over heating probs

[unknown]

u r all prob getting sick of my troubels so sorry in advance.....................i just had the car running for 5min just ideling her and when i went to take the radiator cap off the water was boiling wtf???? any ideas guys

[xirdneh]

do not remove rad cap when engine is hot
it will blow water all over
thats normal
was your temp gauge reading hot?
if so try changing thermostat first
or run it without thermostat for a few days
if it still over heats
it would be clogged radiator or leaking head gasket

[unknown]

unfortanitly there is no temp gauge theres no wire or fuse for the temp gasuge cause the previous person removed it........i will try the thermostat as i dont belive its the radiotor cause i flushed it and even took the radiotor out and flushed it with high presure hose

[unknown]

Where is the thermostat located?

[xirdneh]

follow the lower radiator hose to the engine and thats where it is
have to remove 2 10mm nuts
the temp sender wire is probably still there somewhere
might be missing the plug on the end but a std blade connector (female) will fix that
the sender is on front right of engine just below the level of the spot where the upper radiator hose connects at engine

[Petros]

the radistor is under pressure when it is running (the cap infact is a pressure releive valve, hence the spring), when you release the pressure the water around the hot part of the engine instantly boils, spraying hot coolent out of the filler. Very unsafe, and very bad for the engine. Never do that.

If you must take it off when hot, use a rag and put down pressure on it when you turn it slowly, and let the pressre releive it self at the notch before the cap comes off. but you will still loose coolant, not recommended. Better to have engine off and pour cold water over the rad and engine if you can not wait for it cool.

[ARCHINSTL]

Also another tip on removing a cap from a hot radiator - I learned this in the Army:
After protecting your hand with a rag - lower the hood over your hand while slooowly releasing the cap, per Petros' suggestion. This way, if boiling water erupts suddenly, only your hand might be burned - and not your face.
Tom M.

[unknown]

ok i figgured out its the thermostat now when i replace it do i need the gasket and where doese it go

[xirdneh]

i usually replace the gasket but not always
once in a while if the old one is intact (stuck to one surface) i will goop it up with some non-hardening gasket compound
permatex and napa brands are good
its black goo

[Petros]

I highly recommend "gluing" the new t-stat into the housing with high tack gasket sealer so it does not fall out of place as you tighten the nuts on the housing. You will not notice it until you run it and it leaks all that new anti-freeze out all over the ground, and you get to do the job over again.

see this thread:

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... aid#p50904