Coolant issues after KB install

Shane361 · 09-01-2007, 09:46 PM

I'm about at my wits end. Ready to volunteer my car for the next Triple X movie for a cool stunt off a high bridge! I drove to Kennedy(75m) today and the car sprayed coolant all over the engine bay. There was tons of fluid in the overflow but little in the crossover. The car is kicking all the fluid back to the overflow from the engine for some reason. I was told to burp it and did to the best of my ability so I must not be doing it rite or its something else. Any help would be greatly appreciated-Shane

LXtasy · 09-01-2007, 11:14 PM

I kid. Shane. That sux. Does the car run hot?

Shane361 · 09-01-2007, 11:17 PM

The guage in the car is fine, but everything under the hood is rather warm. Gauge inside only meters oil I believe which is fine. Not sure if the system just needs to be burped properly, thermo is bad or the pump-Shane

Jeff · 09-02-2007, 02:47 AM

Shane take it by a dealership and get the system burped . If there is any air in the crossover tube you will catch absolute hell with cooling issues . Which is what it sounds like you have .

On a side note maybe your thermostat is messed up I would get that checked as well .

fordnut · 09-02-2007, 07:43 AM

I agree with Jeff...has to have a air bubble in the system. Sometimes they can be hell to get rid of all the bubbles....

Hope you get it fixed, Buddy....sure would hate to see her go off the cliff...

Steve

Shane361 · 09-02-2007, 01:30 PM

Well, this is currently where I am. I took the thermostat housing off from the 4 hoses. I wanted to see how this thing looked internally, verify the oring seating surface and insure no cross threading due to hose tension. I had it in rite the first time as I thought. The new thermostat is shorter which seems to make no difference. The hole to allow water to flow through is smaller but if it opens up more then its no different. It is a cross reference numbered thermo from the parts store. It also as you can see in the 2nd picture has a small hole in it. I read in one thread that I searched that some people drill a small hole so I found it interesting that this one came with it. I had some leakage through even though the bolts were tight, oring was seated properly, even with no pressure. So I used to emory cloth to make sure the surface was free of nicks and corrosion. The hose comming from the overflow tank was rather dirty, gonna check on that some more. Thanks agian and more to come I'm sure-Shane

Shane361 · 09-02-2007, 05:20 PM

Got the hose all cleaned out, put the new thermostat in but not sure its working yet. Might night have gotten to the proper temp. Not sure that was evere my initial problem either but troubleshooting. I know ALOT more about the system now to say the least. Burping the system now letting it cool and refilling and starting and heard this can take days. Still gonna take it for a pro job but like to get there atleast. -Shane

clubracergt1 · 09-03-2007, 07:07 PM

That sucks, dude. Very good chance that there is/was air trapped in the cooling system. Ford has a wonderful habit of not making the pressure cap the highest point in the cooling system. That's why you sometimes will see wierd threaded plugs in the crossover tubes. Also, the only thing that the hole in the t/stat is for is to allow air to get out of the cooling system. No hole or a smaller hole shouldn't cause any problems in operation; but it will be hard as Hell to get all the air out of the cooling system. The easiest way that I know of to get the air out is to run the engine up to operating temperature with the radiator cap on it, allow it to cool, remove the cap and refill. Try this a time or two, and it will likely help out. We have problems with air whenever we flush the coolant on many of the newer cars, and this seems to be the easiest way to get it out. The air will eventually find its way into the expansion tank. Eventually.

Shane361 · 09-08-2007, 11:46 AM

End of story...

1rst problem was that ford didnt burp the coolant system as they should have. 2nd problem was I installed a thermostat hoping that was the problem and it didnt work cause it was the wrong one. I told Oreileys about this but doubt they will do anything about it. Their 03/04 thermo opens at 193 and not 180 as I needed plus it was shorter which meant it wouldnt do its job. So with the proper FORD thermo and a good coolant flush she is back to normal. Idle to HWY was between 184 and 190. Now..I was also missing on #3, so I replaced the coil pack and she is perfect again. Cleaning the filter and then gonna go for a spin. Thanks for all the advice guys-Shane

