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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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I think I'm buying some Climb Addict chalkbags tomorrow...
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2012 - 10:09pm PT
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I am looking at a thermostat video and though it doesn't look hard to do - it does look like something I don't think I can do alone. I just haven't got any experience with this stuff. I have been happy that I can change the headlights and tail light bulbs that have gone out. I just worry when it comes to the engine that I will do something wrong.
If I take the van out tomorrow and top it up with coolant, and drive in the local area - how long before a failed thermostat shows it's likely the problem?
I am not wanting to go too far from the town just filling up and having spare coolant because there is nothing between here and Amarillo - 90 plus miles away.
The radiator cap itself looks fine. Clean, no rust, seats evenly and seems to "clamp down" when turning past the point of the radiator spout.
Re: Overflow - Correct, the van doesn't have one.
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WBraun
climber
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Screw all these lightweights here.
When in doubt run it out ......
:-)
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Filling with coolant won't fix a stuck thermostat.
You can even just temporarily remove the thermostat and run without it for a while.
The other more unlikely and a lot more serious problem is if the impeller on the water pump has failed. That's almost always accompanied by horrible noises and water leaking from the water pump shaft though.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2012 - 10:28pm PT
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There have been no horrible noises. Man - last year when the alternator went in the old van, now THAT was some horrible noise! I had no idea - thought the battery just got discharged with a bad alternator. Never ever want to experience that one again...
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briham89
Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
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Filling with coolant won't fix a stuck thermostat.
But, filling it and running it to see what happens to the temperature will show us something. If it its stuck, it will get hot, you turn off your car, you fix it. If you fill it up and it runs fine...BOOM back on the road!
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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When my thermostat went, one of the symptoms was that the engine wasn't getting hot, at least according to the guage in the dash it wasn't.
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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how long before a failed thermostat shows it's likely the problem?
When you start driving, the temp gauge will come up to operating temperature and just keep getting hotter, assuming the thermostat is stuck closed. The problem with diagnosing that way is that thermostats often fail either intermittently or only partially open. So, it could work fine for a day or a week and then fail to work properly. That's why if there is the slightest question about its condition, it should be replaced.
+1 for purchasing the best quality part available.
Chaz, yes a thermostat can get stuck in the fully open position. The engine does not get up to normal operating temperature in cold weather.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Yep.
Fill it up and let it idle for a good 15 min or so.
If the temp keeps climbing, or doesn't climb at all, you got a stuck thermostat.
Pick up a 5 gal container, fill it with water and bring it along just in case.
If you do find yourself in BFE with a leak that isn't just massive, (like a blown hose) loosen the radiator cap so the system is NOT pressurized and just keep adding water every 20 mi or so till you reach civilization.
If the system isn't pressurized even duck tape on a bad hose might get you to town.
For what a thermostat costs and the peace of mind involved with an older van, I'd just go ahead and replace it.
You should really have a spare set of radiator hoses, a couple of extra clamps and a roll of duck tape in the back somewhere.
What I used to do was replace the hoses every couple of years and then throw the old ones under the back seat for emergency replacements along with a couple of screw type hose clamps. (not the OEM spring or bolt clamp types)
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Go to the nearest internet climbing forum. Get a lot of advice on possible causes, remedies and cures.
Search youtube and get really distracted watching 'fail' videos for a few hours, then take it to the nearest garage and have them fix it.
Good luck!
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2012 - 10:49pm PT
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hahah Pud, calls it.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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To actually answer your latest question - you could safely drive across the country with your stuck thermostat - possibly in 100 yard chunks.
Drive slow, stay off the highway, watch the temp, pull over when it's even the slightest above normal, allow to cool, repeat. The temp gage will be a little "late", so watch the rate of rise closely.
Overheating the engine will absolutely effect every part in your motor, to some degree. You have no doubt already caused some damage. Too much and every gasket in the motor starts to leak, every piece of metal warps, oil becomes charcoal and clogs every passage, etc, etc - the engine becomes scrap - keep that in mind as you ponder how hot to push things. If you are close to normal on the temp gage with the coolant full, you should be reasonably safe.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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A slow loss of coolant which is not appearing externally on the engine, in the oil, or as white smoke billowing out the tail pipe could be a small head gasket leak. Warm up the engine and let it idle and watch the tailpipe to see if it spits moisture. All cars will spit as they warm up because water condenses in the exhaust system when it cools, that is why mufflers rust out.
If you have an internall leak such as a head gasket, you could try a stop leak product, like Bars Leak, you might want to do that before you head off to BFE
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2012 - 04:09am PT
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Thanks for the information.
The head gasket issue - I am wondering if some of you don't realize this van is not the same one I had before. Are head gasket leaks that common, from a car overheating?
The old van was amazing that it had kept running as smoothly as it did right up to the day it was hauled away for scrap, but this van, though a 1990, had only 65K miles on it when I bought it.
