in and fan still did not kick in..infared laser thermometer helped just great i coud see excatly what temp i have and when stat opens and that all pipes are same temp it only cost 10£ and it was great so check wiring on fan by putting fog bulb on live fan wire there was no electric coming thrue..run new wire and all works..took for wee spin and seems to be working..my only worry is that hopefully i did not do any damage on old pinto by overheating it..now only need sort out temp gauge..