Breakin Woes

[1sicklx]

Alright, pull up a chair ...

After setting up the rocker arms for a second time the car fired right up smooth as a whistle. Everything checks out so time for a test drive.

First test drive ... car runs strong but doesn't want to idle once it gets warmed up. Cars develops coolant leak (and discover that water temp sensor is bad [always reads in the "green" zone) ... car runs hot. cool it off, fill the radiator, limp it home.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/poop2.gif

Cause of coolant leak turns out to be a split hose. Changed the hose. Everything checks out ... time for another drive.

Car still runs fine, but won't idle once it gets warmed up. Decide to go ahead and try the C&L 73mm MAF for $hits and giggles just to see if it makes a difference.

The C&L works great (surprisingly). No missing, or sputtering, Idle cleared up (or so it seemed) car ran smoother and seemed to breath a lot easier. Test drive complete ... all seems well.

NOT.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/blowup.gif http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/blowup.gif http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/blowup.gif http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/blowup.gif

Now remember that we discovered that the water temp sensor was bad ... well after handing the car over to Tracie tonight the car decides it doesn't want to idle again ... then steam ... running hot. I had placed blame on the coolant hose splitting for it running hot the first time, but that seems not to be the case. As there is no leak to be found now.

I'm going out now to change the thermostat to a 180 deg in case the one that's in there is faulty. Also going to try to dig up a sensor for the water temp gauge so she'll have a little more warning when it starts getting to warm. Half-tempted to go ahead and put the new waterpump off of the black car on it just for good measure.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/crazy3.gifhttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/crazy3.gifhttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/1qwikgt/crazy3.gif

All in all, I have to admit this build has thrown a lot more curve balls than the 89 did. It will get sorted out ... just needed to vent a little. It's frustrating how a straight forward build up that could have been finished in one day has been delayed by parts shipping, faulty stock parts, and flat out bad luck.

So ... as it stands ... C&L MAF :nice: ... cooling system :notnice:

[QWKSNKE]

Are you sure that all of the air has been burped out of the cooling system?

[Italian LX]

Are you sure that all of the air has been burped out of the cooling system?
:werd:

It can take a long time to get excess air out of the system after you do a head swap.

I have found that they best way to eliminate having to "burp" the system is to flush the coolant system with one of the coolant flush systems you cn buy at the auto parts store (less than $5). Basically, you end up using the water pressure from the garden hose to fill the block/heads and push all the air out. You also get the benefit of flushing any dirt or debris that may have gotten into the block while doing the swap.


On a side note, if you do go this route, don't even try to hook up the T-fitting where they say to (at the firewall). On the Mustang 5.0L, the line from the heater core to the intake is too short and bent to do anything with. I have a peice of hose and a T-fitting made up that I put in-place from the water pump to the intake hard-line at the front of the motor. It doesn't have to look pretty since I just remove it when I'm done and replace it with the factory hose.

[1sicklx]

Are you sure that all of the air has been burped out of the cooling system?

Yep, replaced the thermostat, and going to do the sensor later today now it's wait and see. :popcorn:

[Crzypny]

After further investigation this morning it is showing hints of possibly being the fan not working properly.

[SthrnDaizey]

And we know about radiator flushing...especially on Crapoliers!

:D

Hope you get it worked out Jonathon!

[1sicklx]

As it turns out the electric fan hasn't been working correctly, so it has now been wired up to run via switch.

[CrimsonRacing]

Someone back on the Mafia site ran their fan off a interior switch and forgot to turn it on one day.........

Got real lucky and did not burn up the engine.

Ya'll be careful...............





:metal:

[One_live95]

if it's the ccrm causing it not to work, or the temp sensor i have both.

The water pump off the 89 won't fit onthe 95, because of a different timing cover. You cam buy a replacement motor for those fans if it is the motor.


jason

[Italian LX]

Someone back on the Mafia site ran their fan off a interior switch and forgot to turn it on one day.........

Got real lucky and did not burn up the engine.

Ya'll be careful...............
You're probably thinking of when Brad forgot to turn on his water pump in the Unicorn.

