Car overheating, have changed EVERYTHING!

[crankycowboy]

Originally Posted by a.graham52

is that with the engine cold before it gets a chance to warm up?

If I remember correctly (at work now), even if I start it with the cap off, a gush of water will push out.

[jawa]

head gasket

[crankycowboy]

Originally Posted by crankycowboy

If I remember correctly (at work now), even if I start it with the cap off, a gush of water will push out.

I just spoke with my buddy that was helping me on it, and he indicated that when it was cool...there were no issues with water pushing out....it was only when it was warm (both starting with cap off and with cap on while driving). What does that mean?

[a.graham52]

I would like to think that if you have a very bad blown head gasket that it would push water out no matter what the temp is. however there is an exception to everything. your sure the coolant level is perfict and not over full? your also sure you have a GOOD new cap? iv recieved bad ones before that were brand new.

[crankycowboy]

Originally Posted by a.graham52

I would like to think that if you have a very bad blown head gasket that it would push water out no matter what the temp is. however there is an exception to everything. your sure the coolant level is perfict and not over full? your also sure you have a GOOD new cap? iv recieved bad ones before that were brand new.

That's what confuses me....the issues seem inconsistent. If it was just black and white, I wouldn't even be bothering you guys and would just be changing the heads/gaskets out.

The new cap is good. It holds pressure, it seems that the water being pushed out is for when it's over the 15 psi or whatever the rating is.

[[ion] C2]

still, it's a head gasket, for sure.

inconsistencies in cooling and when it blows out of the reservoir is one of the symptoms i experienced many times

[crankycowboy]

Originally Posted by [ion] C2

still, it's a head gasket, for sure.

inconsistencies in cooling and when it blows out of the reservoir is one of the systems i experienced many times

If you guys are certain that's what it is...I'll pull them off. It's just concerning since this is almost exactly the same behavior that I was experiencing with the other engine (and frankly, when I pulled the heads off, I couldn't find a spot in the gasket that looked like water was getting through). I still have compression, no water in oil, no smoke....just want to make sure.

I should have also mentioned, that the car has trouble idling (it's smooth as long as I keep my foot on the gas), someone in another thread said since I swapped engines and had battery off, the computer has to re-learn all the settings...hope that's all it is...or could that be another sign towards gasket?

[Goodman]

Originally Posted by crankycowboy

Sorry Billy, I should have mentioned that. Yes, I bled it via the brass fitting on the tube.

WhiteV6: Now, it was out of a 99 Alero. Hot air wasn't flowing out of the vents, but I backflushed the heater core, and now nice and warm. Wow, if it's another head gasket, I'm going to cry. Is there any way to verify short of tearing the whole darn thing apart if all the cylinders have compression, there is no "milk" in the oil, and no smoke blows out the tail pipe. And do you think it's just coincidental that it's behaving exactly the way the previous engine was?

That is why i would rather rebuilt the current engine that you already know what the problem is than buy another one which you know nothing about
If i ever buy a used engine i would rebuilt it all before doing the swap

Anyhow could a clogged radiator do that?
(two engine same problem hmmm...?)

If not the rad then HG for sure... another warp head maybe?

[Redog]

Originally Posted by crankycowboy

With the cap off, at idle, I don't really notice any bubbles....however, if I raise the rpm to around 3k, it starts to bubble out.

Originally Posted by crankycowboy

I just spoke with my buddy that was helping me on it, and he indicated that when it was cool...there were no issues with water pushing out....it was only when it was warm (both starting with cap off and with cap on while driving). What does that mean?

Originally Posted by jawa

head gasket

Exactly.

I had a bad HG on mine, just like yours. Clean oil, no issues, but when I would floor it coolant would puke all over from the overflow tube. Ugh what a mess.

My HG issue (sounds like your too) is that combustion gasses are passing thru into the water jackets, pushing all coolant out. 15 psi of coolant pressure is going to lose agaisnt the 150 psi of combustion in whichever chamber the HG passage is cracked.

Not an easy fix, not a difficult one either. Just pick up a MLS gasket from Ben at WOT-Tech and new head bolts and do it.

[a.graham52]

this is why i suggest you purchase a block tester from a local parts store. that will tell you once and for al lif you have exhaust gasses in your coolant system and you can rest easy.

[crankycowboy]

Good points guys, and thanks for all the follow-ups, greatly appreciated. I'll go the block test route to be sure, and if all comes back as everyone is suggesting...I'll start pulling the heads ASAP as a local shop has them in stock for exchange. Is that specifically what the "block tester" is called? How does it work? Are they strips?

[jawa]

Google can be useful some times. Its not called one of the largest search engines around for nothing

[a.graham52]

http://www.tooltopia.com/uview-56000...FQhN4AodIBwAaw

thats what it is. you sample "air" out of your coolant tank with the engine running. if there is combustion gasses present the blue fluid will turn yellow

[crankycowboy]

Well I went and got a block testing kit, and the instructions say to drain water down 2-3 inches so you don't suck water when you pump the bulb. The problem is the damn thing is bubbling so much at temperature that the tube just keeps sucking liquid up (regardless of how much I let drain down).....any other suggestions here?

[rustyballs_69]

If its bubbling out that bad you can hold the block tester just above the coolant and still suck in the exhaust fumes. I would say for sure its a head gasket if you start the engine cold and coolant starts coming out right away. If it was air in the system it would take a while for the coolant to come out of the overflow.

[crankycowboy]

Well since everyone was certain that heads were the problem, I went ahead and pulled them. It doesn't look blatantly obvious that a gasket is blown. Granted, a head could be warped and exhaust escaping into water jackets that way, but I really hope that's the problem. Please see pictures and offer your opinions.

[[ion] C2]

Would need much larger pictures to see detail, preferably at angles too. You have to really look close at the material all around each cylinder to see if there's any tearing or pieces torn off to tell.

This is how my GM gasket failed:

[a.graham52]

give more detail of the bottom head gasket, far left.

[crankycowboy]

Here's more pictures.....I them over pretty good and don't see any "in your face" proof of head gasket failure, but I can only hope!

[a.graham52]

middle picture could possibly be your problem. see where all that rust has come into contact with the crush ring? problem you have coolant getting into that cylinder... maybe. do any of your pistons look different? maybe like one might have had a steam clean?