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Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 45
Reg: 01-2009

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Friday, April 01, 2011 - 02:19 am, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi all,

I've been battling an issue with my radiator where it's swollen up and cracked due to a sudden overpressure, as my radiator specialist explained. I run a custom copper/brass radiator and the top plate has bent upwards like a banana, and the cooling fins have separated from the tubes. It's also caused the straps that hold the top and bottom plates down to pop off. Initially thinking this was due to an air-lock, I had the radiator repaired and the coolant re-bled but a week later it's happened again. I am worried I might have a head gasket problem and the cylinders are pressurising the cooling system.

However, the car never gets hot or displays any signs of overheating. Both my water and oil temperatures are reading normal, and my thermofans which are on a 85/90deg switch are operating normally and not running for extended periods of time.

I had some issues a couple years ago where my heater cores kept bursting, so I had it replaced with a custom tubular heater and have had no problems since.

Some history on the car:
- New thermostat and water pump 3 years ago.
- Running red Toyota coolant
- Cooling system has been fully flushed 6 months ago.
- No milky oil
- No steam from exhaust
- No power loss
- No loss of coolant
- Rad cap rated for Soarers
- Heater is intact
- Radiator is mounted on soft rubber mounts to ease shock and allows a few mm of play.
- Radiator is completely rubber mounted and does not touch the body to prevent electrolysis - verified by tests done by auto electrician.

I am planning to get a cylinder compression test done next week, and a coolant gas test as well, but would anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this overpressure?
Christian Molenda
Goo Roo
QLD
T

Posts: 1269
Reg: 07-2005

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Friday, April 01, 2011 - 08:54 am, by:  Christian Molenda (Christof) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Water pump or radiator cap. The cap should let pressure out, but then you would get the overflow bottle emptying on the ground.

When was the last time the water pump was done?
Adrian McGuire
TryHard
Queensland
soarer 2.5 turbo

Posts: 240
Reg: 12-2010

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Friday, April 01, 2011 - 09:07 am, by:  Adrian McGuire (Adro) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

im with christian, sounds like a faulty rad cap. can you press the spring in on the cap? its designed to release under a certain amount of pressure so if its building up so much thats it bending metal it sounds like its not releasing correctly.
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 46
Reg: 01-2009

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Friday, April 01, 2011 - 09:18 am, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Christian, water pump was changed when I dropped the motor in, about 3 years ago.

Car's too hot to check the cap at the moment, but will try it later on.
Danny Dinh
DieHard
Victoria
GT T

Posts: 627
Reg: 11-2005

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Friday, April 01, 2011 - 01:45 pm, by:  Danny Dinh (Xtc) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

it's got to be the cap, check all your water/heater hoses again some might have been damaged by overpressure
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 47
Reg: 01-2009

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Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 01:09 am, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've checked the cap, and it appears to spring back and forth normally.
Daniel Clarke
Goo Roo
NSW
TT 2.5L 6 cylinder

Posts: 6193
Reg: 03-2006

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Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 06:51 pm, by:  Daniel Clarke (Dieseltrain) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

DO you run an overflow system ?
Peter Nitschke
Junk Filterer
South Australia
UZZ30 UZZ31

Posts: 12078
Reg: 11-2004

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Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 07:57 pm, by:  Peter Nitschke (Pen) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Most garages/radiator shops should be able to do a simple test for combustion gases getting into the cooling system.

Even if the radiator cap was stuck, there shouldn't be that sort of pressure in the first place.

Let the motor run with the cap only at the first notch and see if it starts blowing steam.
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 48
Reg: 01-2009

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Sunday, April 03, 2011 - 09:23 pm, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes I do run an overflow bottle.

Peter, I've got the car booked in for Tuesday to do a TK test (combustion gas in coolant test) and a compression test.
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 49
Reg: 01-2009

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Tuesday, April 05, 2011 - 06:28 pm, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wet and dry compression tests checked out normal and TK test returned negative. Thankfully it's not a head gasket.
Christian Molenda
Goo Roo
QLD
T

Posts: 1271
Reg: 07-2005

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Wednesday, April 06, 2011 - 07:32 am, by:  Christian Molenda (Christof) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Frank, is the cap the right type for your radiator? you said its an aftermarket one. When the cap releases, is the water getting to the overflow bottle? If its pressurising that much, then the overflow tank should be overflowing. Simple as that!

only other cuase would be your impellor fins on your waterpump have discintegrated from wrong coolant mix causing excess pressure also.
James Harris
Goo Roo
QLD
GT Starlet

Posts: 3622
Reg: 07-2005

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Friday, April 08, 2011 - 09:58 am, by:  James Harris (Haro) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Radiator cap FOR SURE.
Just buy a new one mate - they are all of about $15 at your local Repco/Autobarn etc.

If you need to make it look cooler , slap an ebay TRD sticker on it.
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 50
Reg: 01-2009

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Saturday, April 09, 2011 - 01:36 am, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey guys,
Just had the radiator repaired and took the cap (plus some other spare caps I had, some with a pressure release lever) and asked to have them all tested to see if they work. The two caps with the release levers were not releasing at all, my current cap was releasing moderately, and the new 0.9bar cap that is now fitted is releasing pressure properly. It does seem like it's been a cap issue.
Christian, I don't think it'd be a water pump issues as it's only 3 years old and I've been using Toyota red coolant all its life.

But I'll have to wait and see over the next few days on how things behave.
Frank Csapo
Tinkerer
NSW
Volvo 244GLE with 1JZ-GTE

Posts: 51
Reg: 01-2009

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Monday, April 18, 2011 - 12:37 am, by:  Frank Csapo (264ttr) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well as far as I can tell, no more overpressure, the radiator has been running about a week now and so far no more swelling or bloating that I can see.

However, there's now a leak from somewhere, looks to be at the bottom of the radiator but I haven't been able to confirm just yet. This is driving me nuts!
Daniel Clarke
Goo Roo
NSW
TT 2.5L 6 cylinder

Posts: 6233
Reg: 03-2006

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Monday, April 18, 2011 - 07:22 am, by:  Daniel Clarke (Dieseltrain) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The overpressuring may have caused a leak in the rad . Sounds like it too will need repairing again :-(
Danny Dinh
DieHard
Victoria
GT T

Posts: 637
Reg: 11-2005

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Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 12:09 pm, by:  Danny Dinh (Xtc) Quote hilighted text Edit Post Delete Post Print Post   View Post/Check IP (Moderator/Admin Only) Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You'll find most of the heater hoses would have been expanded/stretched over their limits due to overpressure. I would change them too in case they fail when the temperature gets a bit hot.

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