subaru swift

thank you for u reply, i am going to drain the coolant and fill it up like u said = i am going to put in a new themostat and than using the header tank on the engine pour in about 7L or about that of 50/50 coolant, very and nice slow untill the coolant goes around the engine and than to the expansion tank near the battery. and stop when the coolant goes between the min/max mark's on the expansion tank! nice and slow!!.. .
u said about a pressure valve on the cap in the header tank on the engine, can this be damaged?? if so should i get a new one to be safe??.. .

i will post what happens.. .

thank u


[Edited by subaru swift - 7/4/2003 7:38:03 PM]

subaru swift

i have refilled the coolant with about 7L 50/50 mix but now the coolant in the header tank goes down all most empty! and the coolant tank by the battery is over flowing with coolant it comes back out over the lid and the over flow pipe! should there be a rubber seal on the top on the tank by the battery?.

is there a block in the engine or is the tank by the battery and in the wing blocked?.

i dont know what to do now, i fitted a new rad and opened/modded the themostat soit slays open! so more water goes around the engine is this wrong?and can it damage my engine though its running colder, should i get a new themostat and fit it in so the coolant opens and closes it?.


and thanks for the oil tip!. all done and nice but the coolant prob is making me mad! in the head.. .

greasemonkey

Something's amiss here. Which tank are you filling and how quickly did you try and fill the system? You should have filled it slowly, never allowing the expansion tank to fill completely. It should eventually reach a stage whether the coolant level is just below the neck of the tank, and doesn't drop.

If you try and do it too quick, and keep the header topped up all the way to the neck, all that happens is that the coolant goes into the overflow system (the bits by the battery) and not into the engine itself. This may explain why the overflow's full but the expansion tank's still dropping, despite you feeding it more than enough coolant!

Wait a minute, have you actually been filling this tank, or is it filling with overflow from the expansion tank? You should be doing all your filling through the expansion tank!

No, the only sealing there is the cap itself. However, you shouldn't be getting *that* much coolant there anyway. Like I said, you should be filling through the expansion tank.

Shouldn't be. There may be an airlock, although they should work themselves out if you filled the system slowly enough.

Very unlikely. As mentioned, these are just overflows anyway. They only receive coolant if the pressure valve in the expansion tank cap is pushed open.

First thing is not to panic!

Maybe others know more about this than me, but I wouldn't recommend that. The thermostat closes off part of the system to encourage faster warm-up. It's a good thing, not bad.

Silly question, but how did you "modify" the thermostat?

Would if I were in your shoes.

Are you sure you're using the right hole? It's the expansion tank (the one on the engine), not the overflow (the one by the battery) you should be filling!

greasemonkey

Good move. Maybe some of the engine experts would disagree, but I don't think your thermostat mod sounds like a good one.

I just keep topping the header tank up to about a quarter of an inch below the neck. Of course the level will slowly drop as the coolant flows round the engine. Sooner or later you'll reach a point when it doesn't drop any more (i.e. the engine's full).

When you get there, top the header up to the base of the neck, put the cap on, and go for a short drive, enough to get everything nice and warm, but don't cane it, just in case there are airlocks! If you've got the level right, when you get home, pop the bonnet and you should see that the level in the tank by the battery has magically stopped at the "full" level. Voila!

If it doesn't, then there was still a little air left in the system. Wait for the engine to cool a little and top the header tank back to the top. Start the engine back up and go for another little drive. Repeat until you're getting coolant up to the full level in the sight tank by the battery.

No, should be fine. It's just a plunger on a spring, it'd be very difficult to break!

subaru swift

well my mech fitted the new thermostat and I got a new header tank cap!.
but I went for a drive a few days later after I checked the coolant level,
and it was still pushing the new coolant out of the expansion tank the one
near the battery!.
the coolant goes down in the header tank to the expansion tank but does Not
go back to the engine or header tank! what is going on??.. .

should I put a old thermostat in with the stat part open so coolant flows
around the engine ect.. . and block the expansion tank over flow pipe on the
top off??.. .

is it a good idea to to do this??? .. .
should i get some new pipe's and maybe a header tank or what??.. .


help please......... .


[Edited by subaru swift - 7/19/2003 9:48:31 PM]

greasemonkey

Oops.

Eh? If it's not going into the engine, where is it going? The pipe in the bottom of the header tank should go straight into the block cooling system!

Why is it going into the overflow tank (by the battery)? The pipe that connects the overflow to the header should be right in the neck of the tank. The idea is that coolant will only find its way into that pipe if it gets past the spring-loaded plunger in the tank cap. If you fill your cooling system properly, you should never get coolant going into the overflow tank.

If the coolant is only being forced into the overflow tank when the car runs/warms up, it sounds like you've got a bad airlock or cooling system blockage somewhere...

No, your cooling system is designed the way it is for a reason! You should work on finding the cause of the problem rather than ad-hoc redesigns!

Check that the pipes on the header tank have been connected the right way round, and also that there's still spring pressure in the header tank cap. It's unlikely, but if that's failed, it won't maintain pressure in the sealed system, and will allow coolant into the overflow too easily...

Fuzz

with the pressure cap off and the header tank resonably full start the engine...

Does the water/ antfreeze mix come out like a gyser ! if so you may have a headgasket failure!
Just a thought.

