boiling/steaming from coolant tank
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I guess your hung up on making you problem much more than it likely is based on the info your getting locally from people who likely drive 4 cylinder low performance autos that have never owned a V8 engine and ignoring the advice of people on the Corvette fORUM that own and drive the hell out of their Corvettes..
Your money, spend it on parts you don't know that you need if you want.
Good luck with your heating problem....
Your money, spend it on parts you don't know that you need if you want.
Good luck with your heating problem....
no man i know that the best advice i can ever get is here on this forum from you, i am pretty sure i can get better advice from any guy owning a corvette atleast 1 year then from this local 'proffesional gold owners' in my city.
I respect every help i get and i love to read every post i get here but right now i need to get a break and calm down, i sold my secound car that i had before corvette few days back becaus its to mutch of money drain to own 2 cars, and make my dream car work perfectlly. i will make another post in about a hour and post pics of a coolant that i bought if its ok to use and a few other things, i will start again from beginning and try out everything i read FROM THIS forum.
I hope you understand me but at the momment i am having bad times because i really enjoyed driving my car, its a rocket, and now its just siting outside, while im waiting the new cap, new thermostat, and i dont have a pressure tester kit and nobody here does, in fact they say it doesnt even exist. <.<
Melting Slicks
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From: Edmond, OK...One of the first rules of online forums: If you don't like what is said but can't refute it, attack the poster.
Here's an example of a pressure testing kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Stant-12270-Co.../dp/B0002SRGWU
Here's generic info on cooling systems: http://www.familycar.com/classroom/coolingsystem.htm
Hope this helps a little
Jeff
http://www.amazon.com/Stant-12270-Co.../dp/B0002SRGWU
Here's generic info on cooling systems: http://www.familycar.com/classroom/coolingsystem.htm
Hope this helps a little
Jeff
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
The cap has a pressure relief in it that relieves at the rated pressure on the cap. I believe you getting the 18 PSI cap. You cooling system is DESIGNED to work under the correct pressure and with the correct coolant/water mixture. If you have pure water and incorrect /NO PRESSURE,,, 
,, The water inside the block will BOIL!
Get the cap, T stat and proper mixture and see what happens from that point!
BC
,, The water inside the block will BOIL! Get the cap, T stat and proper mixture and see what happens from that point!
BC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,567
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From: Edmond, OK...One of the first rules of online forums: If you don't like what is said but can't refute it, attack the poster.
If you have plain water, it has a much LOWER boiling point than 50%water and 50% DexCool. Also a working cap is a must. Do like Bill Curlee says and put 50/50 dexcool/water and a new cap.
Jeff
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: South Western Ontario
Geeze, Golfs have the same basic system as a Vette. Rad, engine block, water pump, hoses, thermostat and fan. So I agree with you - I wouldn't let any retard who says there is no such thing as a pressure tester work on my car either.
You also need to properly burp the system. Someone here posted before that the best way is to loosen the engine crossover tube las you fill the system and wait until coolant begins flowing out before tightening it back up. The crossover tube goes from the inside front of each head to the other head at the front of the engine and passes just under and/or in front of the intake manifold. There is also a hose that connects to it and feeds into the throttle body on the drivers side which is there but very hard to see. This crossover tube will appear as a block with a bolt through it and a tube coming off it. Just loosen them and make sure they are loose away from the head and then open the resevoir and wait until coolant flows out.
Peter
You also need to properly burp the system. Someone here posted before that the best way is to loosen the engine crossover tube las you fill the system and wait until coolant begins flowing out before tightening it back up. The crossover tube goes from the inside front of each head to the other head at the front of the engine and passes just under and/or in front of the intake manifold. There is also a hose that connects to it and feeds into the throttle body on the drivers side which is there but very hard to see. This crossover tube will appear as a block with a bolt through it and a tube coming off it. Just loosen them and make sure they are loose away from the head and then open the resevoir and wait until coolant flows out.
Peter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Geeze, Golfs have the same basic system as a Vette. Rad, engine block, water pump, hoses, thermostat and fan. So I agree with you - I wouldn't let any retard who says there is no such thing as a pressure tester work on my car either.
You also need to properly burp the system. Someone here posted before that the best way is to loosen the engine crossover tube las you fill the system and wait until coolant begins flowing out before tightening it back up. The crossover tube goes from the inside front of each head to the other head at the front of the engine and passes just under and/or in front of the intake manifold. There is also a hose that connects to it and feeds into the throttle body on the drivers side which is there but very hard to see. This crossover tube will appear as a block with a bolt through it and a tube coming off it. Just loosen them and make sure they are loose away from the head and then open the resevoir and wait until coolant flows out.
