Hey everyone, its our 71 Riv. Two days ago my wifes cruising around and noticed high oil temperature. It went up to 250F. She stopped and we towed the car back home. Im going to order a new oil filter and want to change the oil the next days, but I was checking the car a little. There was some coolant on the street, where my wife stopped, I first thought for a worn hose or so, but today I checked coolant and the radiator was still full. Just the coolant bottle was empty. The coolant warning light didnt light when the engine got hot. Im not 100% sure if the lamp works. Ill give it a try later. So what do you guys think could cause this? Im now thinking of the radiator. Im thinking of flushing it. Maybe some dirt is in there and so the enginge wasnt cooled anymore. Thanks Juergen
Thanks, I know the Thermostat opens. When the car is cold, it doesnt need pretty long until the upper radiator hose starts getting warm. I just dont know at which temperature. Ill get a thermometer to check this. How do I check the fan clutch and the water pump bearings? Thanks Juergen
To check the fan clutch bring the car up to temperature so the radiator is good and warm then turn the car off. Grab one of the fan blades and push it so the fan turns, if it turns much more than a blade length there is a good chance the clutch is getting weak. The water pump bearings are a bit more tricky, a surefire way to tell they are bad is to check and see how much play in and out there is by grabbing the pulley and moving it in and out, since the Buick pump uses the timing cover as the backside of the impeller housing the impeller will float away from the back wall under load and drastically reduce the flow. Alteast thats how I've always checked mine. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. thanks,
Thank you very much! Today I put the radiator out and flushed it. Lots of rusty fluid came out, but I didnt see bigger pieces or anything that could reduce the flow. Mounted it again, but I have to wait for new transmission cooler clips to mount the cooler to the radiator. I also get my new oil, air and fuel filters with the clips, so I can service the engine when they arrive. They will go out tomorrow and theyll need another day to arrive. Before I had the radiator out, I had a vacuum gauge connected to the engine. It reeds around 25-26 in. hg. I guess ignition may be to early, am I right. Dont have a ignition light yet. Its already ordered from summit, but summit has to wait for some other parts, so itll need about a week to arrive here. Might the early timing cause the overheating? When the oil became hot, there wasnt a warning light for the water. The car doesnt have a water temp gauge. Where is the sending unit for the water temp located? I found a sending unit on the back of the drivers side. A green wire with a black stripe goes there. I was testing the warning light of that sending unit (thought it is the water temp unit) by grounding that wire. I had to clean the contact a little, before the "stop" light inside the car turned on. Is that stop warning light the correct light for the water temp? Maybe it turned not on because of a bad contact of the connector, when the engine got hot. Well, Ill check the water pump play now. Thank you very much!!!! Juergen
The light on the back of the head its the OH $h!t light, if it comes on it means that things are getting really hot in the head. My temp sender on my 70 was on the intake manifold but I can't remember where exactly or what it looked like. Oil and Water temps should be close to each other with the oil being slightly hotter as it is not as actively cooled. If your getting rusty coloured coolant out I'm sure that your cooling system is running into problems conducting the heat from the metal or vis versa to the coolant due to the insulative properties of Iron Oxide and other corrosion stuff in the radiator. If you have the thermostat out, take it and put it in a pad of water on the stove and slowly bring the temp up and watch a thermometer in the water to see what temp it "pops" open at. Oh and on the fan give it a good push and if it get to the next blade sticking up its most likely bad.