Andy

subaru swift

i got a new rad and themostat and header tank tank all new fitted but when i fill the coolant up and stop when the header tank is full i let it go down and top up if as req.
the engine was rebuild about 9 months ago and using all new part £3000 worth in new head seals will they go show easy?.

i have checked and re checked all the pipes i can see and get to! i might take the header tank off and clean in side and then check the water pump pipes!. i have cleaned the expansion tank.

my mech filled the header tank with the car running and mixing 50% coolant 50% water!. is this the right way or should i fill the rad first using the top pipe on the rad or should i just fill up using the header tank only with all the pipes in the right place's??... .

i am getting really stuck now on this, i still feel there is a block some where in the engine block side is this poss?.

what is the right way to fill up the coolant, sholud it be a Hot coolant mix or cold with the engine running????.


i am so tied of this problem now!.
i was looking forward to going the jap show at billing on the 26 and 27 too.

does any one live in or near stoke on trent area who can help me with the pain in the *** problem??.. .

thank u all again :-)

[Edited by subaru swift - 7/20/2003 11:25:22 AM]

rapac

Is the car overheating with all coolant in place?
Get it pressure tested(any mech. will do it for free)
Maybe air in the system?
Besides that, gasket? cracked head?Hope not


Cheers

subaru swift

the car only over heat's when the over flow/ expansion tank get full or the coolant overflows out of the overflow pipe on the expansion tank!.

i am getting it checked this week for head damage or gasket damage!!.. . hope not because i fitted new parts about about 8 month's ago!.

does any body know of a good place to go in the stoke on trent area??.. .

thank you again

subaru swift


update i have filled the coolant up again this time is looks likes it is working ! but can some one tell me please
if i go for a drive and then look at the expansion tank it is 1/2 full but the coolant in it is Bubble'ing but no where near the top at last! is this right??.

[Edited by subaru swift - 7/21/2003 7:29:27 PM]

subaru swift

update 21 july 03 i have filled the coolant up again this time it looks likes it is working not going out the expansion tank!. but can some one tell me please tell me =
when i go for a drive and then look at the expansion tank it is 1/2 full but the coolant in it is Bubble'ing but no where near the top at last! is this right??.

Fuzz

should not be bubbling !

water in header tank (steel one) should be free from air bubbles completely.
When the water heats up, it expands pushing it (the water) down a small bore pipe into the bottom of the expansion tank (the plastic one) It should only make the water in the expansion tank rise and fall, not bubble!
If there is not enough water in the expansion tank (the plastic one), when the water in the header tank (the metal one) and obviously the rest of the engine, cools, it will contract and suck in air .... not good!
water should be visible in the Expansion tank when the engine is totally cold.

Do not remove metal pressure cap while engine is hot!
Not just because you are likely to get burned but because the system will be "pressurised" to around 13psi and as the system cools and contracts will need to be able to "suck" the water in the expansion tank (the plastic one) back up, to maintain it's correct level !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bit long but hope that's not too confusing!

Andy

Fuzz

and to be Politically correct

Water = coolant

subaru swift

i am thinking about getting a new header tank asap to see if my old one is faulty!.
and maybe some new coolant hose's when i can afford!.

thanks for your help so farr, one ay we will get my scooby up and running mint!!.. .

please let me asap if any one as any idea's!.. .

subaru swift

still stuck

greasemonkey

There's no point changing the header tank. There's only one way it could be "faulty" - and that's if it leaks. If you can't see the coolant dripping out of it anywhere, you can rule this one out as the cause of your problem.

Have you tried Andy's idea of starting the car from cold with the header tank cap off? What happens when you do?

subaru swift

when i start it up from cold and the coolant is about half in the header tank and the header tank cap is off, it does Not flow out untill the car get's hot!.
i am going a import place on wed and they are going to do some tests and checks this is prob no one knows what is going on!.

prob again =

coolant is flowing out of the expansion tank by the cap and over the cap flow pipe! on to/ near the battery! only when i put my foot down abit!.

i have got a new rad because my old one was leaking and a new themostat and also a header tank cap!.

any idea's any one.

please help

greasemonkey

Don't want to scare you, but if you've already replaced the header tank cap, it's starting to sound like a leaking head gasket.

[Edited by greasemonkey - 7/22/2003 7:20:33 AM]

rapac

Id say for u to drive and not loose coolant release header cap for now till its fixed.
From what u ve said(new radiator etc etc)overheating,not leaking,bubbly etc sounds like gasket?


Cheers

Fuzz

OK, last experiment and reply from me!

A little test for you,

Fill the engine with coolant via the header tank (meatl one).
squeeze large hoses of radiator to agitate water and help flush out any trapped air.
Make sure you gety it full, up to the neck of the header tank.
Leave it for a while to settle to make sure, top up if necessary.
Put on the Pressure cap.
Fill the expansion tank (the plastic one) to the "max" or "high" point marked on the side of it. (usually about half way up)
Right!
now start the engine. don't drive it anywhere but Rev it up using the throttle linkage under the bonnet.
Keeping your eye on the level in the expansion tank.
Does this level RISE or bubble as you rev the engine!!!!

One or two bubbles can be expected, as there will be a small amount of air still in the pipe from the top of the header tank to the expansion tank.
I'm talking about CONTINUOUS bubbles and/or BIG rise in water level

If it does, you have DEFINATELY got either a cracked cylinder liner or head gasket failure !

Andy

Leviathan

One more thing you could try aswell,
If it is head gasket failure,
With the engine off! stick your nose in the top of the header tank (metal one) If it is head gasket, it will sometimes smell of carbon/exhaust type smell in the coolant.

subaru swift

well i did the stest and YES it looks like a cracked cylinder liner or head gasket failure!!.. . :-(

there is a load of bubbles when the engine warms up and than stops well the fans kick in and starts again when the fans stop!.
i feel bad now but can some one tell me how much it may cost?.. .

is it a big job and what sort of parts will i need? money again!!.. . i feel pi@@ed i had the engine rebuild only 8000 miles ago about 8 months for £3500 crank and pinsons all seals new ect.. .

o well

thanks again!!.. .