Coolant Bubbles

[Grim.Badger 15]

I can't stop my newly fitted engine from spitting its coolant out of the overflow. I've blead it in every concievable way but eventually the coolant level will rise because of air expanding in the system somewhere and the coolant will overflow. If I remove the expansion tank from the body, and therefore away from vibrations I can see that lots of tiny bubbles are coming up through the coolant, but I'm not sure if this is normal as I've never checked before.

 

It will eventaully spit out about 4 litres if left.

 

I suspect the HG is letting air though but I'm hoping someone will tell me it could be coming in through one of the hoses

 

I did knock the metal lower pipe when putting the engine in, is it possible this is blocked and stopping the system from bleeding itself? The heaters come on full blast and all the pipes get hot.

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

the system should degass itself via the thin pipe between the thermostat and the expansion tank, it may via the throtttle body if its still a standard set up.

Only time Ive had similar issues was a head gasket fault.

Split hose would generally squirt water out, not suck air in. The metal pipe however is under 'vaccuum' rather than pressure so may be worth checking it sealed correctly. With enfgine off it would drip from here if theres a hole, when running it doesnt if the hole is only small.

From your decription though i suspect gasket.

[richard 0]

take it to a garge and get them to stick their gas analyser probe into the expansion tank. That will tell you all you need to know about the head gasket.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Is this the engine I sold you?

If so I'm so sorry, I feel kind of guilty with all the problems it's giving you.

I can assure you though the engine was fine when it came out.

 

Does the bubbles smell like exhaust fumes? if they do then it's the head gasket I'm affraid.

Do you get alot of steam from the exhaust too, If you notice exhausts only steam in the winter and cold mornings, This time of year though exhaust steam indicates your boiling coolant.

Hope it's not the head gasket. It was new 30k ago so should be O.k.

[Grim.Badger 15]

Is this the engine I sold you?

If so I'm so sorry, I feel kind of guilty with all the problems it's giving you.

I can assure you though the engine was fine when it came out.

 

Does the bubbles smell like exhaust fumes? if they do then it's the head gasket I'm affraid.

Do you get alot of steam from the exhaust too, If you notice exhausts only steam in the winter and cold mornings, This time of year though exhaust steam indicates your boiling coolant.

Hope it's not the head gasket. It was new 30k ago so should be O.k.

 

Nope doesn't stink at all, which has given me hope through this, and I get nothing out of the exhaust; when I said the car threw out a cloud a while ago it turned out to be coolant coming out of the expansion overflow and evaporating on the engine/exhaust etc.

 

I've no money for a garage at the moment but I'm going to try and replace the lower rad pipe with one I have knocking around just in case Richie is right about a leak there.

 

p.s. to Alex - the air leak has settled down but is still there, I need to clean out the TB and SAD though as the idle is tempremental and I have to let it idle at a daft speed at the moment. It leaks a bit of oil but that's my fault for re-using my cam cover gasket and the exhaust isn't sealed right and taps like a woodpecker. Still better than the last engine

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

It makes me think it's somthing to do with the water pump.

Is the Rad getting hot and the fan cutting in?

[Grim.Badger 15]

It makes me think it's somthing to do with the water pump.

Is the Rad getting hot and the fan cutting in?

 

Yep, is there a chance the gasket on the pump didn't seal? The pump is new from GSF so I hope it's working.

[VisaGTi16v 1]

I bought a new water pump for my Mi16 equipped Visa before from GSF. Put it in, car then started over heating madly after a few minutes. Naturally no one suspects the new part, or at least I dont, so I had the entire thing in bits, took the head off to see if a liner had moved etc. Eventually took the water pump housing off to find the impellor had a crack in it so it wasnt turning at all and just loose on its shaft........

 

Of course this was the day before a sprint so I took my road car, put it in the tyres which was my fault but I still blame them for their incompetence

[Grim.Badger 15]

I bought a new water pump for my Mi16 equipped Visa before from GSF. Put it in, car then started over heating madly after a few minutes. Naturally no one suspects the new part, or at least I dont, so I had the entire thing in bits, took the head off to see if a liner had moved etc. Eventually took the water pump housing off to find the impellor had a crack in it so it wasnt turning at all and just loose on its shaft........

 

Of course this was the day before a sprint so I took my road car, put it in the tyres which was my fault but I still blame them for their incompetence

 

Sorry not GSF, theirs are so cheap there must be something wrong with them. It was from QEP; I blame my mistake on it being a Friday

[Grim.Badger 15]

I found the cause of this:

 

A leaky pipe! The pipe that runs from the heater matrix to the SAD coolant block under the dizzy was letting in air and eventually started leaking where it joins the SAD coolant block thing. There wasn't a hole but the rubber is knackered so I cut the end off and re-attached and now the coolant stays where it is meant to be