Jump to content

3.1 Cooling System


88red4cyl
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 88red4cyl

    21

  • ManicMechanic

    9

  • pwmin

    4

  • LumiDriver

    4

Hm.. It stayed at normal temps before I changed the pump, but I guess the thermostat coulda crapped out just to piss me off. Also, the bleeder screw by the thermostat just shot water for a while before it turned green..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, I got a new tstat. I had just put it in and started to fill the coolant system again, and my buddy was loosening the bleeder screw on the tstat housing, and he loosened it too much and the screw popped out and is now gone. Where can I get a new one? Autozone and Oreilly said that they can not get them, so that leaves the Chevrolet dealership as my last hope... Does anyone have one that they could sell me? I am really ready for this day from hell to end. :evil: So I am still having trouble with this fill procedure. I got coolant out of the bleeder on the tstat housing (before it was lost) but I could not get any out of the bleeder on the water pump area. The radiator fills up and won't take any more, and when it goes down a smidge and I pour more in, I still get nothing out of that bleeder.. Is the car supposed to be running?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So if I am understanding this correctly, the car should be running the whole time as I am filling up the radiator and trying to get the fluid out of the bleeder screws?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bet that was a lot of my problem then.. I thought that the car was supposed to be off when trying to get air out of the bleeder screws.. I feel like a dumbass now. :redface: I bet the way I was doing it (filling then putting cap on and running) was the culprit for why the car was getting hot, wasn't it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do ya'll know where I can possibly buy a new screw at? I am gonna go try my local junk yard (NOT a u-pull), but I have been told that when the owner died they just crushed everything they had and became a recycling yard.. I will try it, but it is the ONLY one nearby, so I need a backup plan if I can't get one there..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may have to put a 15mm wrench on the tensioner.

 

The coolant capacity is 2 gallons. 1 gallon of pure antifreeze + any necessary water will give you the required 50/50 mix.

 

89 inch-pounds is about 7 1/2 foot pounds. If you have a lever (wratchet) that would require 15 pounds of force if exerted 6 inches from the bolt end of the ratchet.

 

don't over tighten the bleeder valve. Many of us have snapped them off. They are made of fragile metal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alrighty! The junk yard happened to have an old lumi with the 3.1 in it, so I now have a new bleeder! They even let me have it for free! :smile: Hopefully I can get it bled again on Sunday (my next day off).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dumb question time!! As the car is running while I am filling it, it will start to warm up.. Doesn't the cooling system need to be pressurized (i.e. radiator cap)? So at what point do I put the radiator cap back on the car? I am just about to go try to bleed it again, and I keep thinking that in order for me to get coolant out of both bleeder screws, the tstat will have to open, right? And if it opens, then the car is at operating temp.. Wouldn't the system have to be pressurized so it doesn't suck in more air?

 

 

EDIT-- Or am I supposed to fill radiator, put on cap and start car, then only mess with bleeders?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I CAN'T GET THE DAMN AIR OUT!!!! :evil: Here's EXACTLY how I did it, if you see anything wrong, point it out please:

1. Fill radiator and overflow to proper level.

2. Open both bleeder screws and continue to fill radiator until fluid was coming out the bleeders.

3. Close bleeders, put on radiator cap, start car.

4. Turn heater on high, let car warm up for a few minutes.

5. Reopen both bleeders and close when I get fluid coming out.

6. Repeat step 5 a couple times.

 

When I got done with that I took it out for a test drive, and when the needle got to the middle it would fall back to about the quarter mark.. It didn't do that before I changed the water pump, so I know there is air in the system... Also, I don't know if I am closing the bleeders at the right time. The one on the water pump housing will stream coolant out, but it comes more in 'spurts' out of the tstat housing one..

 

On a side note, the new tstat fixed my getting too hot problem and all the hoses are warm now.. Something else I might note is that the radiator cap didn't get warm in the 15-20 minutes I ran the car but the system was under pressure, which was noticable by the loud hiss when I tried to turn the cap. Also, when I squeeze the upper or lower hose, the coolant in the resevoir sloshes if it makes a difference...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You did everything perfect, the temp is supposed to move up and down like that, when your car moves up to the half mark the elec cooling fan turns on and it cools the radiator to the quarter mark, like an exact science your car was either running at half all the time or you had a lower temp then stock t-stat in causing it to run a little cooler the stock temp tstat is 195, and for a cooler t-stat people have ran 180 and sometimes 160(but the heater doesent do a good job)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It should be normal- I replaced the T-stat on my GP and there was a bit of air in the system for a little bit, so I started it and cracked teh bleeder until air quit coming out, tightened it back up, and drove it. For the first mile of the drive, the temp went up to about 200*, then spiked back down to like 120* and heated back up to normal operating temps. Has been fine ever since. Some air bubbles will work their way out by themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK. A coworker told me today that he always lets the car get up to normal operating temp and then cracks the radiator cap while it's running and lets all the air hiss out.. Is this a good way, or would it start sucking air in once the pressure is relieved?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That allows air into the system from what ive been told, if you just bleed the system for a few seconds from the bleeder you will be fine (for a few days) also did you orentate your thermostat correctly?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cooling System Bleed Step Bye Step...

 

1. Fill The Rad Untill full. It will bubble down some that the coolant flling the space. Let it do that till it stops.

2. Over fill the recovery tank and you still have the cap off fill it till you see coolant comming into the rad from the little hose running to the rad from the tank.

3. close the rad cap and tank top start car.

4. rev car to move coolant in system and to speed up the heat up.

5. when the engines tstat opens up it will suck the coolant/water from the recovery tank into the engine system and drop the engine's temp when the tstat is full open and it till skipe and drop down when the happens refill the tank and ur good to go but if it keeps climbing crack the bleeders and wait till coolant starts squirting out and when that happens close screws and re top recovery tank and pop an ice cold beer and call it done

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...