rad pressure build up

[Rick Primus]

Have a 1989 Delica with diesel. Just had cracked head replaced and cooloing system flushed. Still have some white exhaust and excessive pressure in cooling system. It is dumping all my anti-freeze on the ground. Any ideas?

[lrp374]

You might try a new Rad cap for the antifreeze dumping.

[mdrive]

start with your thermostat, make sure it is not closed all the time, worst case, you cylinder head gasket or head is gone.

[thedjjack]

Where is the antifreeze coming out?

Get a pressure tester (goes on in place of the rad cap and lets you add 20psi to the system. Helps find problems.

To many possibilities until you define the where the antifreeze is leaking out (like the exhaust pipe?)

[Rick Primus]

Has new rad cap and engine is not overheating

[thedjjack]

It is dumping all my anti-freeze on the ground. Any ideas?

Where is it dumping out of? Overflow tank, side of block, front of motor, radiator, exhaust pipe?

[Rick Primus]

It is dumping the coolant out via the reserve tank.

[thedjjack]

As soon as you start it are you getting instant pressure with the cap off?

I would borrow a cooling tester, it replaces the radiator cap and lets you pressure the system. Sounds like crank case pressure is getting into the system. Head gasket, head, or block is what comes to mind. may be the turbo if liquid cooled but that is a guess as I never had had a antifreeze cooled turbo. I have never had my intake off or looked at the design but if the intake gets coolant it could be a leak there where the turbo pressurizes the system and it draws up coolant for the white smoke.

Add pressure to the system and see if it holds cold.

[glenn]

this is exactly what happened to my delica when my head cracked. The longer I drove, the more the cooling system pressurised. I didn't notice the problem until I lost nearly all my coolant on a short road trip. Don't know if a bad gasket caused the loss of fluid from the over pressurised system, then overheating, and a cracked head, or if the whole thing was just the result of the cracked head. What colour is your coolant? If it is brownish, it suggests head/head gasket - hopefully the gasket since you just changed your head.

good luck!

glenn

[JR1967]

Check if the white smoke from your exhaust smells like coolant. It might be just condensation in the pipe/muffler? Beware that pressurizing your cooling system with a test cap might force coolant into places where you might not want it (in case there is a leak), like the crankcase for example; definitely check and/or replace your oil. You also might hydraulic lock you cylinders by forcing coolant in there in case your head gasket leaks. Not a good thing... I suggest cranking without injectors first before starting up afterwards.
Good luck, JR

[nvanadm]

If you just had service work done and you're experiencing problems, you should just bring it back to that garage and have them check things out.

[lrp374]

Hey Rick have you solved your pressure problem?

[Super Exceeded]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but does white smoke not mean coolant in the combustion chamber? This would mean your new head gaskey is not working and you're burning your coolant.

[jaggedfish]

Rick mentioned the coolant is coming from the overflow tank.

If your coolant is coming out of the overflow tank as noted and there is too much pressure in the system then, like Max Overdrive says, test your thermostat to make sure it opens. To do this you can remove the thermostat from the vehicle and put it in boiling water then watch for it to open. Take it back out and let it cool off and it should close again.

The other obvious thing is there may be too much coolant in the system and it is just overflowing the excess once the engine is up to temperature. This shouldn't happen all the time tho... maybe once or twice.

It would seem to me that a cracked head or blown gasket would result in the coolant to be forced into the engine and not into the overflow tank.

As far as the white exhaust goes, is that just when the engine is not up to temperature? When you step on the accelerator? Remembering that this time of year the exhaust can have vapour in it due to the outdoor temperatures... could this be what you are seeing? Just throwing stuff out there.

[KA43]

Hi,

Experienced a similar problem with my other car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQutXJLnvE





Combustion pressure leaks into the cooling system. Replaced the head gasket, radiator caps, thermostat, bleed the cooling system, pour a lot of coolant but doesn't help.


Problem ends after refacing the cylinder head and putting another new head gasket.

Cheers