over pressure

Submitted: Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 21:22
ThreadID: 41938 Views:1883 Replies:4 FollowUps:8
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Hi all, was reading through the old posts about head gaskets and cracked heads ect, as my GU 2.8 has being showing symptoms of over pressure in radiator. Many people make mention of bubbles through the radiator, now what I was wondering is when they say bubbles are they talking like when you blow through a straw into a drink or much less sever? Mine is showing one small bubble every 2-3 seconds at idle, bubbles are about 2 mm in diameter really small ones. What ever it is this one sounds like a BIG job.......bugger!!

Any thoughts would be great

Stefan
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Reply By: Stu050 - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:10

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:10
Stefan,
You will need to take the vehicle down to your local workshop. There they can pressure test your system and use a chemical that will change colour in the presence of combustion gasses. I would be doing this as a high priority, before doing anything else to the vehicle. Depending what is discovered, then make a plan of action from there.

HTH

Stu050
AnswerID: 219545

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:40

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:40
That is the plan, was just wondering what other people have experienced in this situation.

Cheers Stefan
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Reply By: Eric Experience - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:17

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:17
Stefan.
The bubbles you are seeing may be the start of a gasket problem or they may be the product of corrosion. Is your coolant the correct one and not past its use by date? To check the gasket you have to load up the motor, if its an auto place it in drive with the brakes on and notice if the bubbles increase, if manual rev it up and down to get the motor working. Good luck. Eric.
AnswerID: 219547

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:37

Saturday, Feb 03, 2007 at 22:37
cheers for the advive Eric, new radiator 3 weeks ago, new coolant as well, so thats why I am thinking the big one...will get it checked ASAP
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FollowupID: 480095

Reply By: Member - andrew B (Kununurra) - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 07:24

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 07:24
Gday Stefan

Sounds a little like the problem I am having (again). This time though, it isn't CO2, so I (and my mechanic) are at a bit of a loss to it all. (hense my recent post about my 2.8 is dead). It happened on a recent long drive, started loosing coolant over about 500k, which gradually came to 200k between fills. (fills were about a litre or so - I have a low coolant alarm in the radiator cap so it doesn't get very low.)

We couldn't work it out why, did the chemi weld thing and I have done a 200k trip since with very little coolant loss, so it may have done the trick (for now....)

I still have a bit of a splutter in the engine, and sometimes it has a power loss. I'm thinking it is a dodgey sensor or wire to a sensor.....may be hard to find.

Good luck with it all, but be careful about low coolant, the heads on these are pricey!

Cheers Andrew
AnswerID: 219580

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:11

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:11
G'day Andrew,
Was just having another look at the car and giving it a rev ect no bubbles.
But have being loosing coolant at about 1-2 lt every 200-300kms and its going out the overflow .....but I must add only at 100km/h plus speeds. Never around town so thats what has me puzzled. If there was cracked head or gasket surley it would be pressurising the coolant at all speeds???? Or maybe because the revs are higher for longer at those speeds thats why it does it. It just seems that these newer cars are crap.....I read all about others problems and my own and wonder sometimes, never had radiators and possible heads go on my older cars at 130000km. Should just be run in I reckon.

Cheers Stefan
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FollowupID: 480216

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:12

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:12
sorry forgot to add.....you say very little coolant loss after chemi weld........are you talking in liters or 100's of ml.
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FollowupID: 480217

Follow Up By: Member - andrew B (Kununurra) - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:29

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:29
Yep, I'm in exactly the same boat at the moment, ....just read your other follow up. It was a bit wierd, I have had a cracked head before, and also a head gasket on a seperate occasion. both blew plenty of bubbles. Had the test done and it wasn't co2, still had a few bubbles but there wasn't many, so did the bodgey and put the chemiweld in.

I was putting about 2 litres or so in every 200 k for the last 800k of driving the car back form perth, but some of that may have been due to the loss when I took the cap off. I just drove 200k out to work, and checked the radiator a few days later and it was almost full, checked it a few days later and it was full (very hot day, bit of expansion)

My experiences with the modern engine has really put me off them. The trouble is the rotton things cost so much to replace. I've been looking at 4 options- buy a second hand 4.2 ($17,000- 25,000), convert the 2.8 to 4.2 or 6.5 ($12,000 - 25,000), or Go into hock and trade up to the last of the 4.2's and buy new($45,000).

All options are expensive, and not what I need right now. I don't do a lot of k's, but I could do without being nervous every time I go for a trip into an isolated spot.

At this stage it still runs, and the low coolant alarm works OK, so I might save the pennies for a while and hope it hangs in there. The trouble is, when its going ok, you feel like getting your money's worth out of your last repair, then when something happens it has no resale with engine problems, so you get it fixed.

This is my 3rd (and last!) step in this cycle.........I am hoping it gets along OK and I maybe trade it or evern find a doner vehicle cheap to 4.2 it, or spend the coin and 6.5 it........we shouldn't have to be in this situation with what I would consider fairly young diesels....

to be continued.....

Cheers Andrew
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FollowupID: 480222

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 14:21

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 14:21
I will get it tested asap and go from there, got the feeling it will be a trade in if its a head issue, will wait and see....would be really handy if the big tree next door fell on it as the NRMA will buy it off me for $24000.....;)!! LOL

Cheers Stefan
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FollowupID: 480231

Follow Up By: Member - Glenn D (NSW) - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 15:19

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 15:19
Hows it going guys ,

When I had a cracked head last year , it was cracked from the water jacket into the inlet runner .

This didnt cause any bubbles in the coolant , cause the area isnt as pressurised compared to the combustion chamber. Just a constant loss of coolant .

Couldnt tell this for sure till I got the head taken off and pressure tested at a head specialist. They would have been able to repair it no worries exept the crack was at a really tight spot , 2 inlet pots do a 180 deg spiral between inlet manifold and combustion chamber , and the crack was right down the back .

Bit of an expensive exercise , bare head fron Nissan cost $1400, but at least I can trust my vehicle again ( as much as you can trust a 3 lt any way )

Glenn.
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FollowupID: 480242

Reply By: Member - Hughesy (SA) - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 10:25

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 10:25
Stefan, you've got to find a suitable engine idle speed where the radiator isn't vibrating which will create what looks to be bubbles. Then with the surface of the water at the radiator cap "smooth" watch for bubbles coming up thru the coolant.

You really need to see what it looks like on an engine with a blown/leaking head gasket to be able to diagnose corrctly.

But as said by the other dudes take to a specialist for a proper diagnosis before maxing the credit card on a new head etc. Good luck...
AnswerID: 219605

Follow Up By: GQ_TUFF - Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:15

Sunday, Feb 04, 2007 at 13:15
Cheers for that just had anouther look at different revs and now no bubbles......of to the shop we go I think. No max of the credit card here.....one bottle of chemi weld and a trade in price!!!! ;)

Stefan
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FollowupID: 480218

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