A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and saw this residue...

Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk cream.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg

Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no idea what it was.

Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 5:38:49 PM UTC-7, Guv Bob wrote:
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and saw this residue...



Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk cream.

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg



Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no idea what it was.



Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

It looks like Aluminum Oxide to me.

Look at this reference: http://www.ve-labs.net/electrolysis-101

or http://www.diagnosticnews.com/tech/c...eroic-efforts/

Guv Bob wrote:
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and saw this residue...

Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk cream.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg

Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no idea what it was.

Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

Hi,
Driving w/o cap the coolant splashed out cooking the drops.
Just Wash the engine bay clean and refill the rad. Or flush the
system and refill. I had that problem once on my old Path finder.
Shop had a rad. work and forgot to tighten the upper rad. hose
doing the same thing.

"Guv Bob" wrote in message
m...
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator
cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and
replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and
saw this residue...

Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk
cream.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg

Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked
about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no
idea what it was.

Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

Probably road dirt stuck to the coolant and then dried off.

"harryagain" wrote in message ...

"Guv Bob" wrote in message
m...
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator
cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and
replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and
saw this residue...

Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk
cream.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg

Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked
about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no
idea what it was.

Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

Probably road dirt stuck to the coolant and then dried off.

Thanks, I wish it had been, but it was only driven a couple of miles on a clean road and the coating is also inside the top of the radiator neck as well.

wrote in message ...
On Wednesday, July 24, 2013 5:38:49 PM UTC-7, Guv Bob wrote:
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and saw this residue...



Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk cream.

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg



Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no idea what it was.



Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

It looks like Aluminum Oxide to me.

Look at this reference: http://www.ve-labs.net/electrolysis-101

or http://www.diagnosticnews.com/tech/c...eroic-efforts/

Thanks, . That's a great article about cooling systems. The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes. Also a regular squeak. Mechanic thinks the squeak is a pulley but now I'm wondering if it might the water pump causes all the problems.

For overheating troubles, the fan and clutch are fine, coolant is fine, radiator is clear and no leaks in the system. Change the thermostat recently and it helped but still temp is increasing more than it should. Temp sensors are OK also.

Will bite the bullet and drag the old water pump out. Not looking forward that.

On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 10:51:35 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"harryagain" wrote in message ...

"Guv Bob" wrote in message
m...
A few days ago I was doing a regular check of fluids and left the radiator
cap off. After driving a couple of miles I smelled it, pulled over and
replaced the cap. Back home after it cooled I went to check the level and
saw this residue...

Photo color may not be true -- actual color is a little darker than milk
cream.
http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/6559/rhi8.jpg

Any idea what that could be? Radiator was flushed out and pressure checked
about 3 months ago and had the same thing. Radiator shop said he had no
idea what it was.

Tastes like a metallic salt to me.

Probably road dirt stuck to the coolant and then dried off.

Thanks, I wish it had been, but it was only driven a couple of miles on a clean road and the coating is also inside the top of the radiator neck as well.
Check the Ph of your coolant - could be too high (alkaline) which
will scale up the rad.

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW

On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

wrote:
On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Hi,
Very simple. Test the rad. with so called pressure test. Put in a dye to
detect exhaust gas-fume- for possible blown head gasket. When OP said
rad is clean, you mean it is chemically flushed to be really clean?

wrote in message news
On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news
On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news
On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.

On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.




Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Folks I don't mean to come off as a moderator but there is this newsgroup called rec.autos.tech .

Let's try to move the automotive issues over there and keep alt.home.repair about, uhhh, home repair!(replacement windows, rocking toilets, that mysterious smell in the basement, why does my $1500 stainless steel refrigerator with built in TV and coffee maker make a sound like a B-17 bomber engine??)

On Thu, 8 Aug 2013 03:44:18 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Folks I don't mean to come off as a moderator but there is this newsgroup called rec.autos.tech .


So why are you moderating something you cannot change? From Google no
less!

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?

wrote in message ...
Folks I don't mean to come off as a moderator but there is this newsgroup called rec.autos.tech .

Let's try to move the automotive issues over there and keep alt.home.repair about, uhhh, home repair!(replacement windows, rocking toilets, that mysterious smell in the basement, why does my $1500 stainless steel refrigerator with built in TV and coffee maker make a sound like a B-17 bomber engine??)

You mean there's something wrong with a B-17 coffee maker? LOL!!

THANKS for the info about rec.autos.tech! I'm heading over there now! The other auto groups are the first ones I try, but they are sporadic with replies, and the folks here seem to be generally handy mechanics also. I've gotten a lot more from this one in general, but definitely understand your idea.

Another good one for practical handyman info is rec.crafts.metalworking.

On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


My Dad did that years ago. Not a good idea. The front bearing of his
water pump greeted him one day soon after he bolted thru clutch in
place. The deal with the clutch is that it never spins more then
about 2500 rpm even if the engine is going faster. Plus it's
balanced. Bolt in together and you probably will throw the balance
off and you surely will wind up revving it up past it's design speed.

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


My Dad did that years ago. Not a good idea. The front bearing of his
water pump greeted him one day soon after he bolted thru clutch in
place. The deal with the clutch is that it never spins more then
about 2500 rpm even if the engine is going faster. Plus it's
balanced. Bolt in together and you probably will throw the balance
off and you surely will wind up revving it up past it's design speed.