If your fan clutch is over 2 years old, por you have ANY suspicions about it, I'd replace it. Here's a good repl part, courtesy of Larry70GS: But I've seen them lately for more like $85. Sounds like you really need to have that radiator boiled clean, even though no big pieces come out, rust/dirt buildup in the passages can dramatically reduce its effectiveness. The only way to really check the water pump bearings is to get the belts off of the pulley, so there's no load, then you can easily check for play and drag. If you've got the radiator out, you're halfway there. I'd also pull the thermostat out and put it in a pan of water on the stove, along with a thermometer. Watch to see exactly what temp it starts to open, and when it's completely open, and that it's opening completely. Then turn off the heat and watch it close, making sure it doesn't hang up and then "snap" closed. I'd also get a hose hooked up and backflush through the engine block and heater core, while the rad is out. If you can turn the water on and off quickly, it'll help knock crud loose, and then flush it out thoroughly. WOW! Are you sure about that? That's really high (is good), but I've never seen an engine over 20-21 inches at idle...nothing wrong with a ton of vacuum that I can think of. If your ignition timing is retarded, it'll make the engine run hotter, if it's too advanced, it'll idle just fine, but will ping (detonate) like crazy under load. Detonation will cause overheating, but you'd have to be pinging pretty loudly (and not back out of it) before you'd cause gauges to go that far up, and I'd think in the process you'd break something inside the engine or burn a hole in a piston. Your temp sending unit is in the top of the intake manifold, behind and to the driver's side of the thermostat housing. Stock, it's just an on/off temp switch to turn on the "Engine Temp" dash light. (if you ever want to add a coolant temp gauge, you can leave that one in place, and there should be another hole in the manifold on the other side to add the gauge sensor, which is what I did - gauge + idiot light) The sending unit on the driver's side back of the engine goes into a dry hole in the head, and is a head temp sensor only found on 455's. I think it's set to turn that "STOP" light at 250 degrees F. FYI - There *should* be another sending unit / switch on the back of the passenger side head, but it's for the a/c system, to keep the fan from blowing air until the engine hits a minimum temp (handy in the winter, no cold air blowing on your toes...) Many times these are removed, and the blower will simply blow on low speed.
You say you know for a fact thet the thermostat works. How? Just because the top hose gets hot I don't think that means the thermostat opens, does it? I know mine opens because when the temp gauge hits 160* it then drops back down to 110*, then the cycle starts all over again. Do you have a temp gauge you can install to watch it and see if it really opens? If this began suddenly it'll probably be the fan clutch or thermostat.
Ok, you got me. Next step will be to get out the thermostat and check the opening temperature. Thanks for all that input guys!! Im pretty sure the vacuum is that high. But I used an old vacuum gauge from a friend. Mine is also ordered from summit and Im still waiting for it. BTW, for flushing the heater core reverse, into wich hose I have to spray the water? One that comes from the waterpump or the other one? Thanks Juergen
I never had a thermostat in my car when I first got it. The car would go up to 235 and I'd sit there, s##t... Now as far as someone explained it to me was, if there's no thermostat the water is never allowed to heat up and suck the heat out of the block. It just keeps circulating and slowly both the water and block heats up, more than it should if the thermotat was functioning. I put one in and the car has never been abve 195. So check it, or just change it, then you can decide on the temp setting yourself.
I didnt make it yesterday, to check the thermostat. Just figured out I dont have a temp gauge for water to test the opening temperature Ill try to get one today. Thanks Juergen
Just throw it in the water, heat it on a stove and check if it opens before the water starts boiling.
Did that now. Its a 160 thermostat. It opened long before the water boiled. Seems to be ok. I still hope I dont have any problems with the heads or the head gaskets. Im still thinking about the high vacuum. May early timing cause this overheating? Can I adjust the timing without a timing light, just by useing a vacuum gauge? Thanks Juergen
Retarded timing will cause it to run hot. No, you can't set the timing with a vacuum gauge. If you don't have a timing light, then do it the "seat-of-the-pants" way... keep advancing the timing and road testing it. Advance it until it starts to ping, then back it off a little. This should IN NO WAY replace a proper setup with a timing light. But you can use this method to road test the car. If you don't have a timing light, then you should get one. They are a basic necessity for owning an old American V8 car.
