3100 cooling issue! just before a road trip! how convenient!

[berettaboi]

hey guys, any help or experiences might help me... i was hoping to get rolling tomorrow on a nice road trip to "relieve" tension and pick up parts, and visit family... before i go back to school in september... but my lovely car has other plans i guess.

1995 beretta z26, auto, stock 3100. i would like to say i keep up on maintenance fairly well.

engine temp began to spike fairly quickly and unexpectedly on the highway while i was working tonight. got i did not run it very long spiked, but i was close to work so i got back and parked it and shut her down. popped the hood and checked all hoses, no leaks, (just did upper rad hose a month or 2 back). some coolant around the reservoir... i loosened the cap slowly to vent it, and let the car sit and cool down.

start it back up once the temp is about 1/2. reservoir cap off to try to see whats going on. temp rises moderately quickly, coolant begins to bubble out fairly ferociously. shut her down. upper rad hose is hot, lower is warm for sure.

waterpump is ? old, thermostat is likely 100k km old, coolant was flushed when i did upper rad hose, but not a true flush where all of it is out and all is brand new... 3/4 new at least as the rad and hoses were emptied. there is some crud in the coolant... currently not much if any oil in the coolant (i'll see more when it settles) this car has a very slight external LIM leak, and there has been a slight oily residue in the coolant... very slight, and not worsening. oil is just as it should be, no milkshake, right up full, slightly golden (half way to next oil change)

waterpump now seems to make a clanking noise inside. stick a screwdriver to it, and feel and hear it. screwdriver on the front head and feel and hear nothing... what are the odds the impeller has separated from the rotating shaft/belt drive?
what are the odds it's a stuck close thermostat?

[Koots]

I would have guessed thermostat, but the noise/clanking in the waterpump area would send me down that route.

Try changing the thermostat, they are cheap (even for a good name brand) and might be easy to change (I know they are on GM's 90* V6/V8's).

[berettaboi]

looks easy enough to change both, but now i'll have to wait for sealant to dry... and then fill up and test and hope it's not worse internal...

[scannerman]

if you're going to change the thermostat change the water pump to. It's another 20min and they are both cheap.

Also i would NEVER take the resevoir cap off a hot engine. That's asking to be burned. Also you don't need to let the coolant "vent" as it's a sealed system.

[berettaboi]

yeah i'm pretty anxious to see whats going on at times when crap is holding me back from making money especially... i've been working on my own stuff for a decade now, and know better than to crank it right open also... slowly and surely. if it was an actual rad cap, i wouldn't have touched it for a while, they are a 1/4 turn and soaking you with coolant when hot in most cases...



and that's whats up... back together now with ac delco parts that were very reasonably priced at my local Raco auto parts store... now just letting the gasket maker set, and i'll fill er up later and get on my way tomorrow morning if all is well.

[heavywoody]

Gasket maker? Why not use the paper gasket like from the factory? Bolt it in and go.

[berettaboi]

i don't really know... i guess i like the insurance of the "liquid" gasket too for potential fluid leaks.

[Money pit Beretta]

Always better to overdue something. Like like your style. I put ultra seal on my valve cover gaskets.

[3X00-Modified]

According to you guys, I under did everything on my engine and it didn't leak I put every gasket on dry as it would have been done from the factory... 3yrs later It's leaking where I used silicone... Never again will I do that.

Gasket maker is not the best thing out there, it can actually cause more issues than good sometimes.

[Money pit Beretta]

The truth is I have only used ultra seal on the valve cover gaskets. I had to do the valve cover gaskets twice on the 90. I cleaned everything until there was nothing on the shop towels on a roll. Lacquer thinner was used as the cleaner. Still some how they leaked, that is why I used the ultra seal on the second time.
Yeah that post was a half joke.....I would never use anything on the cooling system. I have a large fear that too much would get loose and clog something up.

[Koots]

I use silicone gasket maker as extra security, but is far from necessary. I do use it on just about everything though. I even have the copper stuff for exhausts, which came recommended for donut gaskets and other quick exhaust repairs in the general mechanic field.

Best stuff out there is the "Right Stuff" made by Permatex. I started using it on a recommendation and it has held up well and is very strong stuff. It costs more, but can be used as a gasket substitute on just about every part without an issue.

Also wanted to add this, Having a mechanical failure prior to a road trip, is probably the best time you could hope for. At least it didn't happen 500miles from home, caused you to overheat and blow a headgasket or both. I prefer to be stranded in my own driveway than in a neighboring town LOL

[berettaboi]

I absolutely agree... I wish it would have went a week sooner so I. had time to do it before my trip was supposed to begin! But so far so good and it's been over 1000 km so far... 700 km to the first tank of gas too, pretty happy about that.

Thanks for the info regarding leaks due to the use of gasket maker. I'll take them in stride with experiences that I encounter personally, and read from others as well.

[berettaboi]

pretty happy, i made it back, with a backseat full of goodies! and no more repairs to the car.