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| the_axeman |
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Hi guys,
I have a 1997 EL Falcon which has recently started to use (better said lose) coolant. Closer look showed that it was pushing past the hoses near the expansion tank. I tightened them and then it started pushing out near the heater tap. Tightened them and then it started pushing out the thermostat housing. By this time I thought I had all the weaknesses, but now it starts to push out between the head and the thermostat housing. What the hell is happening? It seems like I have huge pressure on the system. Mind you though that the car stays cool and doesn't overheat (just sits on the 'L' of the word 'NORMAL' in the temp gauge) and the oil is clear (no signs of coolant in oil). I am guessing nothing is wrong with the head, but what is? It never used to do this and it has been developing over the last few weeks. I am happy chucking in coolant all the time (the green stuff from Repco), but it's no long term solution nor do I think its healthy for the engine. Does anyone have any idea what could cause this? Cheers!! |
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| Matt_jew |
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Head gasket gone or a cracked head and you are pushing combustion pressure into the cooling system.
_________________ xr6turnip wrote: More people paid for a ride in a VT commodore then an AU Falcon so the VT is superior.
Based on that fact my Mum is the best around! |
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| SWC |
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+1
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| TROYMAN |
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if its pressurising the cooling system it should be releasing pressure through the radiator cap not the hoses, unless the hoses are as old as the car..
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| philaddis |
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TROYMAN wrote: if its pressurising the cooling system it should be releasing pressure through the radiator cap not the hoses, unless the hoses are as old as the car.. +1 for this.... The weakest link in that whole chain should be the pressure cap... Sounds like it's seized solid! Try another one.
_________________ ED XR8 Spri-mitatio-nt |
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| the_axeman |
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Well, the head would be very unlikely since a NEW! Ford head went on it only 30000 ago. Fitted by a Ford workshop. Lucky I did not pay for it, but the last owner. Cost him nearly 3 grand... Plus the fact the car won't run hot and the coolant is clean as. Last car I had that had a cracked head skyrocketed the coolant temp in no time and boiled the crap out of it. Not to mention the crap that got into the coolant.
Since I tightened up the hoses and it stopped leaking I am sure it would not only be the hoses themselves (it also pushes out at the thermostat housing). Does it make a difference when I say the car is on LPG? The converter gets fed by the cooling system too. That is another worry for me as I don't want to crack the diaphram on it. Could it just be as simple as a new expansion tank cap? Can I try running the car without the cap just to find out whether it stops leaking? The leakage is actually not fluid, its a green/yellow mushy/sticky substance. I just did a 2500 K road trip with the car through WA and she was running like a sunshine! |
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| the_axeman |
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philaddis wrote: TROYMAN wrote: if its pressurising the cooling system it should be releasing pressure through the radiator cap not the hoses, unless the hoses are as old as the car.. +1 for this.... The weakest link in that whole chain should be the pressure cap... Sounds like it's seized solid! Try another one. Well, the cap is not seized. I just tried. Plus I have another cap that feels the same (the resistance). Would the radiator possibly be blocked? I guess not as it still cooles fine... 
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| 89.SVO |
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Age: 34 Posts: 3379 Joined: 11th Mar 2008 Ride: EA SVO, AU2, Toyota Crown Location: Bendigo |
if you run no cap. doubt it'll leak. no pressure. change the cap first. the pressure relief valve could be seized. and they're cheap
_________________ Daily driver: 2010 Toyota Crown hybrid 3.5L V6 hybrid. 254kw. |
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| the_axeman |
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WILDEB wrote: if you run no cap. doubt it'll leak. no pressure. change the cap first. the pressure relief valve could be seized. and they're cheap Cheers mate, but does the car NEED the pressure in order to cool? There are cars that will not cool when there is no pressure on the system eg it flows through pressure & pumping. Not sure whether Ford actually went that far with their cooling system though... God, I should have just upgraded to a V8  Any other ideas? |
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| 89.SVO |
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Age: 34 Posts: 3379 Joined: 11th Mar 2008 Ride: EA SVO, AU2, Toyota Crown Location: Bendigo |
the_axeman wrote: WILDEB wrote: if you run no cap. doubt it'll leak. no pressure. change the cap first. the pressure relief valve could be seized. and they're cheap Cheers mate, but does the car NEED the pressure in order to cool? There are cars that will not cool when there is no pressure on the system eg it flows through pressure & pumping. Not sure whether Ford actually went that far with their cooling system though... God, I should have just upgraded to a V8 Any other ideas? the windsors are worse for overheating. the cooling system needs the cap to hold pressure so it 1. doesn't just start bubbling out of the header tank holes and 2. raise the boiling point of the coolant
_________________ Daily driver: 2010 Toyota Crown hybrid 3.5L V6 hybrid. 254kw. |
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| madmax |
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the_axeman wrote: Well, the head would be very unlikely since a NEW! Ford head went on it only 30000 ago. Fitted by a Ford workshop. Lucky I did not pay for it, but the last owner. Cost him nearly 3 grand... Plus the fact the car won't run hot and the coolant is clean as. Last car I had that had a cracked head skyrocketed the coolant temp in no time and boiled the crap out of it. Not to mention the crap that got into the coolant. Since I tightened up the hoses and it stopped leaking I am sure it would not only be the hoses themselves (it also pushes out at the thermostat housing). Does it make a difference when I say the car is on LPG? The converter gets fed by the cooling system too. That is another worry for me as I don't want to crack the diaphram on it. Could it just be as simple as a new expansion tank cap? Can I try running the car without the cap just to find out whether it stops leaking? The leakage is actually not fluid, its a green/yellow mushy/sticky substance. I just did a 2500 K road trip with the car through WA and she was running like a sunshine! A 1997 falcon with I'm guessing its original hoses? Are you sure it's over pressurising? maybe the hoses are just deteriorated and the thermostat housing is a common leak. Does the system actually have lots of pressure in it. Are you certain it was a "new" head or a reco one? Because it possible something is causing excess pressure in the cooling system. Failed Head gaskets can do that, as they fail in different ways you don't always get coolant in the oil nor do they always cause overheating. Since the head was changed has it always had some form of corrosion inhibitor in it? Without corrosion inhibitor alloy heads can develop porosity holes in the combustion chambers. This can cause gases to enter the cooling system. The only other thing is your converter. I've never experienced it myself but I'd imagine a internal leak in the converter would cause LPG to enter the cooling system. It could be a very small leak and not effect how the car performs. If the system is over pressurising, replacing the cap will just cause it to leak out the cap instead of the hoses. You need to find the cause.
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| Gab1 |
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I would suggest that the reason it is leaking is, when you fix one leak, there's slightly more pressure, causing the next thing to leak, simply because alot of your hoses and gaskets are old and worn out, I'd start by replacing the thermostat housing gasket, all hoses, and MAYBE the water pump, then I'd go from there.
Gab |
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| the_axeman |
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I might just get one of these hose sets on eBay and replace them all, just to be sure. They any good?
Yup, the head was new. I read so on the receipts and when I got it it looked crisp on the outside and inside. Apparently there are also different valves in there to better cope with the LPG. The repco coolant crap actually has a corrosion inhibitor in it I noticed, so I should be good there. I have to say that when the I6 is in good shape it runs like a dream and doesn't let down, but once crap starts happening one thing after the other fails. |
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| bry40l |
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make sure you do the heater hoses as ive done all my engine ones and had them let go a week later one nite
_________________ BF XR6 |
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| 87SIlude |
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My car did this. Radiator was 30% blocked.
Didn't run hot. Just had way too much pressure. |
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