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New Engine, Overheating

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Rustin 
#1 ·
So much to my horror, I just dropped in a new engine from Turner engineering. Everything seemed to be be fine, but on my inaugural drive, the temp started to creep up. Pulled over, and let thing cool, and got back home. When I turned the engine off, I heard a gurgling sound in the upper radiator house. Thought system was not bled, so went through and made sure everything was OK, and let the engine idle, and sure enough, temp crept up, and gurgling sound came back.

Going to replace the thermostat, shot the housing with a IR meter, and read super hot, 220. Also worked about a bad head gasket. Any advice on what else I need to check ?? Totally bummed about the new engine, and still facing an overheating issue.

thanks -- rrr
 
#3 ·
The cooling system ideally has a high point to bleed just up from the thermostat, although I find it bleeds fine by just filling the system through the radiator and keep filling it as the level drops. (just don't open when hot as the hot liquid can come squirting out).

But, you changed the engine (turner is good company), I assume composite headgaskets and new pump so coolant circulation should be fine. I wonder what is the state of your radiator? It might look good, but chances are it is not shedding heat efficiently. I had a lovely looking original copper radiator and endless overheating issues. Decided to change out with a cheap ($200) aluminum radiator and now it runs 185F all the time, traffic, speed, etc never an issue in Houston Texas. I did some research and radiator cooling capacity deteriorates over time and is significantly less after just 10 years. Has to do with how the heat of the water reaches the fins and being carried away by air flow.

(Ok, I admit.. the other day I was driving from Galveston to Houston (2 hrs), got stuck in traffic. 102F outside, more like 110F on tarmac. AC max, standing still with no air and my temp creeped up to 210F. Was getting a little too much for the old girl (1983) )
 
#4 ·
What kind of engine have you bought form Turner? I've got 4.6 for my RRC LSE a couple of months ago and it seems to me like it runs a little bit hot than normal about 95C. I'm in Spain with 30 plus outside but my old 4.2 was not more than 90C in the same conditions so it looks like there is a kind of problem.
 
#5 ·
They can be a PITA to get all the air out. I use a tall funnel screwed into the radiator to create a high point. Keep it filled (but not too full because it will rise) until the tstat opens and you should see really big burp. Keep fluid in the funnel as to not introduce air back into the system. I will also massage the upper hose to get little air pockets out.

Expansion tank cap is on during the job. Turn off engine, remove funnel & replace radiator plug and allow to cool. Afterwards check expansion tank & top up if needed.

You can raise the right corner (one with expansion tank) too.
 
#6 ·
Thanks everyone. I got a 4.0L rebuild from them, and dropped the 4.2 front end on. Talks with the folks at Turner engineering. Super helpful. They told me a little trick to fill via the heater hose at the top of the engine. Worked like a champ. Not much air came out, but some did. Engine is still hot, but gurgling is gone. Looks like my viscous fan has gone bad, it was the one thing that has not been replaced. So hoping that will resolve my issue. I ran the engine at idle for about 20 mins, and did OK, Got a bit on the hot side, but did not really creep up until i dove off, and then kept up under load. Got the IR thermometer out, and checking things

It was fun to get the air out. Running better, but not drivable quite yet.
 
#8 ·
An incomplete bleed/ burp is the number one reason for overheat after a coolant service, water pump change or hose replacement.

With a new engine there is alot more space to fill. I usually fill the radiator from the top hose and pop that on the thermostat fill the tank. Run while keeping the tank full and if you can't keep up have a buddy turn off the engine. Get caught up so that the tank never empties. Usually by this point you can open up the heater to full heat and the thermostat should be almost ready to open. There will be another drop in the tank to keep up with as full flow is reached. when the tank stop dropping and the heater is making the inside a sweat lodge. shut her down and let her cool down. When you restart her cold you will be pretty close to air free and will only have to top off the tank. Every body has tricks and tips and their preferred method. But with a new engine the block will fill before any real circulation begins the air will want to come out the tank. The oil pump will catch up with the assembly grease and the lifters may make a bit of noise for a bit.

I have never had to go back and reburp any Classic, P38 or Disco. No sticking one corner up on blocks etc. Let the water pump do the work.
 
#9 ·
Just to close things out, turned out to be a bad thermostat. Bought it new, got it from rover's north. Oh well. Many hours wasted, tracking that down. Symptoms was engine would run fine, but term housing heated up. water would boil, and heard gurgling when shut down.
 
#10 ·
Nice you fixed it. Nowadays you cannot really trust new parts all the time. Rover North might think they buy good ones but they might come from the same cheap china/india batch with high failure rate. There are a lot of shady middlemen involved. One of the annoying things of maintaining a modern classic.

The other good news is that the issue was not your new Turner block. They are a good company. I visited them several times when I lived in the UK and they have always been helpful and professional. Now in the US I buy from them occasionally.

I just overhauled my V8 3.5 (using several Turner parts as it happens). Running in a newly overhauled engine is an interesting process. Make sure you frequently change the (cheap) oil to avoid bedding-in material to unduly circulate through the engine. My oil was clear after the 3 charge and I used Synthetic for the 4th. I did notice that the oil temperature (I have a pressure and temp gauge) gradually came down while the oil pressure stayed steady. So yes I do think that a fresh engine probably runs a little hotter as it settles in (but not so much it should boil of course).

Good luck!
 
#11 ·
Everyone is spot on here... usually in a case like yours its an air pocket or trap.
1. The BEST way if the coolant system is empty or part full is to leave the cap on the coolant tank, put an old radiator cap with the lower spring seal mechanism removed or held open some how. Use a piece of tubing between a vacuum source and the coolant tank to the small line attaching to the radiator as overflow. And, use a second piece of tubing between the radiator overflow fitting on the radiator to a bucket of coolant mix. Turn on the vacuum source... it will suck ALL the air out from the radiator through the engine, above the coolant bucket, and draw the coolant into the engine. No air will exist in the system first time. Shut off the vacuum source before the coolant fills the tank. Disconnect the line to the vacuum source at the overflow fitting at the coolant tank. Then attach the normal overflow / bleed line to the coolant tank. Then remove the hose to the buck from the fitting on the radiator and attach the overflow / bleed line to the radiator. Fill the coolant tank to low / cold fill mark. Voila -- no air.

I note trapped air is a source of causing rusting or corrosion in the system. This solves that problem. A acquaintance operating in the middle east with one of those huge super yachts had the same problem... but you are talking engines nearing a million dollars each with nearly 4000 hp per engine. His engineer could not figure out how to fix, and the trip to the shipyard was a long haul, and often the service guys sent out from Europe did not really know how to fix, because the system used coolant rather than raw seawater, and because the coolant system had many lines and components spread over a large and hard to access areas. I suggested the this to them. They had spent literally weeks trying to fix. Voila one short days' work and they had it fixed this way!
 
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