Peter
You also need to properly burp the system. Someone here posted before that the best way is to loosen the engine crossover tube las you fill the system and wait until coolant begins flowing out before tightening it back up. The crossover tube goes from the inside front of each head to the other head at the front of the engine and passes just under and/or in front of the intake manifold. There is also a hose that connects to it and feeds into the throttle body on the drivers side which is there but very hard to see. This crossover tube will appear as a block with a bolt through it and a tube coming off it. Just loosen them and make sure they are loose away from the head and then open the resevoir and wait until coolant flows out.
Peter
BC
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Hey there,
Ill be buying GM Dex-cool- its in nice slightly redish colour.. its an original coolant here in Slovenia for opels. anyone seend this yet? i will post picutes of it, just so to be sure its ok to use it.
I ordered new coolant cap, and a few other stuff.
today i will order a new thermostat.
should i buy this kit:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-3647/
will it work out with corvette 98? and though, it has instalation instrucions as it says but is it hard to instal these to work properlyl?
when i get all stuff ill be mixing 50/50 coolannt and bleed all air out, burp it, change reservoir cap, and then hope on best.
Ill be buying GM Dex-cool- its in nice slightly redish colour.. its an original coolant here in Slovenia for opels. anyone seend this yet? i will post picutes of it, just so to be sure its ok to use it.
I ordered new coolant cap, and a few other stuff.
today i will order a new thermostat.
should i buy this kit:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-3647/
will it work out with corvette 98? and though, it has instalation instrucions as it says but is it hard to instal these to work properlyl?
when i get all stuff ill be mixing 50/50 coolannt and bleed all air out, burp it, change reservoir cap, and then hope on best.
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Brett Foote
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From: Havasu, AZ
Now you are going in the right direction. Just remember, your car is designed to run hot. 200 or higher is not uncommon. I don't think you'll need the extra fan switch if you have the correct thermostat and coolant installed.
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Ok, i got my cap for the start, andi was like 'wow' it was so mutch biggerthen i had inside already. i was sure it aint right one.. but it fits perfectly, so it means i didnt have the right cap from the start. i filled around 3liter destilated water, 3 liter coolant started up and waited. i dont know.. lets say about 20 mins. water in cooling servervoir started to rais abit. but after time it decresed, just a little.
Got to temparature 230 degree.. after few minutes it droped to 225 degree, and stayed there for soem time, then i shuted off the car.
however, at higher temparatures the big hoses are very very hot and very hard to squeeze.. is this normal?
I will do now a test drive, about 10 miles. wish me luck,
Got to temparature 230 degree.. after few minutes it droped to 225 degree, and stayed there for soem time, then i shuted off the car.
however, at higher temparatures the big hoses are very very hot and very hard to squeeze.. is this normal?
I will do now a test drive, about 10 miles. wish me luck,
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Sounds like you are making a lot of positive progress. 
At least the coolant isn't boiling out of the surge tank as it previously was doing. Correct cap and correct coolant mixture seems to have made a big difference.
When there is pressure in the system (your cap is either a 16 or an 18lb cap) the hoses will indeed be hard. The hoses will also be hot since the temperature in the system was stable at 225 degrees from what you have told us. In an ideling condition this would acceptible. However when moving along on the road I would expect the temperature to be lower than 225. Perhaps in the 210 (maybe less) area.
Did you "burp" all the air out of the cooling system? That will make a difference especially on the road.
At least the coolant isn't boiling out of the surge tank as it previously was doing. Correct cap and correct coolant mixture seems to have made a big difference.When there is pressure in the system (your cap is either a 16 or an 18lb cap) the hoses will indeed be hard. The hoses will also be hot since the temperature in the system was stable at 225 degrees from what you have told us. In an ideling condition this would acceptible. However when moving along on the road I would expect the temperature to be lower than 225. Perhaps in the 210 (maybe less) area.
Did you "burp" all the air out of the cooling system? That will make a difference especially on the road.
I did burp only once, how ever i got just home now and temperatures were 243 degree and the ventilators were working but the temps at idle after stayed at 243 degree, then i shut off, we will see, ill burp out tomorrow again and hope on best.
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I suspect that you still have air in the cooling system. 243 is too high.
Here is a link to an alterntive burping method that I and others that have used it have found faster and more complete:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...erheating.html
Here is a link to an alterntive burping method that I and others that have used it have found faster and more complete:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...erheating.html
Thread Starter
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I suspect that you still have air in the cooling system. 243 is too high.
