Overheating
 

I'm fighting an overheating problem and I need some suggestions. Everytime I drive it, wether I get into the boost much or not. At first I thought it might be a blown head gasket, but I've had a compression check done and another shop added something to the coolant that should change colors if there was a problem. Both times it came up negative. I added a 160 thermostat and had the stock radiator cooked out. It does run cooler now that the radiator has been cleaned, but it still wants to overheat. The coolant is pushing into the overflow, filling it up, then out onto the ground. The next time I have to fill it with coolant again before I can go anywhere. Do I need a bigger radiator or is there some other problem?

Thanks

Something else I wanted to add. The coolant is being pushed out into the overflow while the temperature gauge is reading slightly below the second white mark from the bottom. The car only begins to overheat becauce all of the coolant has left the radiator. Is there a blockage in one of the hoses or waterpump?

If your system is pushing coolant into the overflow at lower temps, you've got one of two problems.

#1 Bad radiator cap.
#2 Blown head gasket.

Running a stock radiator on a turbo car is a no-no. Why spend thousands on a turbo setup, then neglect a couple hundred on a good aluminum radiator. Are your turbo's intercooled? If they are water intercooled you are shortening the life of the turbo's by using the crappy stock radiator, along with putting a hurtin on the head gasket's and top end parts.

I bought the car with everything already installed. A collector had bought it and has had it in storage for the last seven years, so I guess I bought someone else's problem. I bought a new cap for it yesterday and it didn't help and when I called Turbo Technology they said on the street kit, I shouldn't need and aftermarket radiator. If it's the head gasket, I know where there is a turbo kit for sale. I just don't feel like messing with it much more.

Sounds to me like you've got a huge pocket of air somewhere in the system.

NOT TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A JERK, BUT MAKE SURE YOU DID'NT PUT THE THERMASTAT IN BACKWARDS. JUST A THOUGHT.

The head gasket doesn't have anything to do with the turbo. Your water pump may be weak?

I'd run an aftermarket radiator regardless of what turbo technology says. Are your turbo's intercooled?

Change the thermostat to a 180* thermostat.
The 160* stays open basically all the time and never keeps the coolant in the radiator long enough to cool down.

If you checked for a head gasket blown and turned up negative and switching thermostats doesn't help,you should get a better(bigger) radiator.Actually you should already have a bigger one,just like Unit has said already.I'm using the stock radiator with blower,180* thermostat, with NO overheating problems,but every car is different and I plan to get a Fluidyne aluminum radiator this summer.

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Paxton Blown 87GT
ICQ#91504337

The water pump probably corroded off its vanes