The first people who owned it seemed ti have done all the careful maintenance, and they drove it only for vacations travel. They were the first owner, and sold it about 3 years ago to the people I bought it from. Those people didn't do anything, but also didn't put much mileage on it. Only 3L in the time they had it and again, vacation travel.
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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It took a while to figure out that it is a new (to you) van. Searched some of your old posts to refresh my memory on your old mechanical problems and saw a photo of the current replacement van.
Are head gasket leaks that common, from a car overheating? Cast iron blocks and heads are not particularly susceptible to blown head gaskets. Your Ford has a cast iron truck engine (either a 300 cid straight 6 cyl, small-block V8 302 or 351 cid, or a gas guzzling big-block 460 cid). I've owned all of them, and to my knowledge, none are prone to heads warping or cracking. Cast iron engines will often/usually withstand a boilover if shut down immediately. That's one advantage to good old American heavy metal.
If you had a more modern vehicle or an import, the chances are very high that the aluminum head(s) will warp during an overheat. That creates gaps between the the block and head (where the head gasket sits). Combustion gasses, oil, and coolant flow and mix where they shouldn't. Always an expensive and labor intensive fix. The computer on some newer vehicles will shut the engine down or go into a low rpm "limp to the side of the road" mode when the coolant overheats.
We are all hoping that your van has a minor leak, like a loose hose clamp, and no head gasket failure. Best of luck to you.
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Tobia
Social climber
Denial
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No advice to add; but I thought a quick review of the thread was in order.
I vote juan m & pud to be named as the official taco "Click and Clack, Tappet Brothers and masters of Car Talk.
juan is awarded for his advice, especially checking the weep hole on the water pump (pump problems are sometimes unheard due to the rest of the engine noise) and pud for his wit and also correct assessment of the other problem at hand.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Cast iron blocks and heads are not particularly susceptible to blown head gaskets. They still warp, for sure, at some point, it's all a matter of degree. Having something more than a dummy light (esp a broken one) to monitor things certainly helps the situation. A "bad" overheat would be when the engine stalls - damage for sure to some degree no matter how large and heavy and old your engine is. Yes, the newer Al heads, especially with cams in the head, don't fare as well.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Stuck thermostat. Easy repair. Do not idle the engine with no coolant in it. If you hear a pinging noise it means you ran the engine with no coolant and bent the valves, lifters and other important parts connected to the heads. That's how one of my old cars died in Death Valley, when the radiator plug blew out. The fix for that, supposedly is to carve a potato into shape which apparently swells up with the hot radiator water. But it doesnt seem like you have a leak.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2012 - 12:39pm PT
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When it rains, it pours.
According to all that's been said - it looks like the overheat may have been low fluid level. I filled it up with coolant. It took about 2/3 jug between yesterday and today, maybe even a full jug, which seems a lot to me.
So I drove it around town back and forth, but not on highway or at that speed, for at least 20 minutes before stopping and turning engine off. The temp moved pretty quickly up to the middle of gauge. Not immediately upon starting. But within a few minutes it started to raise, and then steadily went to the middle. It's a lot hotter and sunnier here than I have been at, so I don't know if that is the way it would normally raise.
But it stayed at the middle, and went down slightly when idling and not moving.
I guess I will be cautious and see what happens.
Now part 2. I stopped and noticed one of my tires needs changing - the belst are showing in a section. I feel So damned stupid right now for not even noticing this wear, though I did know the van needed alignment and ignored it thinking "welll, I will have to get it don in CA."
So, I am pulled over in a shady spot, but this town is not crawling with local and pedestrian traffic(meaning guys who will help).
I figured I would start to get ready and someone would see a girl pulling a spare tire out, getting the wheel chocked, a tire laying in front of the van.
A guy even drove in to the business next door and looked at me and ignored, and the man working in the business also saw me, looked and turned back inside(which is okay - people have reasons they cannot or will not immediately help).
So I thought "well - let's see what I can do!" And I got the key to unlock the tire cap and I cannot budge it. WD40 did not make it any more possible for me. I worry there is some trick I don't get, because it doesn't feel like it is seating as evenly and solidly as I would expect.
So....I am going to look up where I can go to get it changed, and take a little time at it hoping someone who is interested in helping might stop in the interim.
This is not a big deal on the scale, and I should be really grateful the problems I am having didn't happen a week ago when I was broke.
But Teddy is very sick. My friend Sonya called and has offered to help front money for his vet trip and work. But he has been not good for two days now, and so I know it isn't just a bump in the road as it has been in the past when he was feeling down.
The vet visit is at 2pm, 20 miles away, so I guess I had better get a move on.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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You should not be traveling without AAA coverage, the 200 mile towing package. If you made it from NY to TX without adding fluid then it is a very slow leak. If the temp rises then stops rising it sounds like the thermstat is good. Keep the radiator topped off
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