OK, thanks for the good advice. The last fan clutch is less than a few months old. Can you recommend any particular brand?

On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


Well, it will use mor gas, and it will be louder - other than that, no
problem - as long as you can do it without throwing the fan off
balance. Other option is remove the engine driven fan and install a
thermostatically controlled electric fan kit with an air conditioning
bypass that runs the fan any time the A/C is on.

On Sat, 10 Aug 2013 00:34:42 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


My Dad did that years ago. Not a good idea. The front bearing of his
water pump greeted him one day soon after he bolted thru clutch in
place. The deal with the clutch is that it never spins more then
about 2500 rpm even if the engine is going faster. Plus it's
balanced. Bolt in together and you probably will throw the balance
off and you surely will wind up revving it up past it's design speed.

OK, thanks for the good advice. The last fan clutch is less than a few months old. Can you recommend any particular brand?
Actually they will run up pretty close to full speed when hot and
running steady speed. I'd switch to an electric fan if I was having
fan clutch problems.

wrote:
On Sat, 10 Aug 2013 00:34:42 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


My Dad did that years ago. Not a good idea. The front bearing of his
water pump greeted him one day soon after he bolted thru clutch in
place. The deal with the clutch is that it never spins more then
about 2500 rpm even if the engine is going faster. Plus it's
balanced. Bolt in together and you probably will throw the balance
off and you surely will wind up revving it up past it's design speed.

OK, thanks for the good advice. The last fan clutch is less than a few months old. Can you recommend any particular brand?
Actually they will run up pretty close to full speed when hot and
running steady speed. I'd switch to an electric fan if I was having
fan clutch problems.

Hi,
Is the rad. chem. flushed by rad dunking in the chem. bath?
Is inside the rad. REALLY clean?

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message ...
wrote:
On Sat, 10 Aug 2013 00:34:42 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


My Dad did that years ago. Not a good idea. The front bearing of his
water pump greeted him one day soon after he bolted thru clutch in
place. The deal with the clutch is that it never spins more then
about 2500 rpm even if the engine is going faster. Plus it's
balanced. Bolt in together and you probably will throw the balance
off and you surely will wind up revving it up past it's design speed.

OK, thanks for the good advice. The last fan clutch is less than a few months old. Can you recommend any particular brand?
Actually they will run up pretty close to full speed when hot and
running steady speed. I'd switch to an electric fan if I was having
fan clutch problems.

Hi,
Is the rad. chem. flushed by rad dunking in the chem. bath?
Is inside the rad. REALLY clean?

No idea. I had the radiator shop do their usual annual flush and pressure check.

wrote in message ...
On Fri, 9 Aug 2013 21:58:01 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Wed, 7 Aug 2013 16:06:52 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

"Ashton Crusher" wrote in message ...
On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 09:24:41 -0700, "Guv Bob"
wrote:

wrote in message news On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:14:29 -1000, Geoff Welsh
wrote:

Guv Bob wrote:
....The cooling system has been starting to overheat for the
past few months when it's a idling for more than a couple of minutes.
.....


I fail to understand why you are worried about colors and noises on a
vehicle that is constantly overheating.

Have you had a block test done?

GW
As I stated - if the pH of the coolant is too high the radiator will
scale and it will NOT cool properly. If the pH is too low (acidic) the
radiator will corrode and leak.

If it overheats at idle but not on the road the primary suspect is the
fan clutch. Next suspect is a restricted rad (which would usually also
heat under heavy load) - (either air restriction or restricted coolant
flow)

Thanks, you mentioned this before. Fan clutch works fine. Radiator is not restricted.

What makes you say the fan clutch works fine? I've been thru this
with a 90 ford mustang and the difference between the old one (that
wasn't working fine) and the new (that solved the runs hot at idle
problem) was almost imperceptible by feeling anything by hand or
looking at anything.

The fan spins freely when cold. Then after the engine's hot and I turn it off, there's a pretty good resistance to spinning.

Also, I can put a white mark on one of the fan blades, the fire the engine up to idle speed and then turn it off, and count the revolutions until it stops. Doing the same thing when hot, it stops quicker.


Yours could be fine, like I said the difference between Fine and not
fine can be pretty small. If it's not overheating at speed and is at
idle there isn't a whole lot of things that would cause that but a
problem with the fan. And the fan is usually the easiest thing to
replace when you have reached the point where you can't pin down
anything and are ready to start throwing parts at it. OTOH, at least
theoretically, there could be some kind of ignition timing problem
that's got the engine idling with the wrong spark advance and making
up for it by adjusting the idle speed to compensate. I would tend to
think that ought to throw a code though.

Well, you're probably right in my case, AC. Today it spins the same whether hot or cold. I've been told that these after-market fan clutches are prone to fail early. I changed it once and was a lot easier than a water pump.

I assume the idea behind having a clutch is that it lets the engine warm up quickly and then starts to cool when hot. What do you think about bolting the clutch in place so that the fan always spins the same?


Well, it will use mor gas, and it will be louder - other than that, no
problem - as long as you can do it without throwing the fan off
balance. Other option is remove the engine driven fan and install a
thermostatically controlled electric fan kit with an air conditioning
bypass that runs the fan any time the A/C is on.

Sounds good, but the car has run fine until now, so I'll first just try repair & replacing stuff.