Hey Mark, how are you man? Sometime ago I sent you a pm about my car's overheating issues and you made a few suggestions. Among these you mentioned that I should use Gunk.

This past Thursday I had the worst coolant (and oil temps!) I've ever seen in my car; the gauges went up to 220* (coolant) and 210* (oil) in the Autometer gauges.

I finally found Gunk locally but I think I misunderstood your suggestion. I read a post you made on another thread at m.net on overheating issues where you stated the following: "Ditch the coolant and run PURE water with a pint of gunk water pump lube and water wetter. DRAMATIC change."

So, here are my questions:

1- When you suggested I use Gunk you did not mean to flush the engine with Gunk for 5 minutes just before changing oil?
2- Is the Gunk you mention in that thread a different one from the one found locally?
3- I had capped the heater core; should I connect that part of the system again?

Thanks man and sorry for the inconveniences

Rafa

 

The gunk water pump lube is an additive that takes place of the lubricants in coolant that keep your waterpump from failing prematurely. Its like oil for your engine but its for the cooling system. The water wetter helps with cooling.

When you say you capped the heatercore, are the two lines that usually go to the heater connected to each other or are they just plugged?

 

The two lines to the heatercore are plugged.

I'm a little confused. I found cans of Gunk at a local shop but the instructions say: "to pour it in the engine for 5 minutes while at idle before changing the oil and then flush out with the oil". BTW, it also says that the one being sold locally is not for turbocharged engines. It mentions another Gunk product for turbocharged engines but they don't have that one in stock.

BTW, thanks for the assistance Chad!

 

What you have is an engine flush, totally different. And heater lines should be connected together, there is flow there.

 

please elaborate on the heater core lines, hopefully you mean you connected the 2 lines together to bypass the heater core....if not then that probably most of your problems

 

No; I plugged both lines. We have 90* weather all year round in these parts so the heater is never used. A few months ago (when I had the first pipe burst) one of those 2 small heater hoses burst and I had my first overheating issue. That was when I decided to plug both.

I'm waiting for the Qmax system to be released to get that particular coolant reroute installed. I figure I'll get it by the first week of June.

My plans call for a total overhaul of my coolant system then.

Any assistance is more than welcome.

Edit: sorry Mach, you're right; I did connect those 2 lines together. I capped the 2 holes going to the heatercore.

 

I would guess the same company makes the other product then?

 

Solder Seal (sp?) is the company behind the "gunk" brand, and they make all kinds of stuff. Cleaners, degreasers, engine oil system flushes (which is what I think you have) and apparently water pump lube. Connect the two heater lines coming from your engine together and you problems will most likely be solved, I dont see how they could not be.

EDIT: NVM, I see that you did connect the lines.

 

Do you have an intercooler in front of the radiator?

 

That's affirmative sir!

I plan on buying your scoop also.

 

Thanks for the help. I just went to the Solder Seal website. I now have a better understanding of their different products.

 

start by sealing up the area around the radiator, so that air caught by the mouth part all goes through the rad. You will probably win at life from that point forward.

I have Corky's pooper-scooper, but I'm going to try to get around using it because I doubt it would stay on after an off-track adventure.

Any thoughts on the gap between the fmic and rad? Should they be flush or is some gap ok?

 

Thanks for that info hustler. If you end up not using Corky's scooper let me know. I'll buy it from you

I'd also like to know about the gap between the radiator and the I/C.

BTW, these heating issues started way before going turbo. The heat produced by the turbo just exacerbated everything!

 

I have an auto rad in my stock 1.6. My **** was overheating in traffic at 100* ambient temps until I ran with like 20% coolant. Then the problem stopped and it was fine in TX heat at the track too.

I'm going to end up doing something like this:

 

Are those temps F or C? If F then I really dont see a problem with those temps. What were the ambient temps at the time? Were you stuck in traffic? Did the fans come on and lower the coolant temp? Where are you reading your temps from? My cruising temps are between 180-185. When in heavy stop and go traffic my coolant temps will spike to 220* F. My fans are on the weak side so they take a long time to bring temps back down under 207 but i have already ordered better/bigger fans.

Someone also suggested that I test my temp sending unit by putting them in boiling water with another thermometer and then compare the 2. I know some people have found the temp senders to read much higher than actual.
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Hey Phil; those are temps in F. The ambient temp at that time was 95*F and yes I was stuck in traffic. When the fans came in the temps stabilized at 215*. I thought I was the only one seeing 220* F temps. I've got a combination of 1 of the spals that came with the FCM Fan Shroud and the other is the OEM fan which in my book pulls more air the FCM spals.

A weird thing is that temps climb very fast once I start the A/C . All those temps I'm mentioning were without A/C.

BTW, those readings were in an Autometer Water Temp gauge I installed.

I'm beginning a search for a better flowing water pump. I read sometime ago that some members are using a water pump from automatic Miatas. Anyone know of any other water pump that can be adapted?

I'm also going to buy a new thermostat. I'm going to follow Abe's advice and get a bigger one.

Anything else I may need to buy before I get the coolant reroute kit?

Thanks,

Rafa

 

Connect your heater hoses to each other. You are starving the back of the engine of cooling water unless you have done a reroute.

 

allow the hose on the back of the head to flow back into the mixing manifold (hardpipe under header). This will allow the coolant to flow through the head better. Cant really flow if there is no where to go.

 

I just went out to the car just in case. That's what I did. The sender for the Autometer gauge is connected there. I was thinking about unplugging the heater core caps and reconnecting both hoses as they were originally.

BTW, thanks olderguy. I've seen some of your previous posts on the subject and you know your stuff. Do you have any other suggestion? Do you know of any water pump option besides the OEM one?

 

None of those 2 hoses is currently going to the mixing manifold.

I think I might have found what you're saying. Thanks.