Coolant bubbles

How-to's and repair secrets for your 4WD can be found here. Have a question? Ask it in here!
Post Reply
Peanut1982
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:10 am
My tercel:: 1987

Coolant bubbles

Post by Peanut1982 »

So, there I am. Attempting to ignore the fact that my coolant is bubbling from my head gasket. Replaced everything coolant related. I finally have swallowed that pill and am going to do my head gasket. The question is, do I get my head machined or not. I have no coolant mixing with my oil. Did my gasket fail, or is my head warped? This engine has never overheated before.... so... any suggestions? Thanks, 1987 Trecel named Rose.
To the moon and back!
User avatar
Mark
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 883
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:49 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Automatic, 1981 sedan
Location: Victoria, B.C.

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Mark »

The service manual has instructions on how to check the head and block for warpage. Basically using a feeler gauge and a straight-edge. If the flatness is within spec, then there's no need to machine the head. I did mine a couple of years ago and everything was flat. My coolant was leaking externally from the head gasket under the exhaust manifold area. After replacing the head gasket, it's been fine so far.
User avatar
Mark
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 883
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:49 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Automatic, 1981 sedan
Location: Victoria, B.C.

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Mark »

1.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Peanut1982
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:10 am
My tercel:: 1987

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Peanut1982 »

Thanks for the specs! Going to dive into it later this week. Keep ya posted.
To the moon and back!
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Petros »

follow this repair guide for a better, more reliable head gasket installation.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6059
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 2121
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by xirdneh »

I think the max for the head is .oo3
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Petros »

Head resurfacing: you can actually get a better, smoother and more flat head by hand with some simple home made "tools", better than most machine shops can do. there are also some good youtube videos on how to resurface your head at home, using similar process that I outline in the link above in the repair guides thread. if it is badly warped, it will take a long time to make it flat again by hand, but it can be done cheaply, it will just take a long time. Or, or you can have a machine shop resurface it for $40 to $60, and you can just do a quick final smoothing by hand using a flat surface and wet and dry sand paper.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Peanut1982
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:10 am
My tercel:: 1987

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Peanut1982 »

Thanks for all the great advice! Found that my head was warped, machined it myself thank to all the tips. Modified my head gasket. Fired her up this evening, sounds great! No more bubbles in the coolant. Think she is ready to go. Thanks again.
To the moon and back!
User avatar
NWMO
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by NWMO »

Great job Peanut! and thanks to Peter, Robert and Mark for their wealth of information and helping spirits!

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Petros »

Nice job! lets see some pictures too. what state and city are you located?
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Peanut1982
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:10 am
My tercel:: 1987

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Peanut1982 »

We live on the western slope of Colorado.... Rose is easy and the eyes and heart. She has 400,000+ miles and still cruising...
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
To the moon and back!
Peanut1982
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:10 am
My tercel:: 1987

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Peanut1982 »

Soooo glad I rechecked the head bolts about 300 miles after I did the head.... all of them were needed a little bit of retorque...
To the moon and back!
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Coolant bubbles

Post by Petros »

yep, I learned that the hard way. modern gaskets are not supposed to need to be retorqued, but I have found that is just not true. always retorque within 500 miles.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Post Reply