[NightHawk756]

You're probably thinking of when Brad forgot to turn on his water pump in the Unicorn.

Yep, that would be me! :wave:It takes some getting used to when you get out of driving street cars and start driving a drag car. Turning on the water pump is very important!! :jester:

And yes your right.....I was VERY lucky!! :nice:

[1sicklx]

Alright, the stock fan took a crap so it was replaced with another electric fan ... but cooling problems haven't ended.

The system has been "burped" - the 180 deg. thermostat is opening (or least it did when I swapped it in this weekend) - but it's still running hot ... today the radiator was blowing out fluid and filled up the overflow ... like all of the coolant was pulled out of the engine but wasn't flowing back in. After letting it cool down it's low on fluid. Could the pump be the problem? It wasn't removed during the head swap.

another thing is that the upper radiator hose gets blistering hot while the lower remains cool enought to touch, also replaced the upper hose due to excessive swelling ... could this be because water isn't getting back into the engine once it's pumped out?

suggestions?

:banghead:

[Italian LX]

another thing is that the upper radiator hose gets blistering hot...
I'm guessing it gets really tight too. Probably means that there is still air in the system. Either it needs to be burped some more or you have a compression leak on the head gasket.

[streetstang88]

humm sounds like head gasket too me ,ives seen this senario on a 3.8 bird one time

[One_live95]

the easiest way i have found to burp the air of an sn-car is to put the front on ramps and open the radiator cap. I have always wanted to try the way Brian mentioned as well with the coolant flush method.

jason

[Crzypny]

.........or you have a compression leak on the head gasket.


I was hoping that replacing the fan would be the answer but this is beginning to look more and more like a possibility. :nono:

[coupe]

Head-gasket is backwards. :shrug:
Or the wrong one maybe (wrong cooling passage holes.)

[1sicklx]

Gaskets were installed correctly, but if the more burping doesn't get it running cooler I'll be tearing it back down to investigate .. might as well put the TFS cam in while I'm at it.

[QWKSNKE]

Curious.

Are you continually seeing air pockets in the cooling system? If not, has the thermostat been checked?

How hot is it running?

[1sicklx]

Nope, thermostat has been replaced with a new 180 deg.

I can't tell exactly how hot it's running because the sensor doesn't read correctly ... not a fun thing to find out at a red light.

I tore it back down just to double check the head gaskets and they are right, did notice a couple of things though..

one of the valve locks has worked itself half way out .... good luck finding a clamp style spring compressor in the b'ham area because I sure couldn't ..

also noticed that the water pump was spinning a little too much like an idle pulley ... seems like what was suppose to be a "build up" has turned into more of a "see how many parts were on their way out".

[1sicklx]

Finally found a spring compressor ... just had to go half way to Tuscaloosa to get it. Lock has been reinserted, engine reassembled .. We'll see how it goes tomorrow ...

[NightHawk756]

Still doing good I guess?

[Crzypny]

Still doing good I guess?

:slap: You saw that it was running Saturday. Not very observant for a law enforcement officer are you? :nono:

:jester:

Other than being an pain in the arse from time to time with not wanting to idle it's doing pretty well I guess.

[1sicklx]

Ok, so the car's been up and running for a while now with no major issues after resetting the idle air again (thanks Tommy) other than sometimes it would decide it didn't want to idle and would simply die at a red light.

So, the idle was reset again for a third time, and this time the TB was opened a little more. The good news is the car has not died at idle since. :nice:

Now for the less than good:

On intial start up it often runs like it's not firing on all cyl's when you first try to start off and will then back fire and then "straighten out". It has also started bucking now and again at cruising speeds of 70-80 on the hwy in 5th, which it had not done with me in the car prior. It also bogged down a couple of times almost immediately backfiring and then clearing up ... ignition problem? :shrug: The check engine light has started going on and off as well. o2 sensor?

I wasn't the one that re-adjusted the idle this time so I'm not sure what all was changed, but the bucking has got to go. :notnice:

Any ideas?

[QWKSNKE]

Check for vacuum leaks and check the MAF

[coupe]

If it's spitting and backfiring, it sounds like it's having a lean-out condition. Get a wideband on it for some measurements.