Burst Radiator

[Disco_Stu]

Hi all, as the topic says really.

Was coming back from a day out diving on sunday when I noticed the temp guage at 3/4 level - I've never seen it past half. I'd only been on the motorway for about 3 miles so pulled over and had a look.

No coolant (hardly any) in the header tank and a little jet of warm water coming out of the rad in amongst the fins on the top right quarter. I had a great big collapsible water carrier in the boot (Lucky) so topped it up and did another couple of miles. Temp rocketed straight back up, higher this time. Pulled over and unscrewed the header cap and it was throwing water out under serious pressure - warm - not hot. At this point I tried the heaters - nothing. Top hoses felt hot but empty and the stat housing was too hot to touch.

At this point I got a mate to tow me to lancaster services, about 5 miles further down the M6. I know you cant rope tow on the motorway, but we did, no one saw us and we are fine so thats the end of that :)

When we got to the services I phoned for recovery and while we waited had another look at the problem. Some fella walking past said "Ooo, there a bitch when they airlock, make sure you top it from the bleed hole on top of the stat" and sauntered off. Well, with the header tank showing full, i put in at least 3 litres through the bleed hole, I couldnt belive it was taking so much. It just shows you how much coolant you can loose without being aware of it.
After half a dozen big burps it settled down, heaters got hot, temp stabilised and hot water was coming out of the rad.
Decided not to risk carring on and waited all afternoon for the recovery wagon which was going top be there "Within an hour".

Ordered a new rad, £98 +VAT from mailorder 4x4 with free delivery. I'm going to sacrifice a goat later to the god of Headgaskets, I could really do without that being busted. It never got up to the red, do you reckon I might get away with it?

Stu

[Range Rover Blues]

That's exactly what happened to ours.  ruined the head

Don't know whether it was the overheating did the gasket, or the gasket blew the rad.  Fit a new rad and you'll know soon after.  Keep an eye on it for about a year, a damaged head gasket can take time to show up, these engines can be forgiving (and the V8 more so).

[Mud-muncher1]

I had the same problem with mine, pressurising header tank an no heat, i suggest getting the head done too as if it hasn't gone already it will soon which would start all sort of problem ( i'm still working through mine  :'( )


Jav.

[Wireless]

Mmm...you lot have got me worried now, fitted a new rad in April 2007, which decided to start leaking slowly in July 2008 (neatly outside the 12 month warranty), K-Seal would work fine until you took it down a motorway at 70mph, then the leak would start again, then stop during tick over as the K-Seal started work, I thought a split seam from the rad being the culprit, it being a none Land Rover genuine part with a manufacturing fault.

I've fitted a new rad on Monday, so far fingers crossed, there's no uneven running on LPG, no excessive vapour from the exhaust (but that IS difficult to tell on LPG), no water dripping from the exhaust, and the oil is free from water contamination and vice versa.

I shouldn't listen to you lot, raises my stress levels.

[Disco_Stu]

Well, it looks like the goat helped  :dance:

Changed the rad for a new Bearmach one, looks like decent quality, £115 inc vat with free delivery. No presurisation of the cooling system, emulsification, contaminated water etc. Had it up to temperature a few times and done a quick blat down the motorway and all seems well. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Lucky this time.

Stu.