Or you can use the "Texas Aggie Personal/Portable Timing Light Method": (1) Get a bucket of water, warm or cold, your preference. (2) Strip off about 4" of insulation from in the middle of the #1 plug wire. This is where the "pickup sensor" will go. Alternatively, you can bend a coat hanger so that it will connect the #1 distributor terminal to the #1 spark plug without touching anything (fairly easy on a Buick engine with the dist near the #1 cylinder...) (3) Disconnect and plug the vacuum advance line. (4) Loosen the distributor hold-down bolt just enough to be able to move the dist. (you don't want it to move too easily, as you'll see later) (5) Start the engine. (6) Using the bucket of water, get you right hand good and wet. (7) Position yourself so that you have a good view of the timing mark, with your left hand on the distributor. (8) With your right hand (pickup sensor), grab the exposed portion of the #1 spark plug wire, closing your eyes immediately. (7) Every time you feel a shock, open your eyes and look at the timing mark. Presto! You will be able to see the relative position of the timing marks, and you can adjust the distributor accordingly. Note that you should try and make small adjustments to the distributor. Try to refrain from jerking it wildly about, as that just makes it all the more difficult, and prolongs the process unnecessarily. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Please remember that your dealing with a non native English speaker, (Germany isn't really known for good English education at their schools, and no subtitles for English spoken films or tv isn't really helping out a lot....) Jrgen might be trying all of the above..... :laugh: :laugh:
Surely not! But just in case, and because I just can't seem to pass up an opportunity to talk about Texas (Gawd's Country): (ahem,) :Smarty: An aggie is a student or alumni from Texas A&M University, the states first public institution of higher education, was opened on Oct. 4, 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. The school owes its origin to the Morrill Act of 1862, which established the nations land-grant college system. In 1963, the name of the institution was changed to Texas A&M University to more accurately reflect its expanding role as a leader in teaching, research, and public service for the state, nation and world. The initials "A" and "M" are a link to the universitys past; they no longer represent any specific words as the schools curriculum has grown to include not only agriculture and engineering, but architecture, business, education, geosciences, liberal arts, medicine, science, and veterinary medicine. TONS of tradition and heritage at A&M. See Aggie Traditions. But probably the most well-known is the Aggie Joke, where the Aggie is the brunt of the joke, usually made out to be or do something really dumb. While you might think that the teller of an Aggie Joke is making fun of Aggies, they are often a way of expressing affection. Kinda like taking a false stereotype and adopting it, expanding it to it's silly conclusions in the process. :Smarty: (I've REALLY got to get to work now... :spank: ) :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
(All non-Texans ignore) Alright punk you asked for it!!!! I bet you're a freak'n t'sip. :af: Don't make me catch a Mil-hop down to Dyess and kick your butt!!! :rant: :rant: :rant: Just messing with you, but still got to defend the school and family honor! WHOOOP!!!!
Hey, them thar's fightin' words!!! :Brow: :Brow: T-sipper....hah! :rant: Mil-hop on down, I'll buy the first round! :beer Actually, I went to UNT, but don't really claim them...lotsa my family are Aggies, and if I'da been real smart, I'da gone there too... :spank: ou: I didn't know this one: Speaking of the A&M Corps of Cadets, Gen. George S. Patton said: "Give me an army of West Point graduates, I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies and I'll win a war!" Gig 'em, Aggies! :TU: :TU: :TU:
Don't tell me you haven't heard about the Aggie Timing Light before today.... :Brow: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Well, as I said, my timing light is already ordered! I guess it will arrive next week. Summit is waiting for some other parts before they ship out. BUT....I got a timing light borrowed from a friend yesterday! And a dwell-meter also! The only thing Im waiting are 4 new straps to mount the trans cooler to the radiator. The should be here yesterday, but they didnt come. I guess the come today.... Meanwhile I flushed radiator and heater core to get that dirty old water out othere. I also replaced the thermostat. A 160 was in there and the one I got now is a 175 (the lowest one I found in our local auto shop, that fits) But I think this should work. When the straps and the oil filter arrives, Ill replace the oil and filter and do a road test then. After adjusting the ignition..... Well, I know... dont mess with texas... but dont mess with bavaria either. :Smarty: :beer Juergen
