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Cooling issues


BXX

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Well, I finally got my 89 GP on the road... Bought it from a lot where it had been sitting for almost 2 years... Here's the problem though..

 

It seems to keep needing coolant, or it could be I just dont have it bled all the way... The gauge only goes up about 1/4 of the way, it hasn't hit the normal opp. temp mark yet... Occasionally the coolant light right about the gauge comes on, and then off... That is prolly the coolant sender, right?? Well about the same time it comes on, so does the oil pressure light and that gauge pegs... Oil pressure sender needs replaced I do believe...

 

With that said, I am real hesitant of this motor overheating (we all know what 2.8Ls do when they over heat like hell) but here is the odd thing, I can feel the upper plenum and it is warm, not enough to burn my hand.. The fans aren't coming on. And I hear the water pump making noise... You'd think with the water pump going out, it wouldn't cool, but it seems it's cooling too much... Is it possible there is still air in the system, causing the gauge to not real accurately??? I don't see steam or coolant bubbling from anywhere, and my oil doesn't show ANY signs of coolant. Nor do I smell coolant in the exhaust... I actually smell a 17 year old catalytic working good :surprised:

 

Any suggestions??? I'm gonna let it cool down and go check the coolant level.. And then try to rebleed the system...

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My 88 GP used to run at 1/4 on the guage all the time. In the summer in city traffic it would go up though. Have you tried letting it run on the spot for 20min? That should get the engine to warm up.

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Well tonight i'm gonna take a look at it. The thermostat may be sticking open, but it's not acting like it... I would let it idle for a bit, but I don't like it to idle for a while since I need new plugs/wires and new dogbones... It kinda idles a little rough...

 

Anyway, the cooling fans are going on a manual toggle switch tonight since I wanna have full control of them...

 

Yeah, the thermostat prolly needs changed, but it isn't acting like it is sticking open.... I gotta go out to where a spare engine of mine is sitting at tomorrow. I'm gonna highjack the coolant sensors off of that engine and get them installed...

 

BTW, it's been pretty cold here lately.. I wonder if I just haven't been sitting long enough to get it heated up all the way... I think i'm gonna take a 30 minutes trip on a 45mph highway to see what it does..

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run it with no radiator cap on till it gets most of the air out of it and keep filling it, then once its not taking anymore coolant put the cap on, and bleed it, also be sure that the overflow has plenty of coolant.

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