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Re: Cooling System Pressure

To: 6pack@autox.team.net, triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Cooling System Pressure
From: acekraut11@aol.com
Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2005 19:28:58 -0400
   You are not mistaken, you did see my post mention that the thermostat 
had been replaced. Twice in fact. The first time for one that opened at 
165 degrees since I thought I had an overheating problem that turned 
out to be a voltage regulator problem. After I found out I was reading 
the right temperature the car was running too cool so about a couple 
years ago I put a new 185 degree thermostat in. My thought was that 
with the thermostat and gasket I might be out $5 so it made sense to 
try to see if this was the culprit or not.

  I do have an antifreeze mixture. I do have an overflow bottle. It is 
perpetually empty. Either I have a leak in the bottom, which I dont 
believe I have, or all of it is getting sucked in at some point. Others 
have mentioned a leak in the head gasket. Maybe they are right. Or, 
maybe I am losing more from the heater valve than I think.

  Does this sound possible? Coolant is full but the level drops because 
some is leaving via the heater valve. At some point the level of the 
coolant lowers enough so that the pressure builds up when it is hot and 
vents out steam through the fill tube, exactly where the radiator cap 
is supposed to vent. At this point the major steam event gets my 
attention and I think I have a problem all of the sudden when in 
reality it has been slowly building to this venting due to coolant loss 
through the heater valve(hopefully) or a leak in the head gasket.(hope 
not).

 Thoughts?

 Aaron

 Aaron Cropley
 71 TR6 (Throttle Body Injection!)
 http://www.triumphowners.com/108
 Topsham, Maine

 -----Original Message-----
 From: Dave1massey@cs.com
 To: Acekraut11; 6pack@autox.team.net; triumphs@autox.team.net
 Sent: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 6:52:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time
 Subject: Re: Cooling System Pressure

  In a message dated 9/8/2005 4:38:28 PM Central Standard Time, 
Acekraut11@aol.com writes:
 I am at or close to sea level. Maybe it is time to replace the
 thermostat. In this situation it is an inexpensive way to eliminate
 one potential problem. Another thought might be that the temperature
 sending unit I have hooked up to the fan maybe coming on too late. It
 was hard to find one at a lower temperature that would match the
 fitting I have. I think it is designed to come on at 205 degrees.
 Someone mentioned that maybe the heater valve is sucking air and
 causing air in the system. Thoughts on that?

  I thought I saw thermostat on the list of items replaced. Perhaps not. 
205 is not high enough to cause the car to boil over, especially if you 
have an antifreeze mixture. Since the valve has leaked out, it could 
leak in. Do you have a coolant recovery bottle? Does it draw back 
coolant when the car cools? Over time, does the coolant in the recovery 
bottle increase?

 Dave




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