So a while ago (maybe 2 months @ the most), my car overheated twice in the same day as a result of not having enough h20. Yeah, I know I'm stupid, just blame it on my being a chick.

Anyways, so it's been quite hot lately but I've noticed something that's been happening too often--I always check my temp gauges and the h20's been normal, however when I arrive home and turn off my truck I can hear this low bubbling sound coming from the front of my engine (the engine coolant compartment on the right, the washer fluid on the left).

For the past 3 days when I come home, it's bubbled and splashes out of the resevoir. I've been refilling it with h20 and did so this morning since it was low, before I drove 20 miles to work. When I got out, there was a nice little pool of my engine coolant forming on the asphault. Why does it keep doing this?? Is it perhaps a fan problem? I don't wantmy truck to die but I'm kind of in a bad spot financially or I'd go out and fix it. Thanks to any help!

 

do you use your A/C alot? cause that puddle could just be the condensation from the A/C. unless its right near the rad. mine will make a bubbling sound when I shut it off when it gets real hot. but since I put a 180 stat in, it has not done it since.


I guess I would get underneath there and see where its leaking from.







also, welcome to the forum

 

Great questions and points Johnny.

Are you actually putting straight water into your radiator or a coolant mix? Are you using distilled water? Do you have a stock thermostat in it? Running with your air on in very hot weather, especially in stop and go traffic, is a recipe for an overheating situation.

 

If this continues, I would suggest putting in a 180 thermostat and replacing your current coolant with a mixture of Water Wetter and distilled water.

 

I'm in agreement with Jonny and Virused.

 

i agree. howo hard it is to put in the 180 thermostat? i have a little time before school so i wanted to know if i could do that today or not? or i could just do it tonight before i go to bed.

 

I haven't done it on a 4.7, so I can't tell you for sure where it is mounted (being able to tell you if it is an easy job or not). I can tell you that you will find the thermostat where your radiator hose reaches the intake manifold is where your thermostat will be. There will be a bolt on either side holding it to the intake manifold. Loosen the bolts, remove the existing thermostat (be careful to not let debris from the old gasket get into the fluid track), remove old gasket, replace gasket, replace with new thermostat. As a side option, you can drill a very small hole in either side of the thermostat to allow trapped air to pass through when the engine is off. And when I say very, I mean very!

 

would it be better to use rtv or a paper gasket?

 

I have seen rubber/paper and they both work fine. You can use rtv, just make sure you don't get messy with it and you let it fully cure. (Obviosly, get the high temp) The most important part of the install is making sure that you get all of the old gasket removed before installing the new one.

 

for sure. thanks bro.