Hey Tom, after reading the previous , I may leave you my 91 in my will :-)
Jim Knox, 91 Dak
>
>jherrman@zoominternet.net wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 31 May 2008 23:51:40 -0400, "Brian" wrote:
>>
>>>When you opened the hood and saw fluid all over the engine, that should
>>>have been the first sign that you might need to top off the coolant
>>>system. Then when you noticed there was no water in the radiator hose
>>>when you replaced the radiator cap, that should have been the next sign
>>>that you might be low on coolant. Then the first time you overheated,
>>>and you said the upper hose felt cool, then once again, here's your sign.
>>> If there's not enough water in the block to let the water touch the
>>>thermostat, then the thermostat isn't going to open.
>>
>>
>>
>>Ok, I feel like an idiot, and rightly so. It really didn't look like I had
>>lost a lot of fluid, compared to the 13qt it holds, and I didn't know it
>>would fail to use the overfill reservoir if the radiator got too low, and
>>that I should look past its "full" reading. When it began to overheat I
>>cranked the heat control up, and I wonder whether that drained more
>>coolant into the heater core and aggravated the problem, since there's no
>>sign the garage bothered to turn on the heat or use the bleeder plug when
>>they refilled.
>
>I'm assuming the radiator cap on your truck is not mounted on the overflow
>tank - based upon your descriptions. If you have a radiator cap mounted ON
>the overflow TANK itself, than its not really an overflow tank. Its
>pressurized with the radiator and directly part of the coolant system.
>Fords have had this for a while now.
>
>With a traditional system the radiator cap has two functions... mounted on
>the radiator... its designed to vent excess pressure and draw in coolant
>when low.
>
>As with anything - heat expands and cold contracts. Ever seen a boiler
>system on a home heating furnace? Theres an expansion tank for the water...
>thats the same princpial with engine cooling systems. The level in the
>"overflow" tank will go up and down with normal driving conditions. As the
>system heats - the coolant expands - excess coolant in the system is pushed
>into the resevior via a valve in the radiator cap. When the system cools
>down - the coolant will contract, causing a negative pressure - or vaccum.
> Opening the other valve in the cap, sucking coolant back into the system
>from the resivore.
>
>You stated that even though you saw a bunch of coolant leaking out over
>time, because the tank was still full. This is because you discovered the
>cap was not tight on the radiator. Without the cap tight, there could be
>no vaccum to suck the coolant back into the system, as it got low. Notice
>where the tube to the resevore tank goes? Usually Right to the neck on the
>radiator where the cap attatches... on in the case of cars with
>thermostates located in water outlet housings... the resevore tank hose
>attatches to the water outlet.
>
>As for cranking up the heater - that may have saved your engine... it would
>not "use up" more coolant. What it would do is provide a way to bleed of
>some heat from the system. So that was a good thing to have done.
>
>>
>>I guess I can only hope and pray I didn't cause more extensive engine
>>damage. When it started to overheat I was literally "in the neighborhood"
>>on a residential street going 20 mph or less, and pulled it over to cool
>>within 30 feet of the "check gauge" lights, and then drove a few blocks
>>home very slowly with my eyes glued to the temp gauge. It never got all
>>the way up to the redline. Serves me right: I've taken the time to learn
>>how to do all the maintenance (other fluids and plugs) myself up to now;
>>this is the first time I've trusted a mechanic with any sort of work. Time
>>to find another one.
>>
>
>pulling over and shutting down was the right thing to do... you probably
>did not damage the engine. The most common thing would have been to blow a
>headgasket with overheating.. or warping or cracking a head. The warning
>lights are there to tell you to shut down NOW... and thats what you did....
>had you continued to drive without letting it cool down... well then you
>might have been posting here looking for a used engine instead :) I think
>you'll be fine. Just make sure you know why the coolant leaked out. It
>might just have been that the cap was loose and that was it... or the shop
>mighta done something.
>
>ALSO - be sure you use the right coolant in that truck. There are lots of
>"all makes all model" antifreeze on the market - I sell it at work too -
>but I try to recommend the original stuff to my customers before selling
>them the all makes stuff.
>
>Chryslers use whats called G05 thats "Gee Oh Five" antifreeze - its an
>extended life antifreeze - almost a pinksish color... different from the GM
>DexCool antifreese. G05 is used by imports, fords, and chryslers.
>
>Be sure you use a 50/50 water/coolant mix. Zerex makes G05 and you should
>be able to find that at your local NAPA, Carquest, Autozone, Advanced,
>O'Rileys etc etc
>
>--
>------------------------------------------------------------ The Mopar
>Enthusiasts Crunch Team http://tinyurl.com/32g3qj
>------------------------------------------------------------ An ordinary
>person spends his life avoiding tense situations! Repo man spends his life
>gettin' IN tense situations!!!
>------------------------------------------------------------ TerribleTom -
>AIM & Yahoo: silvereightynine http://www.myspace.com/silvereightynine
>http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine
>------------------------------------------------------------
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