Full Radiator = Hard to start :: Added Video

[DJ Nitrous 427]

So, I know for a fact my lower intake manifold gasket is blown (I can see water steaming out when hot). Would this cause my truck to be very hard to start after filling the radiator?

My truck runs HOT, FAST all the time, for reasons I'm still trying to figure out. New water pump, new fan clutch, NO thermostat to fail. I live <3 miles form work so I've been limping it back and forth until I can sort it all out.

Once a week I have to put water in the radiator. If I put too much, I have to make multiple attempts (roughly 10) to start it after filling. But it will eventually fire up, run rough for a bit the run perfectly fine. The next start may be sluggish but it will fire up fine. Then after that I'm golden until I have to put more water in.

Would my intake gasket cause it to heat up so FAST (almost peg the dial) within 5mins (<3miles) and cause the starting issues when the radiator is full?

 

[shadowless127]

have you done any steps to ensure you don't have a blown head gasket? Hows your oil look? Pull a plug and make sure there's no water in the head.

 

[DJ Nitrous 427]

I haven't done any yet. Juding by my dipstick, it looks/smells clean, but if my engine gets hot enough, I can hear the oil boiling in the fill tube so I know theres water in it. I bought all the stuff for an oil change to do tonight so I can report more on that tomorrow.

What should I look for in the sparkplug hole? Droplets? Pool? Coloration?

 

[shadowless127]

I haven't done any yet. Juding by my dipstick, it looks/smells clean, but if my engine gets hot enough, I can hear the oil boiling in the fill tube so I know theres water in it. I bought all the stuff for an oil change to do tonight so I can report more on that tomorrow.

What should I look for in the sparkplug hole? Droplets? Pool? Coloration?

pooling, if the sparkplug is wet.

 

[DJ Nitrous 427]

Thanks. Ill check into it. Would they all be wet or just the cyl thats cracked/ has the gasket leaking water?

Also would a blown head gasket cause the starting issues at a certain water level?

My thoughts are that if it was something of that nature, it'd be hard to start all the time as long as coolant is running past the break (cyl wall, gasket, or otherwise).

 

[budwich]

water is going to flow out to the lowest point / hole that it can find, your "hole" in the engine IF its below the level of the rad... kind of how water works...

 

[DJ Nitrous 427]

damn your a genius. i feel kinda stupid for not thinking of that. now to figure out where that plane crosses though the engine.

 

[DJ Nitrous 427]

Here's a video of my complete ride from work to the house. I included the tach so you can see my driving "technique". Most important part is from 2:24 - 2:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhl9Z0jyxwo

Also for ****sngiggles I tried the "turn on your heater" trick to see if i could get the temp gauge to drop some.... just blows cool air... any thoughts?

 

[alohamonte]

if its blowing cold air, then it's probably a bad heater control valve that is not letting hot water circulate into the heater core.

it's a $15-20 part that you can swap out in less than 10 minute with basic tools.


i would also, definately, put a new t-stat in it.

 

[DJ Nitrous 427]

would that also cause the overheating issues?

 

[bse068]

I had this part go bad on me in a 1985 Mercedes SEL. In the Merc, the part is a molded plastic. When mine failed, it was during a -15deg F day. I let my car warm up for 15 minutes and on the drive home it cracked. The coolant flowed into the bulkhead, and eventually there was no heat in he passenger compartment. It had split on the seam.

I hope you have an easy repair.