i have a 91 shadow, non turbo(winter beater), and when i went to go to work the other day, it overheated on me with a CEL also. so i stopped at a gas station, checked the coolant, and the reservoir was about bone dry. i added coolant, and then added a little to the radiator. it still overheated, so i nursed it home. and thats where im at.

now, i cant find any leaks in coolant, and today when i looked at it, the coolant reservoir was about half full, when the last time it was driven, i filled it. so i started it up, and the coolant rose in the reservoir to full, and after idleing for a little, it was about to overheat again so i shut it off.

so, i was told its either the thermostat, water pump, head gasket, or radiator. thing is, ive never really dealt with this kinda thing, and i was also told if you overheat these engines, the head warps pretty easy. so could i be looking at a new thermostat, and headgasket?? and if the head is warped, how can i tell, and will it affect it running if i do change the thermostat and gasket? could i get away with just changing the thermostat possibly? i only need it to run another 2-3 months and then i can junk it. i just dont wanna put in a lot of money for nothing, and my other car is undrivable since it is in storage with all body parts ripped off and no wheels, lol.

and i think i found the thermostat under the alternator. is that correct? take the lower radiator hose off and its in that housing?

ps - to top it off, i noticed i have no alternator belt, lol, and the one directly behind it is off the pulley, and in between the pulley and the engine case.

what are my options here?? thanks in advance

 

anyone??

 

The thermostat is on the top radiator hose on the head, you take off the two bolts that hold your coil to the head and its in behind the plate there. A headgasket could be the cause, but this isnt a quick and easy project to do, it atleast a weekend job; considering that you know what you are doing, how to set the timing, and dont run into any other problems. To tell if you have a bad headgasket, check your oil to see if there is any coolant in it. Its possible your water pump is on its way out, then again you said you have no alt. belt...the alt and waterpump run off THE SAME BELT, therefore this is most likely your reason for overheating.

 

yeah warm up the engine then shut it off for about ten minutes then remove the rad cap if you see bubbles in the radiator and it is gurgling then you have a blown haed gasket or cracked head try this out first