09-01-2007, 09:46 PM	#1
Shane361 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Creek Posts: 2,622	Coolant issues after KB install I'm about at my wits end. Ready to volunteer my car for the next Triple X movie for a cool stunt off a high bridge! I drove to Kennedy(75m) today and the car sprayed coolant all over the engine bay. There was tons of fluid in the overflow but little in the crossover. The car is kicking all the fluid back to the overflow from the engine for some reason. I was told to burp it and did to the best of my ability so I must not be doing it rite or its something else. Any help would be greatly appreciated-Shane

09-01-2007, 11:14 PM	#2
LXtasy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Summerville, SC Posts: 9,564	I kid. Shane. That sux. Does the car run hot? __________________

09-03-2007, 07:07 PM	#8
clubracergt1 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The Great, white North (Chicagoland) Posts: 2,483	That sucks, dude. Very good chance that there is/was air trapped in the cooling system. Ford has a wonderful habit of not making the pressure cap the highest point in the cooling system. That's why you sometimes will see wierd threaded plugs in the crossover tubes. Also, the only thing that the hole in the t/stat is for is to allow air to get out of the cooling system. No hole or a smaller hole shouldn't cause any problems in operation; but it will be hard as Hell to get all the air out of the cooling system. The easiest way that I know of to get the air out is to run the engine up to operating temperature with the radiator cap on it, allow it to cool, remove the cap and refill. Try this a time or two, and it will likely help out. We have problems with air whenever we flush the coolant on many of the newer cars, and this seems to be the easiest way to get it out. The air will eventually find its way into the expansion tank. Eventually. __________________ This space for rent

09-01-2007, 11:17 PM	#3
Shane361 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Creek Posts: 2,622	The guage in the car is fine, but everything under the hood is rather warm. Gauge inside only meters oil I believe which is fine. Not sure if the system just needs to be burped properly, thermo is bad or the pump-Shane

09-02-2007, 02:47 AM	#4
Jeff Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,015	Shane take it by a dealership and get the system burped . If there is any air in the crossover tube you will catch absolute hell with cooling issues . Which is what it sounds like you have . On a side note maybe your thermostat is messed up I would get that checked as well .

09-02-2007, 07:43 AM	#5
fordnut Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 63	I agree with Jeff...has to have a air bubble in the system. Sometimes they can be hell to get rid of all the bubbles.... Hope you get it fixed, Buddy....sure would hate to see her go off the cliff... Steve

09-02-2007, 01:30 PM	#6
Shane361 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Creek Posts: 2,622	Well, this is currently where I am. I took the thermostat housing off from the 4 hoses. I wanted to see how this thing looked internally, verify the oring seating surface and insure no cross threading due to hose tension. I had it in rite the first time as I thought. The new thermostat is shorter which seems to make no difference. The hole to allow water to flow through is smaller but if it opens up more then its no different. It is a cross reference numbered thermo from the parts store. It also as you can see in the 2nd picture has a small hole in it. I read in one thread that I searched that some people drill a small hole so I found it interesting that this one came with it. I had some leakage through even though the bolts were tight, oring was seated properly, even with no pressure. So I used to emory cloth to make sure the surface was free of nicks and corrosion. The hose comming from the overflow tank was rather dirty, gonna check on that some more. Thanks agian and more to come I'm sure-Shane

09-02-2007, 05:20 PM	#7
Shane361 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Creek Posts: 2,622	Got the hose all cleaned out, put the new thermostat in but not sure its working yet. Might night have gotten to the proper temp. Not sure that was evere my initial problem either but troubleshooting. I know ALOT more about the system now to say the least. Burping the system now letting it cool and refilling and starting and heard this can take days. Still gonna take it for a pro job but like to get there atleast. -Shane

09-08-2007, 11:46 AM	#9
Shane361 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Creek Posts: 2,622	End of story... 1rst problem was that ford didnt burp the coolant system as they should have. 2nd problem was I installed a thermostat hoping that was the problem and it didnt work cause it was the wrong one. I told Oreileys about this but doubt they will do anything about it. Their 03/04 thermo opens at 193 and not 180 as I needed plus it was shorter which meant it wouldnt do its job. So with the proper FORD thermo and a good coolant flush she is back to normal. Idle to HWY was between 184 and 190. Now..I was also missing on #3, so I replaced the coil pack and she is perfect again. Cleaning the filter and then gonna go for a spin. Thanks for all the advice guys-Shane