Coolant Issue

[DJ_Sunrise]

Drain and fill the system again... leave the radiator cap off and keep topping it off for an hour. I've never had a problem with my SR's and KA's.. Just take your time. Switch heat/ac on and off periodicaly while squeezing the hoses.

-Bart

[MadMaverick]

Originally Posted by DJ_Sunrise

Drain and fill the system again... leave the radiator cap off and keep topping it off for an hour. I've never had a problem with my SR's and KA's.. Just take your time. Switch heat/ac on and off periodicaly while squeezing the hoses.

-Bart

KA's are NOTORIOUS for air pockets. Your SR should be a cake walk.

You dont have to drain the whole system, though it may be a good idea to drain the rad if you havent changed your coolant in a while. Fill it up and let it idle, turn on the heat (lo power). This opens the heater control valve and allows coolant to circulate into your heater core. Once you get good cabin heat, you can shut off the heat. If the coolant starts boiling over (meaning lots of coolant coming out) shut off the car and top it off again. You shouldnt need to fool with the bleeder screw to get all the air out of an SR. Cap her off and take it for a little spin. After the car is FULLY COOL, open the cap and top it off again. Check your coolant level in the same way in a few days.

Originally Posted by DanDriftS13

Also, the car has never been overheated the hottest it has EVER gotten was half way between the 4th and 5th marks on the stock temp gauge and it was shut off immediately once I saw it that hot. I don't think that it is leaking any coolant into the head because I see absolutely no smoke coming out of the exhaust. If bleeding the system doesn't stop the problem I will pull the plugs and look at them.

If your radiator is bowed out like that, its gotten really hot and really pressurized. When you shut down a car at full hot like that, you cut off the water pump and let hot coolant sit inside the block and radiator. Its better to idle the car until it cools off to normal temp (fans + water pump > ambient air). If you dont think coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber, then what do you think a compression test will do? I think your looking in the wrong places for a solution. Always start with the basics.

Originally Posted by DanDriftS13

I have been running my car for a while now without a coolant overflow tank and have never had an issue losing coolant. This is why my current situation is bothering me so much....

Pretty much every car will piss a little coolant when it gets hot. Think about it, you have a given volume of liquid (coolant) at ambient temperature. You then heat the liquid 150-200 degrees hotter than normal. I dont have the numbers in front of me, but your 16psi rad cap just isnt gonna cut it, especially when you said yourself the car HAS gotten hot at some time or another.

Let us know how it works out.

[DanDriftS13]

Well I pulled the plugs today and they all look perfect, but I am still going to do a compression/leak down test just to be sure. I'll keep you posted and let you know when and if I figure out what is going on with the car...

[MadMaverick]

Originally Posted by DanDriftS13

Well I pulled the plugs today and they all look perfect, but I am still going to do a compression/leak down test just to be sure. I'll keep you posted and let you know when and if I figure out what is going on with the car...

Did you fill/bleed your system? We keep telling you to try this but you seem to blindly avoid it. You are going down the wrong diagnostic road my friend.