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Solved Radiator pressure iasue after new waterpump installed

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Itchybruno47

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Year, Model & Trim Level
93 EXPLODER XLT 4.0 OHV
Hey all.
93 explorer xlt 4x4 auto with air. 368000 kms
Got a confusing one here.
My explorer sat for about 10 months and when I started running it again my water pump started leaking out the weeper hole. I'm assuming the internal seal got used to sitting and then **** the bed when it got used again after 10 months. Anyways. It started leaking more and more coolant out the week hole when I would shut down the engine to the point I swapped out for a new water pump. I've for this before 5 years ago and did nothing unusual this time around when changing it. I was having no issues aside from the shut down leaking with the old pump.
After letting the gasket set up overnight I refilled the system this morning and when I went to fire it up it did so no problem.
I've read differing opinions as to bleeding air from the system but normally I just fill the rad and overflow and then cap it. Run it till it hits temp and the thermostat pops and then shut it down. Let it cool pop the cap and top it up and off I go. This time though I thought I would try the leave the cap off method. I started it up and immediately went to remove the cap but as I did, slowly, there was a decent amount of pressure in the rad and it wanted to just spew out the coolant. So I thought wired and tightened the cap back down and figured I would do the cap on method I've always done. So I'm sitting in the can and watching the temp gauge slowly climb. Normally I hit the L and then the t stat pops and temp goes back down. This time I watched it head slowly higher until it hit the H for high and was bearing the red line. It say the red for about 2 minutes and I decided NOPE and shut it down. I ran out to do groceria and whatnot and let the explorer sit and cool down. Now my quetion here is what was all the pressure from immediately after a stone cold start up and why would I overheat directly after a new pump and fresh coolant? Anyone seen this before?
I know a lot of you are going to want to say head gasket is letting into the coolant passages but I highly doubt my head gasket went in the 3 hours I took to do the pumwter pump swap. Not to mention the truck clearly wasn't and didn't run during that time. I got no Crap in the cooking lines so that is deffo not a blockage. I'm headed back out to poke around some now that it's cooled down. In hoping I just had an air pocket in the thermostat housing and that's what the high temp was from. The sending unit and the comp temp proves are both there and they will not work in steam or just got air (pockets) so I'm hoping that explains the wierd temp that just sat at high. I don't have any ideas as to why the pressure in the system though directly after a cold start up.....
Thanks ahead gang.
IB47
 



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did you replace the thermostat? You could also get a kit to flush the system before putting a new thermostat in.
 












I've read differing opinions as to bleeding air from the system but normally I just fill the rad and overflow and then cap it. Run it till it hits temp and the thermostat pops and then shut it down. Let it cool pop the cap and top it up and off I go.

Yeah you have air in the system. Bleeding it the way you did, especially with this trucks upper radiator routing, will give you lots o' air.

How I do it on my Explorer....I raise the front on a curb or ramps, cold engine, start truck with the radiator cap off. Top it off, then wait for the stat to open. I also burp the upper radiator hose as I'm doing that. Even raised up you can get a big air pocket in that upper hose. Then as the coolant level drops, top off. When it quits dropping, and is right at the top, and squeezing the upper hose doesn't give any bubbles...then you're ready to put the cap back on.

Your pressure thing you saw, i think was just residual, and that's more common with a lot of air in the system -- which I think is what you have.
 






I think Rhett has the problem nailed down for you . Sounds & acts like a big air pocket to me also . if you ever do replace the thermostat on the ring will be a little hole with a small check valve in the outer ring . this goes at 12 oclock to help the air to bleed out . best of luck to you .
 






Thanks for the replies guys. Was deffo air in the system causing the weird presure issue. All good now.
 












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