wagon is givin me a headache here...

ok i'm not a big mechanical person but i can change out parts and replace them. but my issue is this. so i just got my wagon legal to drive today, now i've never drove it more then 5 miles since i bought it. when i first got it the thermostat wasn't installed properly so i replaced it and it finally quit spittin out a whole jugg of antifreeze in 5 mins also put a new air cleaner hose since the old one was riddled with holes. well i went to today after i put my plates on to get a whole new set of tires installed. well when i pulled in the parking lot and got out i had anti freeze spraying out from behind the grill shooting out in a 6 foot stream. so i let it cool down and when i checked it was still good on fluid. so i went ahead and had the tires changed and i drove home. well i get home and yet again it's spittin anti freeze out in a 6ft stream. well as it was spraying i saw that it was spraying from the top middle of the radiator. now i assume that i just need to replace my radiator cause it is the original stock one. now my only question is this. when the thermostat was messed up i test drove the car more then 5 miles but yet it didn't spit anitfreeze now after i fixed the thermostat it's spittin antifreeze from the radiator. is it just that since it's actually installed properly and working right that it finally put enough stress on the stock radiator to finally crack it??? should i check into the water pump?? only issue i'm having is that when i go to take off from a stand still it seems like it don't wanna go, i'll floor it and it just won't go. it's not really that it slips but it just feels like it's miss firing or maybe the throttle cable is not adjusted correctly?? when it idles it feels real rough aswell. now i know that i need to change the MAP sensor on it but should replacing that sensor fix my go from a stand still?? would changing plugs and wires, distributor, fuel filter help out perhaps?? i'm just scared to do all this to find out the Head Gasket is blown.

 

One thing at a time, did. It sounds to me, since you are going such a short distance, that your thermostat is not opening or may be installed incorrectly. Top middle of the radiator.....or from under the cap maybe?

 

k the thermostat i would have to take it off an look at it cause i had one of the other guys at the shop change it out for me cause i still had my unit to finish for the day. idk maybe he put a lil to much sealent on it with the new gasket and it clogged the thermostat perhaps?? ok if your looking that the radiator from the front of the car looking through the grill. it's shooting out at the top just right of the center. it actually has a new rad cap on it. i'll check the thermostat in the morning i got the day off work. but i'll check that it's installed properly and it's brand new since the old one was installed inproperly with no gasket what so ever and just caulking around it.

 

I think the thermostat my have been stuck and then popped free. If it's not over heating it's probably OK. Was there sealant used on the gasket, because too much could cause a problem.

The pressure would have found it's way out somewhere, and you have to find out exactly where.
Maybe a pinhole in the rad.
What pressure is the old rad cap rated, and is the new cap the same?

EDIT: They did not use a gasket, just sealant, correct?
Yeah I'd put a gasket on there.

 

no the new thermostat has a gasket on it. when i bought it the thermostat was installed by the previous owner without a gasket instead he just threw some sealent on it.

I'm bout to take the thermostat out and test it in a pan of 50/50 on the stove with a thermometer to see if it opens at the rated temp on it.

 

A lot of people used Black Pepper or that Rad Leak stuff to patch up holes from the inside of the rad. All the flushing you did might have dislodged it? Or some June Bug hit the target? (I'm liking bugscreens a lot more.)

 

2 things concern me, did .... First, you say that the car did not overheat until you "fixed" the thermostat. Second, after it shot coolant out in a 6 foot stream, twice, your coolant level was still full. Not trying to say you don't know what you are doing here...but, did you possibly install the thermostat upside down? Many experienced car guys have done it. And, I'm curious as to whether you left the cap off after topping off the coolant and waited until it circulated for awhile to get the air out. Better question might be...DID it circulate?

 

k well heres what is goin on. i can't get the thermostat off for some reason, and i stated earlier i didn't install it. so i'm takin it up to work with me tomorow and have the guy that put it in to take it out and make sure its ok. then i'm going to hook up a tester to the radiator to check the pressure in the coolant system. like i said i didn't install the new thermostat, they replaced it and said they only put water in the radiator to top it off. so i'm concerned that maybe the guys at work messed up my cooling system. i'll go outside after it's done raining and take the radiator cap off and run it for a minute and see if it's circulating.

 

At this point, you may want to take it to a radiator shop. They can proably diagnose it in 5 minutes, fix it in 1/2 hout more, and charge you probably not very much.......

 

ok well today was a busy day for the wagon, put new rad in it(old one had a hole) new plugs, wires, oil and filter, distributor cap and rotor, and checked the thermostat. now it don't overheat at all and runs TONS better. now i'm having a issue with it leaking oil onto the engine and it smoking from the oil hitting the engine. so that will be my next adventure. it seems to be leaking from the valve covers so i think new gaskets on the valve covers should fix that hopefully. tell you one thing i finally had it up on the lift today and the guy that owned it prior to me really did some "hillbilly repairs" on it. the previous owner installed new brake lines yet left the old rusted ones in. but i did get to take the wagon out and drove it a good hour today and i will say it drives like a cloud.

 

Check that the PCV system and valve are functioning.

 

k i hope this isn't a dumb question but is it safe to drive my wagon while oil leaks on the headers and when i drive for more then 10 mins the oil hitting the headers starts to smoke. should i just park it till i figure out where the leak is? i'm just worried it might catch fire possibly?

 

I wouldn't but it won't hurt anything.
Maybe take a socket and see if it's not just the bolts are a little loose.
Don't tighten too much, torque specs on valve covers are very light, like 10-15 ft/lbs.

If you're going to drive it somewhere, go to a car wash, take some degreaser and wash the engine and bay. That way when it starts to leak again you'll be better able to verify exactly where.

 

Well...I admire your tenacity, did. And I'm glad you are getting on top of that wagon. They are nice wagons and as you pick away at repairs here and there you will enjoy it more and more.

 

:banghead3: ok so i tightened the valve cover on the right side since that was the side smoking. I cleaned it up the best i could with shop rags and degreaser but i'm just going to have to take it out to my moms and take the pressure washer to the engine block since it's covered in ooze. by the looks of stuff on this car as i've had it up on the lift and all this work, i would say this wagon has sat for a year or two somewhere. also now i have found out i will probably end up replacing the entire heating system before winter hits. now it also puts out a nice puff of white smoke when i start it. it still leaks smoke or oil whichever it is from the right side valve cover so i ordered a set of new valve cover gaskets and i'll have those monday.

on a good note though me and misses took the wagon out today and finally got around to doin the baby registry stuff and did some more runnin around in town. so far i'm getting bout 16mpg with it in town and when i put the new distributor, rotor, fuel filter, and gaskets on monday hopefully it'll go up a lil more.