85 2.3 water in the oil

[Mark_88]

If you still have the pump out, check the impeller blades...when you spin the pump you will see them on the inside of the pump where the water should be...what condition are they in?

Believe it or not, I've heard of people saying the blades were not there...they were rusted off and would not pump the water through the system...if they are there...then that is not the problem...and it goes back to putting anti-freeze in the engine and burping it properly to make sure you don't have air bubbles in the system...that will produce no heat situations and loss of fluids because it basically doesn't circulate properly and ends up getting dumped out the reservoir...

You do have a reservoir...I'd imagine...

I didn't see UrbanRedneckKids post but essentially the same thing...

 

[coleboy11]

Yeah the blades are there so guess it's fine. I have a radiator reservoir but it has no lid to add any it's just an overflow tank really. I really have a hard time believing that an air bubble is to blame here, but what other options do we have at this point? I won't be able to try anything else until I can get the water pump back on there with a decent gasket which may be a day or two.

 

[RonD]

Try holding the blades while turning the pulley shaft, could be impeller has loosened up on the shaft.
I couldn't find a picture of a new pumps impeller blades, but blades can get worn down from running straight water, electrolysis eats the blades metal, so the blades may be 1/2 their proper size.

 

[coleboy11]

I also pulled the water pump from a scrap 2.0 engine I have and the water pumps are virtually identical and the blades turn like they should, the impeller is not loose on the shaft. Would a head gasket keep the water from circulating like that?? I am perplexed but unfortunately I believe I hear the faint echo of a funeral procession....

 

[coleboy11]

I'm willing to do what it takes to get it running right again outside of a rebuild because I've never done one and dont have time or resources right now. I'm willing to do the head gasket though if it is eventually determined that's what it is.

 

[Mark_88]

I think you eliminated the head gasket by testing it with the rad cap off...sounds more like you've got an air pocket in the system...believe me, they will run like crap and you will loose whatever you have in the rad...

If you did experience a freeze you recently then it may have added more issues than originally posted...if you are able to get it running, keep the rad cap off and idle it for about five minutes...watch for fluids leaking...if you don't see anything like that then you need to top up the rad with anti-freeze and let it run till you see the fluid moving...turn the heater blower on high and you can try squeezing the upper hose at this point to help burp the system...

At this point or shortly thereafter you should feel the heater rad hoses heating up when it is filled and the air pocket is belched out...you won't hear a typical "BRrrrrrrraaaappp" from your truck but you will feel the heat in the hoses...that is a good sign.

 

[coleboy11]

Well do you think maybe the freeze this morning might have something to do with the water and steam spraying everywhere this morning? If we can determine why it overheated in the first place, we may be able to proceed with the attempt at burping it. Could ice have pressurized the system and force water out of the rad cap once it got hot? I am lost here....

 

[RonD]

Air in the system blocks flow, once air gets to the water pump things get bad, the water pump can't pump/move air.
Once you have an air lock the water nearest the cylinders flows slower and can convert into steam.
The steam occupies more space than the water so pressure in the system increases dramatically, if I remember my high school physics it's something like 1600:1, steam :water, often a hose will blow off at this time, or a small leak will become a big leak.
The 13-18psi rad cap can't hold that pressure and water in the rad is pushed out into the overflow, when enough water is gone steam starts to come out.

Some heater cores are part of the cooling system others are not, if 1 of the heater hoses has a valve on it then it is not part of the cooling system, if it was then in the summer when valve was always closed engine would over heat.
In my '94 Ranger the heater core is part of the cooling system, no valve, water pump is always pushing water through these 2 hoses as part of the circulation, when my core got partially plugged engine would overheat.

If you had air in the heater hoses, or ice, that may have started your chain reaction, cold heater means no flow so air or ice.
Get those heater hoses hot and your problem will probably be solved.

 

[coleboy11]

I appreciate the reply. I think I will make a quick gasket for the water-pump so I can put the whole thing back together and try to get some air out. I guess I'll start by jacking the front end up and letting it idle a little while and fill as I go. I'll give an update as I get it going...thanks again for the help so far.

 

[coleboy11]

I put the water pump back on and got it idling (engine is ticking more loudly) and jacked the front end up as high as it could go and filled it with water and waited a few minutes for it to go down and repeated as instructed. Heater blows cold air. The lower rad hose is still not getting any hot water to it, same for the heater hoses. When revving the engine, the heater does blow warmer air and also water is sucked down into the radiator when I do this.

WTF? Am I missing some details here?

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I put the water pump back on and got it idling (engine is ticking more loudly) and jacked the front end up as high as it could go and filled it with water and waited a few minutes for it to go down and repeated as instructed. Heater blows cold air. The lower rad hose is still not getting any hot water to it, same for the heater hoses. When revving the engine, the heater does blow warmer air and also water is sucked down into the radiator when I do this.

WTF? Am I missing some details here?

Still got air in it.
If there was no airspace it wouldn't go down when revved, and the heater core would have water circulating in it at all times.

Dunno what to tell you, I have a spill-free funnel, and/or a vacuum filling tool for the ones I fight like that. I can't afford to waste that much time, so I bought the tools.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[coleboy11]

Yeah you're probably right I'm just a little tired and didn't have the spirit to try it again. How high did you elevate your front end?

 

[coleboy11]

I found this: http://www.hotrodhigh.ca/Bleedin.html

I'll try it tomorrow and maybe I won't pop a cap in my tuck's ass.....LOL

 

[Mark_88]

Ah, Adsm08 mentioned removing the heater hose and filling it but I didn't know what he was talking about...that article you just posted explained it...

That would be done with the engine off I'd imagine...otherwise you might get it spraying out of the heater core...

I think you're on the right track with that~

 

[coleboy11]

So I tried my damndest to burp the system by squeezing the jesus out of the hoses with the rad cap on and then relieving the pressure and it did relieve some air. I then poured water down a heater hose like the link showed. I had to keep the heater core plugged with my finger to keep from losing water while doing this and filling the heater hose with the other hand and quickly jamming it back on the heater core when it started overflowing. Although the temp today in AL is much warmer I am pretty sure the heater is blowing warm air once again.


I don't have my hopes high quite yet because I need to do this all over again when I get the correct thermostat and water pump gaskets and antifreeze finally. So far it looks promising. Time will tell.