Hi all.
Ok, here's My story, I am 20 Years Old. and am a newbie mechanic working at a shop while attending college for Automotive Technology. I am a Big EEK fan for only being 20 Years Old. My baby Blue 88' Aries "Betty" Is sick she needs help. I had either an air pocket or debris preventing heat to the heater core. So I performed a coolant flush on the cooling system. well I was a little too rough and created a head gasket leak. which would have happened soon anyways (123K). Well I left the car to sit while I went back to school for the week. My dad calls me up and told me how he may have fixed the car because he used......... How do I say this!?!?!? None Other than Bar's Leak. Well needless to say, I blew my own gasket. so My boss let me into the shop an sat. to do the head gasket. after a good coolant system flush. (let the car warm up then flush. About 8-10X). It is now heating wierd. the temp sensor between cyl 1&2 that controls the temp gauge is pegging the gauge Hot (measured about 230-235 with temp gun.) However, the temp sensor in the therm. housing is reading 180-185 when checked with a scanner. I used a heat gun to verify the temps from the gauges and they are reading correct. [&:] ?!?!? There is a measurable difference with the temp gun of 50deg. across the block (230-235 at sensor between Cyl 1&2 and 180-185 at sensor in them housing). My last guess would be waterpump?, however there seems to be good flow of the coolant. And it has good heat when running on the road. I am lost, Please help. Also, when running down the highway the guage in the car will drop to about half gauge and then peg again, all the while the temp sensor at the therm. housing staying about 180-185 and not moving. I can verify the therm is working as I can take it out hot and it will be open. and I can blow on it to cool it and it will close. Could the Bar's leak have somehow caused fins to break or corrode? and not create enough flow? or what about the rad cap? any help will be greatly appreciated. Please help me get my K back on the road........... Big Matt

AIM: Hardrock4445
E-mail: Hardrock444@aol.com

 

I am not very familiar with the K-car engine but a generic diagnosis would be an air pocket.The guage going up and down and up again is a classic sign.These will usually work their way to the radiator and show up as a low coolant level.You obviously have knowlege of automotive systems so keep a close eye on the coolant level.A number of heating and cooling cycles might have to be accomplished before the air will come out due to internal head (coolant passage) design.One afterthought.Does the engine have any bleed fittings?

 

Yes It does have a bleeder fitting, it is on the top of the thermostat housing.(and was properly filled and bled) The car has been run about 10 times and the same problem is still occuring. I haven't been home to work on the car yet, I am going to try a new approach this weekend. I am gonna take out the coolant temp sensor, and put in a threaded fitting that is open and try flushing through the sensor opening, to try and get more pressure right near those passages that might still be clogged with bar's leak. The next step after that is going to be a chemical flush. this car and engine deserves the care.



Big-Matt

 

Normally the symtoms you describe are those seen in a blow head gasket on one of these little 4s. Did you check and make sure the head was straight?

 

First of all do not and i repeat do not and additives to any engine or transmiision you are only adding to the problem. now first off look towardsthe master cylinder and right under it there is a valve that has two coolant lines going into it and two running out of it to your heater core turn your heater on high engine running and unplug the vacuum line and check for vac. if you have vacuum then then check to see if the valve opens when you put the line back on while it is running.if that don't solve it then your heater core may be plugged or coolant passages between the head and block are plugged.now back to bars leak stop it sux it will also plug other things up like heater core radiator core or coolant passages it may not be from when your dad put it in but possibly someone before you boughjt it put something in it solder seal will also do this and the reason I say don't addd any additves is simple the only way to fix any leak is to fix it right not by using rebuild-in-a-can.also some additives like slick 50 has teflon in it if you use teflon-based products is what happens is it coats bearing surfaces which has a natural "rough" surface that keeps oil on the bearings and teflon is a plastic which when oil is under pressure it will not stick to those moving parts and bearing failure will occur. i would'nt put slick 50 in a push mower engine I have worked cars for 20 years and i own five cars the only additive i put in any of these is what are required like oil coolant brake fluid ect. i have 2 cars with over 200,000 miles and i have had four cars that have lasted over 300,000!!only add the require fluids and always check and change fluids on a regular basis always change your thermostat once a year and always check vaccum lines for cracks and twice a year clean battery terminals i change my oil every 3000 miles and coolant once every two years and transmisson fluid every year