Coolant gurgle

[kkrover]

I have been chasing this problem for 14 months in my 95 RRC SWB. PO seems to have not taken good care of her, and here is what has ensued.

Small hose behind t-stat blows on my way home from purchasing. Have horrid gurgle in the heater core after. I have all cooling hoses replaced. then orginal HG blows about 3 months later. redo head gaskets, rockers, all gaskets, etc...

Gurgle continues, so replace t-stat, expansion tank cap, expansion tank. Still loosing coolant and turns out radiator is leaking. Went thru 2 prolines before going genuine and seems ok. Not more overheating, but gurgle is still there.

I loose very little coolant. maybe a cup every 3k miles. I just reversed the hoses, as many have had great luck with that, but of course, mine got worse!

I have tested the coolant for exhaust gases and none found. Have pressure tested cooling system and is fine. Have checked temp constantly at inlet on top of radiator and is alway 192-196 degrees.

Basically I have exhaustively researches this here, on rr.net, discoweb, etc.. and have done everything suggested, but problem will not go away. Has anyone else had this problem and have any suggestions. Cheers

kkrover

[OkieRover]

It's probably not "full". Did you fill the coolant system from the pipe on top the engine on the passenger side?

[kkrover]

I'm pretty sure it is not low. Just had it serviced again this week when they reversed the hoses for me and was full. When run on the highway it actually fully fills the expansion tank and pushes a small amount out the cap. When totally cold, it is always above the fill marker. I'm fairly sure the 95 3.9 doesn't have the fill pipe on the passenger side. Mine certainly doesn't.

[kkrover]

no one have any thoughts on this? I'm at my end. though it was getting worked out, as it was running fine, but pushed her a bit to see yesterday by running at 90 mph with ac on and she started smoking badly b/c trans fluid was boiling over and dumping on the cat and also puked coolant. the engine did not seem to be running too hot. guage never moved and top hose was nearly empty!

Now i 'm afraid a new engine might not even fix it as transmission keeps running hot too. I am afraid the end is near, which is just too depressing to handle

[OkieRover]

Transmission problem sounds like a similar one I had. The torq converter has damaged a seal. Mine did the same thing. Took it to Cottman's and 900$ later it was all good.

If you've already had the head gaskets replaced, I don't know what to tell you. It still sounds like a head gasket is gone and pressurizing the coolant system to me.

[kkrover]

I totally agree, but they keep insisting they think the two are related. They continue to say that is could be b/c there are 2 large Hella's in front of the radiator. I get that, but they were factory installed and the radiator is genuine and new.

My indy has been great for over 3 years, but i feel like they don't want to recognize this b/c THEY did the head gasket less than a year ago. might be time for a 2nd opinion. They told me they checked for gas exhuast in the coolant, but perhaps they didn't. After this weekend, it smells like gas. My lingering fear is PO way overheated it and has toasted the block. it was so brittle that one of the head bolts stripped the block and required a helocoil.

Can you explain the torque converter more. My transmission originally started acting up last summer when running the AC and cruising on the highway, but i was having radiator issues too. the diagnosis was too much strain on the radiator, tranny got hot, spurts fluid out of the overflow. Why on earth is it positioned to dump directly onto the cat? But besides dumping when pushing her hard on the highway, it shift fine and seems perfect. just a studder at 50 when it can't decide on a gear.

[p76rangie]

Try reversing the flow through the heater core. That is, where the rubber hoses connect to the firewall, on the motor side, change the two hoses to the opposite position.

The noise is air in the heater core. My theory is that it is trying to blow the air out the bottom of the core and not succeding. By reversing the flow it will possibly blow the air out through the top of the core.

[OkieRover]

To my closest recollection, Cottman's told me that the torque convert became "unbalanced" and damaged the seal in the transmission.

If your radiator was hot, you have to remember the transmission uses the radiator to cool the fluid in the tranny as well. SO if it wasn't doing the job it would make sense that the fluid in the transmission was getting cooled.

Get a second opinion. I have huge hellas on the front of my classic and they don't cause me any trouble. Have someone do a pressure test on each cylinder and a hydrocarbon test on the coolant.

[kkrover]

thank you for the advice. Will do on the 2nd opinion and the compression and coolant tests.

I'm just curious as to the symptoms you had. This only happens to me when I really push 90 on the highway. Seems like if i just slow up to say 80 it is ok.

I am just now in a bad position as I have put a ton into the truck. I did expect to a lot to get her right, but thought once I did, i'd be good to go. Now I am doubtful I can get any sort of dependability. She runs great around town for a while and slowly starts getting worse. I can't even seem to make it to the next oil change w/o having to go in for more work. I love this truck, knew what i was getting into, but man, it shouldn't be this friggin hard.

already done

cats
radiator
hoses
fuel pump
head gaskets
rockers
transmission cooler lines

[OkieRover]

Originally Posted by kkrover

I'm just curious as to the symptoms you had. This only happens to me when I really push 90 on the highway. Seems like if i just slow up to say 80 it is ok.

I noticed a bit of tranny oil on the ground when I stopped for a candy bar and gas on a trip. I was doing 80+ most of the time. When I saw that I freaked. So I popped the bonnet and The fluid was foaming and spilling out of the tranny fluid tube that has the level indicator in it. I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been on the trip.

Originally Posted by kkrover

Now I am doubtful I can get any sort of dependability.

It's part of the love of the Classic. It's not for everyone.
I don't mind working on mine. But it is a never ending thing.
I laughingly refer to mine as a "rolling restoration".