Cooling system?

[Justinsmt88]

After completing my engine swap I've had a hell of a time getting the cooling system to work properly. I'm a the point now where at idle its stays cool but as soon as I put it in gear and start driving the temp rises quickly and I have to shut it off. Checked the thermostat and it was working properly but I replaced it anyway since I already had it out. Is it am air pocket or what? I'm at a loss here because we've tried everything with no success at this point. I've tried to bleed it with the lid off overflow but if I give it a little gas is forces the coolant out of it. It just seems the coolant isn't flowing properly.

 

[stkjock]

did you pressurize the system when you were trying to get the air out?

did you make sure the Tstat is the correct one for the application? I've seen that screw guys up when the parts guy gave them the wrong one.

a plunger works well. I saw this method suggested as well:

Turn the system on. Reach under the front of the car and get to the lowest hose. "Milk it". Literally (but without the downward stroke in case you're a farmer). Just keep squeezing until you force the air bubble through. Jacking the car up as you did won't do it. Or use the plunger. Don't run the pump with no fluid very long or you'll burn it up.

Have someone keep an eye on the fluid in the tank to let you know if it's running or not.

 

[GTGHOST]

sounds like an air bubble is caught in there! mine acted very similar when i routed a moroso coolant tank...you should be able to hear / see the flow of the water in the overflow tank if it working properly.

 

[Makdaddy]

Stock fan and shroud?

And fan is running right

I added a new dual low profile fan and I wired it backwards it was pushing air out.
made the car run warm while I was tuning.

 

[Justinsmt88]

We've been at this for a few days. I'm fearing its a head gasket but there is no coolant in the oil nor anything coming out of the exhaust. I noticed the passenger side of the radiator is cold. Drivers side is smoking hot. I've been told that it could be combustion gasses leaking into the cooling system. Also high and low speed fans are 100%.

 

[Makdaddy]

We've been at this for a few days. I'm fearing its a head gasket but there is no coolant in the oil nor anything coming out of the exhaust. I noticed the passenger side of the radiator is cold. Drivers side is smoking hot. I've been told that it could be combustion gasses leaking into the cooling system. Also high and low speed fans are 100%.

That seems odd
Why would the pass side be colder? Sounds like therm is stuck or in backwards, Or you got one hell of a air pocket but something is not flowing right

 

[Justinsmt88]

Sorry I had that backwards. Drivers side is cold, passengers side hot. I thought it should be hot on both sides at the top and get colder as you go to the bottom.

 

[J2L06GT]

Remove t-stat and see what happens.

 

[Justinsmt88]

We replaced it a day or two ago because that's what we thought it was.

 

[J2L06GT]

If its in backwards it will cause problem, easy to do,
spring should be on hot side.

 

[Justinsmt88]

Spring side is up

 

[J2L06GT]

Do you have the newer crossover tube with only one hose
on top of engine, if so spring should be down into engine.
If you have 2 hoses on top of engine with t-stat mounted
in octopus I'm not sure.

 

[Makdaddy]

Spring side is up

I am sure spring side up to the hood is wrong.

Ill try to get a picture

 

[Justinsmt88]

I have the 06 with two hoses but regardless we just took it out awhile ago and ran without one and it still over heated while driving. At idle it stays at operating temp.

 

[1bad99]

might be your radiator cores inside plugged up why dont you get it rotted out

 

[J2L06GT]

I see in first post that this is an engine swap, is it a new rebuilt
or used engine. Possible water pump bad, low flow at higher rpms?
With coolant tank cap removed run engine and look for any bubbles,
should tell you if any head gasket leaks.
As said above radiator plugged, should be even temp after running awhile.

 

[Justinsmt88]

There's no bubbles in the coolant tank but the bleeder bubbles

 

[Justinsmt88]

I bought this engine with 32k miles on it so I wouldn't think the water pump would be bad. We took it out and looked at it and it turned a bit stiffer than my pump with 162k miles. That one I can spin and it will keep spinning the new one ill spin and it'll stop after a 1/4 turn. Should it spin freely?

 

[J2L06GT]

Does it ever stop bubbleing from the bleeder when the cooling
system is full? If not problem.

When you had pump off did the impeller look okay, not gummed
up or broken blades. Should spin freely.

I found my old octopus set up and in that the t-stat spring is
up when installed. I went to new style crossover 2yrs ago
when I redid hoses and antifreeze. Alot easier to work with
than original mess.

 

[james432]

So is the spring side up wrong? I have the same set up I'm about to put a new one in and mine fell out didn't see what way it was in