About to give up, at this point, I’ve changed the thermostat and put everything back together. (I know I know I just created a lot more air in my system) so filled my reservoir letting it fill back up the radiator. Started it, while running I started loosening the bleeder valve screw, and of course air bubbles started pouring out rapidly, slowly it started not having near as many bubbles. Revving the throttle at this point would create the bubbles rapidly again. I actually did this for probably the last 4hrs until I wasn’t seeing hardly any bubbles come back out of the valve screw, checking inside the cab I could rev to 3000 rpms and the heat would damn near burn me out of their, letting idle back down the heat would go back to average heat not hot hot. So I did this another couple hours and thought well the heat is working now finally. So decided to take a drive and literally as soon as I took off out of my driveway going down the road I have absolutely no heat. It’s back to blowing cool then semi warm then cool again. If the only answer is air pockets still in the system I know damn well a mechanic has to have something they can do Bc I really don’t have the time or patience to bleed bubbles out of my system for the next year
With the engine off remove the cooling system cap then loosen the bleed screw to let the air out, add coolant as needed. Tighten the bleed screw, operate the engine at 2000 RPMs for 30 seconds, turn off the engine, loosen the bleed screw again. Be sure the coolant is at the full mark.
If you only get heat at high engine speeds there may be a restriction/corrosion in one of the heater pipes.
Last time I tried that, idk what happened but while loosening the bleeder screw valve while having the cap off my coolant reservoir, all of a sudden The coolant shot backwards and my bleeder valve screw dried up and coolant was shooting 3ft in the air coming up out of the reservoir so probably not gonna try that method again
When you drove down the road and monitored your heating system and determined it to be unsatisfactory… You should then open the hood and squeeze the rad hoses… I want to see if you feel the hoses blowing up like ballons. Like someone was filling them up with air from a bicycle pump sort of thing.
I doubt this would be second nature thing for you to do…which is why I mentioned it.
Again…we are suspicious of the health of your head gaskets…as they can be a great way to blow up a heater core and make it leak… I believe I mentioned this prior. The concept is sound no matter how much we dont enjoy telling you this information.
SO… do the same heater test and check the status of your rad hoses. They should be firm…not hard or appear blown up. Hard for me to tell you the consistency of the hose…hmm…perhaps as hard as a navel orange (fruit)…with the same sort of “give” to it. Bout best I can come up with seat of the pants wise
The hose going to the bleeder valve screw kinda seems blown up u can squeeze it of course when it’s not hellfire hot from the engine running, the hose looks like it’s about to burst out from the clamps holding it down
Hate to break it to you @Chad_Hampton… but what you are describing to us…is a textbook symptom of head gasket failure. Which on your vehicle is not uncommon.
See head gaskets fail in a few key ways… They can leak coolant outside the engine, they can leak oil outside the engine… they can leak coolant into the oil… AND in many instances…they can leak cylinder compression (air, gasses) into the cooling jacket of the engine block.
When this happens…you will introduce air…and actual pressure into the cooling system…seemingly by magic… Well its not magic…its the one (usually) cylinder where the head gasket has failed in just such a manner to allow the cylinder compression to leak into the cooling system…each time the piston rises on its compression stroke…it will inject a small amount of air and gasses into the cooling jacket.
They sell a product to detect combustion gasses in your coolant at most auto stores (P Boys has it)…you just test your coolant with this stuff and it turns a color in response to detecting combustion byproducts in the coolant. Kind of like a Lithmus test… Aside from being able to recognize the common symptoms…this test fluid can be the one thing that leave no question behind as to the source of the issue… and probably the source of the heater core’s original problemo… Sorry man
So a blown head gasket will not ever allow me to get the air completely out of the system Bc it’s sending gasses into the coolant?
People who are NOT me… when confronted with this situation… can do one of several things. They can ride around with the rad cap loose to constantly burp the pressure that is trying to build. They can simply repair the head gaskets…or… they can try a product like Blue Devil… I prefer to simply fix things correctly, but I have seen Blue Devil work absolute miracles…for many years. Its not cheap but… it has its uses I suppose.
OK… I lied… I, or I mean… me… have tried Blue Devil in the past in very special circumstances…and it works… It cannot fix a cracked head or anything…but a seeping gasket…it can…and does.
