Ok, so I posted a while ago that my engine was spiking to the quot;Hquot; on the temperature gauge for about a 30 seconds, then cooling down. People suggested that it was a sticking thermostat. So I went out, got a new t-stat, gasket and sealant and fixed her up well.
Unfortunately, when I took her on the test run, she spiked up as usual. But now there's more!
1. Some unknown metal shot off
2. There's squealing from the belt.
a couple of questions:
1. Why is she now squealing?
2. Why is she still spiking with heat?
3. What is this metal?
Just a quick bump, (dunno if it's allowed here)
But was wondering if that metal is related to the heat problem?
That bracket goes under one of the thermostat housing bolts and holds some wires or a hose or something. The belt squeaks because it now has coolant all over it.
As for the temperature: Did you fill the radiator with coolant? Did you use a cheepo Autozone thermostat? Did you put it in right side up?
Does the temp spike, go down and then spike a couple more times?
It is probably an obstruction in the small hose that goes from the bottom of the stat to the water pump. This hose allows coolant to heat up the stat properly. Run a wire through the hose (or blow air through the hose) and make sure it is clear.
Do a search on quot;overheating small hosequot; and you will dind a lot of information. Here is one of the posts:
[B I'm going to assume that the overheating occurs when you first start the car- it warms up, then keeps going, then the temp drops back down. This type of overheating issue is symptomatic of a blockage of the fittings on either end of the tube between the water pump and the thermostat housing. See details here: garage/CoolingSystemProblems.html - Note that the article only mentions the end of the tube on the thermostat housing, although mine was blocked at the other end, down by the waterpump, where there is a 90-degree fitting that is particularly prone to clogging. This tends to present after waterpump/radiator changes due to the chance for introduction of foreign matter into the cooling system.[/B]
Good luck.
Autozone thermostats are not good? I'll have to consider what I can do about another new one.
And thanks for letting me know what that metal was.
And thanks more for that post you found. Greatly appreciated!
Found out about the blockage problem just after I had my radiator replaced. Thought it was the thermostat at first but changing it out again did not help. Finally did a search and found the article. Pumped a small amount of air through the small tubes and it fixed the problem. Temp has been rock steady ever since.
The OE part has a two stage valve thing to manage warm-up. Aftermarket thermostats do not generally have this feature and are provided by the lowest bidder, although the chance of it being defective when you bring it home is relatively small.
The clogged little hose is the next thing I'd look at.
deant,
Updated text in your link:
If this path is blocked by metal shavings in the thermostat housing outlet nipple, or anywhere in the small hose, the coolant will not flow through, and the thermostat will not open early enough. A symptom of a blocked path here would be temperature rising above normal on first warm-up, then suddenly dropping to normal sometime later.
(Bold print is mine.)
Define SPIKE. Linear and gradual (although fast ), or instantly to the FULL HOT position on the temp gauge.
At deant and Bill: Are you guys talking about the small hose underneath the thermostat? I can check it out and see what's in there. If it is that hose, do i just tap it to get them out, or do I need some device to do this?
At Lance: Where could I get an original thermostat from?
At Calata: When I mean spike is when i exceed 45mph and the temp gauge rockets to quot;Hquot; for about a minute. When the engine seems hot enough I'll hear a short squeak and the engine cools down to the median.
As for my belt. I do recall coolant getting on the belt. Is there any absolute way other than replacing it to dry it off and/or to stop the squeaking?
Are you guys talking about the small hose underneath the thermostat? I can check it out and see what's in there. If it is that hose, do i just tap it to get them out, or do I need some device to do this?
Yes, that hose that has a 90° bend and is between the thermostat housing and the water pump inlet. You would disconnect the hose and blow it out, and use a tool like a screwdriver to clear any clogs in the thermostat housing and the WP inlet.
However,
... I'll hear a short squeak and the engine cools down to the median.
This sounds like a sticking thermostat. Normally a thermostat doesn't quot;squeakquot; at all. The OEM thermostat for a '90 - '93 Miata is Mazda part number BAN1-15-171. This includes a new gasket. You can also buy non-Mazda aftermarket thermostats at auto stores. Don't get anything below a 180° type if you go aftermarket.
Originally Posted by Bill Strohm
However, This sounds like a sticking thermostat. Normally a thermostat doesn't quot;squeakquot; at all. The OEM thermostat for a '90 - '93 Miata is Mazda part number BAN1-15-171. This includes a new gasket. You can also buy non-Mazda aftermarket thermostats at auto stores. Don't get anything below a 180° type if you go aftermarket.
Ahh man. I got a new autozone one that is 192°. The problem is I believe it was both a sticking thermostat as well as a clogged hoseline.
Question, does anyone know how to remove the lower thermostat hose? It's almost feeling like the clamp isn't the only thing holding it on.
I just finished replacing all 9 hoses on my '95. There was nothing but a single spring clamp holding each end of all the hoses. If you don't have a pair of long reach hose pliers for a 3/8 inch hose I would recommend getting one. Harbor Freight has a set of three sizes for ~$12. It will help you get a better bite on the hose to break the seal so that you can remove it.
Originally Posted by 95NAinNM
I just finished replacing all 9 hoses on my '95. There was nothing but a single spring clamp holding each end of all the hoses. If you don't have a pair of long reach hose pliers for a 3/8 inch hose I would recommend getting one. Harbor Freight has a set of three sizes for ~$12. It will help you get a better bite on the hose to break the seal so that you can remove it.
Ahh okay. I'll consider it. She didn't spike with heat today so maybe the problem was resolved with the thermostat. Will consider this though, thanks for your insight.
You are correct on the hose. What I did was just disconnect the hose from the upper housing and then blow air through the hose. I just used a small tire pump. At first there was some resistance but then once the hose cleared, the air went though easily. The junk normally collects at the 90 degree elbow so you need some way to dislodge the stuff.
Hope you now have the problem fixed. |
Post at 2-7 04:22 AM
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