Hi guys,

A good friend bought a Dutton kit car about a year and if i cut a long story short the pinto he dropped in it is forcing water out the rad when it warms up, and i'm after some general advise. Hold onto the 'head gasket' thoughts...

Can you run a pinto without an expansion tank as it hasn't got one, just the crossflow rad?

You might ask:

Where is the starting water level? - 2-3" below cap
Is the thermostat in the correct way and working? - Yes, checked in boiling water
Does the whole rad get warm? - Yes - also ran hose through it in prep and testing
Are there bubbles or oil in the water? - No, and no smoke for that matter
Engine healthy? Had top end rebuild (by us) bottom end very good nick
Compression test? Not yet, can't find the damn thing
What temp does this happen? Bare chassis with no dials, so not sure - should find a thermometer really...

Anything else?

Thanks in advance

Tom

 

they don't use a expansion tank in a escort. so should be ok without. i assume it's blowing water out of the rad cap, not the rad itself. try a uprated rad cap.

 

Hi, sorry, missed that bit - yes it blows it out of the cap well the small pressure vent pipe next to it, which i take it doesn't go anywhere - just left to atmosphere?

I wasn't aware you could get uprated ones, i'll let him know!

Cheers

Tom

 

Little update for you.

Matt popped round last night, and while there took a call from another mate who'd sourced a head gasket for him. Immediately i tell him not to bother pulling it appart until he's at least fitted a new cap, or done a compression test.

He then explained two of the head bolts wouldn't turn the '90' when he torqued it up. Now i knew for a fact he'd blown the bolt holes out with a compressor (he practically bought it for that reason) and carb cleaner so couldn't make out why two would not budge, but it transpired his torque wrench was clicking on max (100lb/ft IIRC) and he didn't try a solid bar.

Seeing as he'd not made a note of which two bolts it was, i thought he could use the TW to go round one-by-one and check - upping the lb/ft as he went and determine which were 'solid'.

Getting to the point (eventually!) do you think the HG would blow/leak because of the above, bearing in mind the car has only been revved in the garage to keep it from stalling - all sensible stuff, and nothing silly at all..?

Cheers

Tom

PS looked for a high pressure cap and couldn't find one specific for him - whats best place to try? Burton - i see they list one from looking now, but it doesn't specify fitment - if they look right, do they fit?

Another: anyone know the pressure the OE items open at?

 

No, HG should be ok, don't just stick a higher rating cap on there, they are designed to keep a certain pressure and no more, all systems have an expansion area, on older cars with no seprate bottle it was the area above the cooling fins in the rad not occupied with water, it the water level rises taking up this space, the level only needs to be visible above the top row of fins, just so you know it has enough, so leave it there, water expands as it heats up, if there was no area in which to expand, the pressure would easily blow the HG, what fan/cooling arrangement are you using, as this should also be kicking in when hot enough.
It's suicide to run without a temp indicator.
I would look at these things before upping cap pressures, the front two bolts should really have an extra 15lbft, this stops the oil spaking through the HG.
tabetha

 

Hi, and thanks for the reply.

We rigged up the Escort fan to run constantly (as a precaution), and by touch the rad remained at most warm/hot, never did it reach a point you couldn't keep you hand on it - furthermore the water that was pushed out wasn't too hot to touch - my friend blocked the vent pipe with his thumb initially and didn't complain.

I have emphasised he need to rig up a temperature gauge, but bare in mind he just wanted to start her for the first time - there is no body/dash/brakes etc etc.

Cheers

Tom

 

Hi, well he's done the compressions tests, and the results are 'ok' - ish.

In psi with a cold engine and WOT

Dry:
1, 160
2, 160
3, 175
4, 175

Wet:
1, 180
2, 175
3, 175
4, 190

What do you think - shame about the varition, but according to Haynes, this engine should be betweem 160 and (coincidentally) 189. I dont like the wording, but thats what is says - i would have expected them to give plus or minus 10 psi at most, not 30.

The tester is only a Ł30 jobbie, but we'll stick in on my uno tomorrow for a little continuity.

Cheers

Tom

PS OE cap opens at 0.85 - 1.1bar so he'll get one on order anyhoo..

 

There's a few differant rad caps for pintos, one with the open drain and the one that runs into a non sealed header, they dump at differant pressures and one sucks back in when cooled down are you sure you have the right cap ?

 

Hi,

Well before we could prove or disprove any theories he's gone and driven to brum and bought a recon head thats unleaded-ready in the hope to kill two birds with one stone!

If he'd waited another 24 hrs his new cap (18-21psi IIRC) would have been delivered and available to try.

To answer your question Bortaf, the cap he was using came on the rad from the x cross engine, so nope, there's nothing to say it should have been ok...

Cheers

Tom