shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 My 87 quest is overheating. Had the radiator out cleaned and tested, all three fans work, Fan 1 runs always while fans 2 and 3 kick on by a sensor I installed. Coolant level never changes and it does not overheat while idling, only when on the road for about 15 min. About year ago got so hot it boiled so I parked it immediately. Haven't driven since then only to test for the following things listed. It's at a profess garage and they can't figure it out either, they adjusted timing and checked spark plugs and new fuel pump installed. The garage did say timing had to be adjusted alot and said it may need a new timing chain kit Thinking about having entire engine rebuilt? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Your convertors are clogged up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 I put a new exhaust on just about 1.5 years ago, with 2 converters in original place, one by the turbo and other farther down the exhaust. Guy who built it followed the service manual pic. Why would they clog so soon if that is what it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrazilBoy Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Your convertors are clogged up. ding ding ding ding we have a winner...Happened to my 86..did the same stuff as you till I got a dp and saw my cat was clogged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technology Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Someone's in a mood! lol. Hey shae, it could be a lot of things. I assumed you've changed thermostats? New water pump? Done a compression or leakdown test to look for any possible leaks? The catalytic converters could be clogged like Indy said, but I think the car might have a rought time even running if they were clogged enough to make the engine overheat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 what are my possible choices here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbrad511 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 I've actually seen water pump impeller blades completely gone. Might be worth looking into a pump. Still check for that exhaust flow. Does your turbo glow after a good run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Turbo doesn't glow but mechanic thought the blades in water pump may not be functioning correctly. Is there a test for malfunct water pump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolyrgr Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 When was the last time the thermostat was changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolyrgr Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Turbo doesn't glow but mechanic thought the blades in water pump may not be functioning correctly. Is there a test for malfunct water pump? Easiest thing to do is just pull it off and check. They are still pretty cheap if you do have to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 bout 6 months ago but only drove 30 miles since then. Took thermostat out and test in hot water to see if it opened and it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 You may consider checking the AC condenser to make sure its not clogged up with bugs and crud. It does sit directly in front of the radiator and if its clogged...no air to the rad. Good Luck with it. BC_99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shae201 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 You may consider checking the AC condenser to make sure its not clogged up with bugs and crud. It does sit directly in front of the radiator and if its clogged...no air to the rad. Good Luck with it. BC_99 AC condenser taking out. Appreciate everyone's help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSi2555 Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 check your radiator hoses, if they aren't ribbed or have a spring in them? they may suck flat when you run more RPM than idle keeping your coolant from circulating. I've seen it happen. (check when at operating temp) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikec Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 Has anybody done a block check yet? Basically that is a test that looks for combustion products in the coolant via a chemical test. If combustion crap is in the coolant, you have a bad head gasket, and/or cracked head, and/or cracked block. Are you sure the fans are spinning the correct way? Folks installing aftermarket fans, or wiring in fans from other cars, often get them running backwards. Does wonders for airflow over the radiators at higher driving speeds... Typical overheating causes: * cracks/leaks in the head, block, or head gasket * radiator is plugged. Use one of those infrared heat sensor tools, or just move your hand over the surface of it after shutting down the engine, looking for hot and cold spots. If you find areas that are a bit cooler than the rest of the radiator you've identified an area with blocked passages. * Too much antifreeze/not enough water in the mix. Antifreeze is a lousy heat conductor compared to water. * Ignition timing sucks making the engine work harder. * Running lean. Usually the exhaust end of the turbo will glow if the engine is leaned out. * fans not working, or flowing backwards. Bad temp sensors at base of radiator keep the fans from running. * Air through the a/c condensor and engine radiator blocked from debris, leaves, etc. mike c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 (edited) I bought an 84 several years ago, at the time it had nice paint and the motor had pretty much been rebuilt and the guy said it always overheated but the time was up and he had to move and couldn't take the car with him and I ended up with it for ~300.00. He told me about the thermostat and that he did put in a new one, I asked if he put it in upside down. He couldn't remember. I told him the spring part had to be on the bottom or it wouldn't open and when it did the pump would try and close it. Could it be your thermostat is in upside down? The spring part lays in the intake manifold. The pointy part goes on top. http://www.b2600turbo.com/images/IM006084.JPG http://www.b2600turbo.com/images/IM006083.JPG Was the engine ran without coolant and just straight tap water? If it was its possible the water jacket in the block is full of rust and the radiator is clogged up. What it runs and it is hot, is the upper radiator hose hot too? How about the lower radiator hose? If the motor is hot and the gauge shows hot and the radiator hoses are cool and the radiator is cool then there is a problem with the thermostat. Oh, and when I got there to pick the car up sure enough he had the stat in upside down but he still let me buy it and since then its sat outside and the clear coat burned off and so has most of the paint. Edited April 12, 2009 by Indiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcrasta Posted April 12, 2009 Report Share Posted April 12, 2009 My 87 quest is overheating. Had the radiator out cleaned and tested, all three fans work, Fan 1 runs always while fans 2 and 3 kick on by a sensor I installed. Coolant level never changes and it does not overheat while idling, only when on the road for about 15 min. About year ago got so hot it boiled so I parked it immediately. Haven't driven since then only to test for the following things listed. It's at a profess garage and they can't figure it out either, they adjusted timing and checked spark plugs and new fuel pump installed. The garage did say timing had to be adjusted alot and said it may need a new timing chain kit Thinking about having entire engine rebuilt? Any suggestions would be appreciated. 1: How was the radiator cleaned and tested ? If it was 'flushed' that likely did not do the job. Proper radiator restoration requires a 'rodding'. Basically, the tanks (upper and lower) are removed, the Radiator immersed in a solution that removes calcium and scale deposits. Then a Metal ROD is inserted through the passages (rows) of the radiator. This physical rodding is what removes all the buildup and restores proper flow. 2: Your Fans are not configured properly. Fan 1 should only run after the temp sensor activates it. Overheating while driving usually indicates poor cooling caused by cold spots or inadequate flow within the radiator itself. This can be resolved by #1 Once you correct your radiator issue you should restore the proper fan operation > The Link to S.O.S FAQ has detailed instructions on how to restore the correct fan operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) flushing is a pure waste of your money have it rod'd if the place don't want to rod it go else where Edited April 13, 2009 by Shelby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technology Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 We flushed out by buddy's honda civic and got a bunch of bildgewap out of it. If there's scum in there that's loose, it might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcrasta Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 We flushed out by buddy's honda civic and got a bunch of bildgewap out of it. If there's scum in there that's loose, it might help. If flushing helps, then Rodding will bring it back to nearly 100%. Also, when they are rodding they can let you know if the core is too fragile/deteriorated to be used. Get it Rodded dude. Unless you want to buy a new radiator. Flushing is like a bandage on a shark bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 If its really bad the only way to get it all out is to turn the block upside down and let it fall out. When its dry and you have the block upside down, start tapping on the deck with a deadblow plastic hammer. One block we got a huge pile, like a big shovel full of rust out of the water jacket. The rust is an insulator so the coolant can't transfer heat. This is the extreme but if you do have a block out next time try this you may be surprised. If you can put an led on a wire and drop it down into the water jacket in the middle or at the back you may be surprised. You can have a machine put the block in their washer, it looks like a big dishwasher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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