Gulp! OVerheated Bad!

[rico05]

I don't think that I have a problem, but I ahve to wait for morning light to get a good look. Drove my buddy home from work when all of a sudden, steam started comming from my engine bay. Dammit. Blew the cap on the coolant nipple below the throttle body again. Well, I tried to get home (1/2 mile) and it pegged the temp gauge just down the block. I turned her off for a few (15 min) and let her cool a bit. Tried to go a little more and about 200 yards pegged the temp gauge again. Let her cool again. Then I just said screw it: i have 4 blocks to go. I was very ginger and shut her down and coasted the last block. Damn wish I had a cell phone So...anything to look for? The motor never even flinched through all of this!

[float_6969]

I'd be worried about a warped head/blown headgasket. You'll know when you go to start it up in the morning. I wouldn't be too worried about it though. I overheated mine a couple of times too and it was no biggie. I didn't have any fans so it was my fault...

[c-rad]

Change your oil IMMEDIATELY! 1.) Burnt oil is useless2.) Good way to see if it turned into chocolate milk. (ie: blown/leaking headgasket)

[rico05]

Will do then.

[rico05]

One thing I was thinking about: Adding coolant and letting it cool down. But I didn't know what introducing liquid into the hot system would do anyway, so I just uncorked it and let her cool.

Thank ambigiously-generic-higher-power I no longer own a rotary.

[biosehnsucht]

What is this coolant nipple you're talking about? you didn't cap off just ONE side of the coolant lines that go through the TB did you? Or do you mean on the pipe mounted below the manifold, the small fitting that would normally lead to the TB?

[float_6969]

Rico, I thought about it after I posted my answer, but I was already in bed, so I didn't say anything again. For everyone's info, if you overheat your car, DON'T ADD COOLANT/WATER TILL THE CAR COOLS DOWN! You can really start screwing up stuff that way.

[rico05]

Thanks Ryan.

bio: it is the nipple on the head below the TB. the nipple on the TB is just left open.

[float_6969]

So have you checked it yet to see if the car is messed up?

[rico05]

Capped off the nipple. Smelled the oil (to see how burnt it was and if I could even start the car). Smelled ok. Filled with coolant/h2o and cranked her. No problem. Let her heat to operating temp and took her down the cul-de-sac and no problems. I let it sit for a while to see if it overheated: it didn't. Revved it all through out the rev range w/ no load and sounded great. So other than needed new oil for good measure I may have survived another dunder head mistake. This motor is incredible!!

[float_6969]

You sure like to push the limits man! But I agree, this motor rules!

[RMiller]

Nice job. My temps got up there a while back because the hose to othe overflow tank(which is like a foot too long) looped around a fan blade and stopped my fan. I got up to like 107, then I crapped myself, then I figured out what it was. Water temp gauge probably saved my engine. I guess I wouldn't have a problem if I just removed the slack in the first place.

[c-rad]

The fan on my eclipse was manual for a short while because of a dead relay from the ECU. The woman came home from school one day and left the car running by accident. WITHOUT the fan on. She came upstairs, we ate lunch, then we were going to head out. I asked her where the keys were and she was like, uhh.... So I go outside and I can hear the car idling. I am like HOLY ****! Mind you, this is 40 minutes later. There is steam BILLOWING out from under the hood and an AWFUL smell. I immediately shut the car off and popped the hood. My spark plug cover had melted, and a couple other plastic pieces were severely disfigured. I let it sit for about an hour and a half with the hood popped letting it cool, the whole time thinking the worst. After it cooled I drained the oil and it smelled horrid, but looked fine. I then refilled it with water and coolant. The entire cooling system was virtually empty! I topped everything off, and started it up. At first it was ticking like crazy, most likely from the lifters being starved of good oil. But then after about 15 seconds, everything was good. Still pulled 20 inHg at idle which is where it's supposed to be. I drove over to my friends place a little while after and did a compression test. 161 across the board. The service limit is 122 on my motor. I could not believe it. I had to be THE LUCKIEST s.o.b. on the planet that day.

[float_6969]

I'da been down a girlfriend after that....