Here is a link to an alterntive burping method that I and others that have used it have found faster and more complete:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...erheating.html
Here is a link to an alterntive burping method that I and others that have used it have found faster and more complete:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...erheating.html
and btw, coolant in the reservoir lifts, goes quite alot above the line from when the engine is cool, how normal is this?
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It won't hurt to raise the front of the car but I did not have to do that and the others that I know have used that procedure did not report having to raise the front. Perhaps if there is a hill available near by you can accomplish that without having to jack up the front of the car.
As far as the level of the coolant in the tank, there is a mark on the front edge of the tank that indicates "full cold". I suggest you observe that. When it is hot the coolant does expand and there needs to be room for the expansion or the hot coolant could be forced out the cap. Remember that the cap only seals up to 15lbs which is what you said your cap is rated for. After 15 lbs the cap will allow the pressure (and coolant if the tank is over full) to escape.
As far as the level of the coolant in the tank, there is a mark on the front edge of the tank that indicates "full cold". I suggest you observe that. When it is hot the coolant does expand and there needs to be room for the expansion or the hot coolant could be forced out the cap. Remember that the cap only seals up to 15lbs which is what you said your cap is rated for. After 15 lbs the cap will allow the pressure (and coolant if the tank is over full) to escape.
Hey there !
today i did blurp with both air bleeders untighten, opened the cap and it just 'blown' air out.. after that started up the car with open cap alot of air(bubles) came out at the coolant tank, waited till it stoped,shut down, tighten the cap. made a test drive to my girl friend,(about 10 miles) every thing fine, stoped at 224 degree. everything normal.
when i was driving home back now i got temperatures up to 234 degree driving under normal rpm, from 1k to 3k max....
is 234 still normal for so little drive, and low rpm?
though, alot better, alot! but i think there is still a problem.
Also i would like to add:
~I still didnt get thermostat, so im running with no thermostat right now,
~our cap and stick is clean.
~the small hose on the top of cooling reservoir - i think its bad could this be a problem? sometimes i see a drop of coolant droping out at the pin connected with a clamp.
Last edited by sccs; Jun 30, 2011 at 02:10 PM.
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Be certain to burp the system again after installing the new T'stat.
On your previous post you mention that there is a small drip going on at one of the hoses to the surge tank.
Watch that carefully. Now that you have the proper pressure cap for the system you may be causing other weak points to fail. The tank is plastic and the nipples that protrude off the tank for the various hoses to attach to are prone to crack because of heat and age. That will allow some coolant to leak out especially as the pressure rises. I recall that your car is a 98 so that may be happening especially since you have been having heating problems.
You can carefull slide the hose back a little bit away from the tank, clean the area carefully and look to see if there is any cracking of the plastic where the nipple attaches to the tank. If there is a crack you are going to be ordering a replacement surge tank to install. No one has successfully found a way to repair the cracks once they start.
On your previous post you mention that there is a small drip going on at one of the hoses to the surge tank.
Watch that carefully. Now that you have the proper pressure cap for the system you may be causing other weak points to fail. The tank is plastic and the nipples that protrude off the tank for the various hoses to attach to are prone to crack because of heat and age. That will allow some coolant to leak out especially as the pressure rises. I recall that your car is a 98 so that may be happening especially since you have been having heating problems.
You can carefull slide the hose back a little bit away from the tank, clean the area carefully and look to see if there is any cracking of the plastic where the nipple attaches to the tank. If there is a crack you are going to be ordering a replacement surge tank to install. No one has successfully found a way to repair the cracks once they start.
for now it looks pretty good, alot better. ill be reporting
thanks alot!
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Hey there again
Im finally driving my car agan every day. its a blast
However.. when the engine heats up. in a stop and go traffic or depending on the temperature outside, i run around 225 to 230 degree.. when it hits 335 fans run at full.
Now there is a problem, fans run always till the temperature hits 226 back. and turns off. is this normal? :/
Also, i have this problem now from somewhere the start i had heating problems, 'LOW COOLANT' .. coolant is about 1 inch over the reservour line. whats up with this?
otherwise apart from this, car is running great at the momment, wouldnt come so far without you guys, i cant say how mutch thankful i am to all of your input guys
Im finally driving my car agan every day. its a blast
However.. when the engine heats up. in a stop and go traffic or depending on the temperature outside, i run around 225 to 230 degree.. when it hits 335 fans run at full.
Now there is a problem, fans run always till the temperature hits 226 back. and turns off. is this normal? :/
Also, i have this problem now from somewhere the start i had heating problems, 'LOW COOLANT' .. coolant is about 1 inch over the reservour line. whats up with this?
otherwise apart from this, car is running great at the momment, wouldnt come so far without you guys, i cant say how mutch thankful i am to all of your input guys