The only thing I’ll just mention is that when I had a car with no radiator cap, I would fill the system first through the upper radiator hose, the the reservoir. Seemed to reduce the air trapped in the system. The other thing is my experience with head gaskets is just the opposite though which may not be common. But the heater would be cool at idle and not get hot until driving again at least 30 mph. I would not mis-remember due to sitting in traffic at zero degrees and freezing from no heat.
That can’t happen with a cold engine, it sounds like the engine was at about 300 F when the coolantentered the engine then reversed its direction out the reservoir. Refilling this cooling systen is not difficult if you have the engine off.
Also if you were running the engine for 4 hours with the cap off and the bleed screw open all you were doing was boiling water, the cooling fan turns on at 220 F, you have got to close the cooling system before the engine gets too hot.
Blue devil 32 oz head gasket sealer oil additive 65.99 is this what I need to fix this
That is a loaded question my man…and you know it… LOL
But, yes that is the product I mentioned (there seem to be two versions out there…I favor the old style that makes you flush the cooling system of all coolant…but nowadays there is a pour and go type of formula (no experience with that one but…) Whether it will fix the issue remains to be seen.
Again…to properly fix the issue for good, you just do the job. That would be cylinder head removal (both) then to the machine shop to “deck” the heads to ensure they are flat…new gaskets etc …a cylinder head gasket job, simply stated, but not so simply executed for some. Though no step is truly difficult in the real job, its just well…more work you could say. I’m sure you “get it” at this point.
The Blue Dev product might work…its that or a full cylinder head gasket job honestly. Its up to you to decide what you want or can afford or have the ability to do. The fix in a bottle can and has worked For you, it might work, no guarantee.
Up to you man, the product does have its place and uses and I’ve seen be a solid fix lasting many years. Just be sure to follow the instructions to the LETTER. No shortcuts, no oopsies…just follow directions and don’t ignore things like “begin with a cold engine” people love to fudge that sort of thing, why I have no idea…to the letter is the best way to increase the odds it will work.
So you have experience with the blue devil coolant flush which in your case fixed a combustion gas issue? If I do this and it doesn’t work I only blame myself for trying to save a dollar but in my case it may save me about a thousand in parts and time I don’t really have considering my job I work. If I have to do the heads myself I will but that would be me doing all the work other than a machine shop checking my heads. Now another question is if I use blue devil and it doesn’t work does that mean I have ruined my whole engine? Just asking Bc your telling me I have only one option out of the two so I’m assuming this blue devil additive will ruin my heads for changing them for some reason if this doesn’t work. And also from what I’m seeing your blue devil coolant flush is only 7 bucks so that right their doesn’t seem right lol but yeah sorry for so many questions
There are no real side effects to using the product. The stuff looks like blue windshield washer fluid…hard to tell them apart actually. It is not some thick, scary cloggy looking substance like driveway sealer…or the dreaded Barrs Stop Leak for…whatever leaks you…
You actually seem to be in the exact position to be trying BD …so give it a shot. Read the bottle of the Blue Devil… I’ve never used their rad flush…that is only used PRIOR to attempting to use Blue Devil…its not to get the stuff out after you used it. Its to help clean the inside of the system before using the product… The new formula doesn’t require you to remove the coolant prior to trying…so it sort of makes the flush product a moot point for the new formula.
The old formula asks for you to flush the system of all coolant… I have done this in the past…by draining and simply rinsing it out till water ran clear…no flush products… and it has worked…many times.
I never used the new pour and go style that seems to be out there now… I hear it works just as good…you just pour it in…and go… lol
** I am not a paid advertiser, Mechanic, Actor or Doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night…well sorta… I know someone who did, but thats beside the point.
At this stage of the game…what do you have to lose? It will not harm anything to try it…and it very well may fix it… Your call.
So the radiator flush probably won’t fix the issue, rather just get the engine ready for me to add the head gasket sealer
My advice is to read the product bottle… If its the old formula that likes to have all the old coolant out of the system… I would use the flush to prep the patient.
If its the new formula that does not care about coolant in the system… then you dont need it
Savvy?
Something tells me that you are about to operate on the patient… You going to do this in the next few hours?
Let us know how you make out. Just follow the instructions and you will be fine… if its going to work it will work… You will know within about 1.5 hrs after beginning the process.
So new formula is the head gasket sealer one and probably doesn’t need the radiator flush
Correct… It will say “Pour and Go” formula or some such thing on the bottle… Read the bottle