Cooling System

[ebgardner]

Cooling system is overpressuring.
I'm suspecting a blown head gasket. I will check compression in the morning.
No water present on the dipstick.
I bought a new radiator cap today, and I checked the thermostat. (pot of boiling water - it opened)
the longer the engine runs the more pressure builds up. Upper radiator hose gets hard.
Sound like a head gasket to anyone else?
Thanks.

 

[kunar]

the radiator cap should leak off pressure before it builds too high, the proper cap for this engine is a 13# cap and since you just bought a new one, you shouldnt have any problems. does it ever seem to leak off pressure? what about the actual condition of the hose, how old is it?

 

[Ranger5.0]

try this trick. Get a cooling system pressure tester, you know , the thing you hook up to the rad where the rad cap goes... put a bit of pressure on it with the pump, then start the truck. If the pressure becomes veary erattic and rises steadly, its the headgasket, end of story.

 

[ebgardner]

Hoses are probably 5 years old. Maybe I am just getting paranoid about the pressure.
Maybe the pressure is fine. The hoses aren't blowing, so that's a good sign. It seems to run ok. There was some water coming out the tail pipe but after it warms up it goes away. It's been so long since I have had to deal with something like this I tend to forget.

 

[ebgardner]

I'll have to try the pressure test in the morning too.
I've rebuilt the thing a couple of times in the past and I guess I am just dreading having to pull the heads yet again.
Crazy thing is I just had to pull the head on my son's civic. Just got the new head gasket in for it. 2 cars down. Everyone is depending on the wife's car. HAHAHA

 

[Ranger5.0]

haha, i think i have a blown headgasket, i juss ignore it