Old car long trip

Yeah that’s what I thought but it snapped right at the joint in the casting. The shop replaced the one and I put a new one again on the other side. A few years later I had a Moog ball joint go bad in a couple months too but got a free replacement for that. So I don’t know. Maybe OEM made by Moog probably.

I am going to have a trip too. Enjoy your trip.:relaxed:

Just got back with no serious mishaps.

But did run into a minor issue that I’ll probably start another thread on.

Spent the night in Springfield and the next morning the temperature gauge wasn’t budging. When you turned the key the radiator fan would kick in two seconds later. I believe how I fixed it was was bleeding some air that must’ve gotten into the system and then after I was driving a hundred miles or so the computer cleared itself and than all was fine again. I’m a lousy mechanic but my theory was that air had gotten into the system and this somehow messes with the temperature sensor, immediately kicking in the fan and causing the temperature gauge to not move. This had happened years ago on this car, which was how I knew what to do, but had been fine since. I wonder if this is related to the small external intake manifold leak I had mentioned initially.

Regardless, all went well. Ironically, this was probably my kid’s favorite part of the trip. We were stuck at a truck stop for awhile that had this Wall Drug feel that my kids go crazy over.

Well sensors need to be submersed in coolant to work. If they are in air, no good. But how air got in is the issue. Not sure if an intake leak could introduce air but a head gasket could. Maybe the system just wasn’t bled all the way but I would be concerned if air bubbles are developing.

okay, that’s what happened then. That makes sense.