1997 P38 4.6 Cooling system pull down

**PeterAllen** · 16th June 2010, 07:22 AM

Thanks Davo, sorted it out last night. I had no flow either way through the small metal pipe inside the expansion tank. It is the internal pipe that the drain pipe attaches to in the expansion tank cap housing and you can't get to it without busting the cap housing or the tank. Dislodged the crud when I hooked up some compressed air to the drain tube pipe and now have clean flow both ways. All back together and running cooler than before so I suspect their has been a slight blockage previously. Car's temp gauge now sits at the first stroke after the blue which is lower than it was previously as it always sat just under the middle stroke in normal driving.
Anyway I am happy with that outcome. Thanks for all that submitted assistance

**DT-P38** · 16th June 2010, 10:15 AM

Now that you've resolved your situation and have a guage sitting that low (just over blue) I am prompted to give mine a look and possibly a blow/clean out... my temp. gauge is constantly just left of centre/straight up.

**PaulP38a** · 16th June 2010, 09:42 PM

Just above the blue seems too low for normal driving. I believe that slightly left of centre is the accepted "norm".

Peter, if your thermostat is ok as you have indicated, better put some of that "crud" back in

Well done on sorting out the problem though.

Cheers, Paul.

**wayneg** · 16th June 2010, 09:53 PM

Since my Rad dramas and the new one installed the temp is just into the normal section when the car has been moving a while and creeps up to around 11 o`clock when in traffic. Before it was stuck at 12 o`clock at all times when running ( until the boil-up). I am happy to see the slight changes in the guage now and would get worried if it reverted to 12 o`clock permanently again.

**PaulP38a** · 16th June 2010, 10:09 PM

well there you go... happy to be corrected on that

I'll add radiator re-rodding to my ever growing list of stuff to do, before Summer anyway.

Cheers, Paul.

**adm333** · 17th June 2010, 11:39 AM

When you add it to the list write "radiator rodding / replacement"

Mine just went in for rodding and I was told the plastic tanks gets very brittle over time and the recrimping process to put it back together causes cracks more often than not.

You may be lucky.

At the end of the day - may as well get a new rad then risk the old "rodded" one cracking and causing a catastrophic failure.

(I'm spending significant $$$$ getting the head gaskets replaced, the cost of a new radiator vs getting it rodded is trivial )

Dave

**PeterAllen** · 17th June 2010, 12:15 PM

Thanks for the tip Paul. Unfortunately I flushed away all the crud so am unable to adjust my "cool" running temp. Nevertheless, I am led to believe the car has a genuine factory fitted automatic crud generator installed so my cool running may be short lived anyway.

Now time to think about what to address next weekend. Sagging headliner, Brake modulator kit, Air con (bloody text book).

**DT-P38** · 18th June 2010, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by PeterAllen

Nevertheless, I am led to believe the car has a genuine factory fitted automatic crud generator installed so my cool running may be short lived anyway.

Swear I just fell off my bar stool laughing... I am constantly amazed at the wonderous technology built into these P38's! VFF!!!

**hammy** · 26th June 2011, 09:13 AM

hey guys, noobie here.

just bought a p38 HSE and it over heats.

gauge runs at a fraction past centre but intermittently cranks straight to the red.....

I bought it in Brisbane and drove it back to Cairns (1870kms) and it was fine on the highway but got hot when stopping for fuel and food, then pumped its coolant out....

just checked the expansion bleed hose and it was blocked so I blew it out with the compressor... took for a run, no over heat but temp still at same pos.

car has new thermostat, new hoses, radiator flushed.

the top hose is under 12psi pressure so should be quite hard???

**wanglemoose** · 26th June 2011, 12:24 PM

i swear these things are meant to run hot, mine has a new oem rad and expansion tank as well as when i put the new motor in 2k ago i replaced the thermostat, water pump and EVERY hose, yet still cant keep it cool. it runs at about 88 degrees when traveling and goes up to 95 up hills and in traffic, if you let it idle it goes to ? ive never let it get over 97. it seems it wont cool under 1500 revs when stopped and under 2000 when running. i have a real temp gauge in mine tho the std one just sits at half through all these temp changes. i also run a shrouded thermo that sucks 3000 cfm this and the aircon fans run constantly. my next steps will be to go back to and engine driven fan (solid not clutch) and posibly get a bigger rad made and change the engine and trans coolers out for heat exchangers to get them out of the way of the rad.

Attachment 37010

Attachment 37011

Thread: 1997 P38 4.6 Cooling system pull down

Thread Tools

No, thankyou!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions