Stuck in Nashville...

[TecNickal]

My 87 Colony Park 5.0. Believe it has the original 302 w/312K miles.

on I-40, 360 miles from home, going through steep mountain grades, AC on, doing 70 MOH, I managed to get to Cookesville TN then the "CHECK ENGINE" and "LOW OIL LEVEL" light which mind you on that stretch of interstate - flat. I pulled it over at an underpass. Oil level was fine. Coolant was high in the jug but seemed fine. So I cranked it up, drove 10 miles to Silver Point TN, checked again, level had dropped in the jug to low, but seemed fine. Oil was fine. So tapped over the gauges with a oil change sticker and kept going. And going until I got 1/2 mile from the Lebanon exit. I heard the faint sound of lifters clattering, and I smelled the sweet smell of coolant. Tossed it in N and pulled over. Popped hood - it felt hot, no coolant gushing but clutch fan engaged.

So pulled off the exit, coasting in breakdown lane, and turned into the Raceway - too bad that's when the coolant jug gushed out all coolant. What a steamy mess!.

So after letting it sit 30 min, removed cap, refilled it and cranked it and ran it. Tried burping it - and i got no heat at the dash, also got nothing but a coolant geyser at the cap and overflow.

Was recommended to replace the thermostat and cap - so got some local folks to give me a ride to AutoZone. GOt a pressure release cap 16 psi and a fail safe thermostat.

Installed, so far it semmed fine, got hot heat. Drove around town, seemed fine. Made my way to interstate and then the same lights came back.

Pulled into walmart parking lot. Level had dropped some more. Filled it up, re-capped. Put my foot a 1/3 down with hood up and ran it for 15 min. Then let it idle for 5, then applied 1/3 throttle again. lights came on - I let it keep going, then after 5 min the cap popped and coolant came out everywhere.

Towed to a shop - replacement rad cap held 10PSI. Nice. Got a new cap and tested ok.

So my next move is to get a head gasket tester from the store as well as a water temp gauge tmrw. Then going to do some tests, and see what's going on.

Anyone have any suggestions? Shop pressure tested cooling system and it was fine, no leaks.

Notes:
New hoses
New Radiator
New fail safe thermostat w/gasket
New rad cap

Water pump is pushing coolant, you can watch the coolant flow a lot when you push the throttle.

[88Vic]

Definitely get a water temp gauge, maybe you got a bad t-stat. If pretty much everything else including coolant is new, that's all I can think could be the problem.

[gadget73]

If its saying no oil pressure and the lifers are clattering, make sure you have an oil pump driveshaft. It probably would have exploded by now if it was a pretzel, but pull the distributor out and make sure its still in there.

and turn the AC off if its running hot.

[TecNickal]

The lifters started clattering because it ran hot first time around.

THey haven't been heard since. They are quiet. There's a cooling system issue. I drove the car 15 min today and it didn't overheat, lifters were quiet. Mechanic said no oiling issues.

Low Oil Level is different from Low Oil Pressure. And neither were true.

[mcninetyone]

Could it be a radiator problem? (partially clogged)
Does your lower hose have a spring in it? (hose collapsing)

[GM_Guy]

Failing fan clutch is my number one suspect, since any overheat issue I've had has always been fan clutch related. Watch it when you turn it off, if it keeps spinning, it is toast. My failing fan clutch on the box let itself be known on the highway as well (load of BS that moving at highway speed does not require a fan).

[BuffaloRider]

+1 on checking your fan clutch.

You say you replaced your radiator and hoses already, right? Was your cooling system real messy? You might want a new heater core eventually, it could be recirculating gunk through your cooling system. I don't know... that sucks though man, sorry about your luck.

[TecNickal]

This car is being a serious pain in the a$$. Trying to purge the air out. It's not behaving. It has a good amount of air in there. Temp needle says 235 and no heat at dash :-(

[TecNickal]

I put in a Motorcraft thermostat. And a temp gauge yesterday.

[jaywish]

I usually run it up the block in 1st gear to bleed out the air.

[DerekTheGreat]

Does the waterpumper actually push coolant at idle?? Might indeed be time for one of those.. That & the fan are the only things which may be keeping Ash's car from running cool, still have to check her fan.

[TecNickal]

I think I got the air out this morning finally. Believe there was air pockets in the heater core. Inlet pipe was hot, outlet pipe was less hot. I had to add a half gallon of water to make it bleed out.

I drove it around the neighborhood at 25-35 MPH. The temperature stayed around 205.

What is normal temperatures people see around 90F ambient at 70mph? Is 220 normal? Is 240 with AC on normal? When should the fan clutch kick on?

[jaywish]

IIRC the fan clutch should start to engage at around 175F if it is a thermal unit and has not been replaced with a cetrifical unit.

either way with temps over 200 you should be able to check it easily.

[dmccaig]

Dear Panthers,

With a three cell radiator and twin electric fans, Normal: 195/205. In 100 degree weather, running at 75mph with AC - I'd expect 210/215. I really, really don't like to see it at 220 or above although savvier folks say it's ok. Sly, what's your temp on a hot Texas Interstate?

Donald

[gadget73]

some of it does vary with the gauge. My old gauge gave me around 200, the new one says I'm closer to 210 under the same conditions. Meh, says I.

Anyway, if you have the EGR cooler still, loosening one of those hoses will typically burp a lot of air out. Same with the heater core hoses. Usually I leave one a bit loose as I fill and clamp it down when it starts to dribble coolant out. Once all that is full, just put some coolant in the overflow bottle and it should purge itself of the last of the air with a heat cycle or two as long as your radiator cap is good and the tube to the coolant bottle isn't cracked or missing. I usually fill it to the "hot" line when cold after a cooling system drain just to make sure it doesn't run short and suck air back in when it cools off.