[biosehnsucht]

Nice job. My temps got up there a while back because the hose to othe overflow tank(which is like a foot too long) looped around a fan blade and stopped my fan. I got up to like 107, then I crapped myself, then I figured out what it was. Water temp gauge probably saved my engine. I guess I wouldn't have a problem if I just removed the slack in the first place.

On my KA24E the resevoir tank hose detatched itself from the fan shroud and got cut through by the fan, spraying coolant everywhere... rusty coolant.

[rico05]

The problem now is that my belts are SCREAMING. I assume that the coolant that spewed all over them is the reason. Is the only fix getting new belts?

[biosehnsucht]

Coolant and oil can both screw up belts. They might jsut not be getting enough friction though and sliding around..

[NeedCAforS13]

they make a belt dressing spray rico. might grab a can of that to spray on there... also you could try brake clean or alcohol (not sure what brake clean would do to rubber belts though...)

Sean

[c-rad]

they make a belt dressing spray rico. might grab a can of that to spray on there... also you could try brake clean or alcohol (not sure what brake clean would do to rubber belts though...)

Sean

Belt dressing is only good for v-belts, not serpentine. I learned that the hard way...

[biosehnsucht]

CA's don't have serpantine belts, they're V-belts.. so assuming it works whats the problem ??

[float_6969]

My Vote: Replace

Belts are pretty cheap. You've only got one set of ears...

[NeedCAforS13]

if by cheap you mean $50 then yes, belts are cheap

Sean

[r34 gtr]

replace them. thats the only safe thing to do i think.

the CA takes overheating like a real man. my overheating story is the worst.. im sure youve all heard it, but for the sake of the arguement ill say it again. basically a branch i ran over pulled off my lower radiator hose, causing me to lose all my coolant. i didnt see the steam because it came off while moving, and the steam must have gone out the back of the car. the temp. gauge didnt register anything wrong because there was no fluid for it to read. i drove it for the better part of an hour taking my boss to pick up her car at a dealership across town. we got close and the car kept dying on me. i kept restarting it, revving it so it would stay alive and driving until it would die again. at this point i was really confused. we got to the dealership and i coasted in and it died. popped the hood and the freaking block was smoking. it was harsh. anyway, my dad and i went and got it. checked it out, refilled the coolant, put in 3 quarts of fresh oil and a quart of lucas oil stabilizer. ran fine from then until i tore it down over the summer. the CA is freaking immortal.

- tim

[8ggalant]

replace them. thats the only safe thing to do i think.

the CA takes overheating like a real man. my overheating story is the worst.. im sure youve all heard it, but for the sake of the arguement ill say it again. basically a branch i ran over pulled off my lower radiator hose, causing me to lose all my coolant. i didnt see the steam because it came off while moving, and the steam must have gone out the back of the car. the temp. gauge didnt register anything wrong because there was no fluid for it to read. i drove it for the better part of an hour taking my boss to pick up her car at a dealership across town. we got close and the car kept dying on me. i kept restarting it, revving it so it would stay alive and driving until it would die again. at this point i was really confused. we got to the dealership and i coasted in and it died. popped the hood and the freaking block was smoking. it was harsh. anyway, my dad and i went and got it. checked it out, refilled the coolant, put in 3 quarts of fresh oil and a quart of lucas oil stabilizer. ran fine from then until i tore it down over the summer. the CA is freaking immortal.

- tim

i hope im this lucky

[sdtouge]

I got up to like 107, then I crapped myself

107 would be ok on the race tracke, but at about 110 it needs to be turned off, on the street though there is defiantly a problem.

what temp do you guys see at the track after some hard driving?

[RMiller]

I got to 107 just sitting in a parking lot. The fan wasn't moving, that's why it happened. I don't know about track driving temps, but after some hard street driving at higher speeds I'm into the mid '90s.

[8ggalant]

when you say 107 are we taking about Celcius or Farenheit (sp)??

[float_6969]

Celsius

[8ggalant]

Thanks Float

[rico05]

What is the motor supposed to run at in farenheit? I just put in an aftermarket Autometer water temp gauge and it shows about 125^ after about 10 minutes of driving, but the stock gauge shows about 3/4 up the gauge! WTF?