Feeling hot hot hot!!!

Cathode

Active Member
Yes, the Pulsar has been over heating and I wonder if the head-gasket is kaput. It gets hot then goes down to where it usually sits, just under half way, then it creeps back up again, then drops. I’m assuming the drop in temperature which I’d like to note, happens really rapidly, is because the fans are kicking in. It almost makes me think the gauge is not working correctly. Nonetheless, it’s getting hot. Still runs well and pulls hard so I’m going to take the thermostat out tomorrow and see if it’s that, which could be the problem but I don’t think I’m that lucky. O well.
 

Sailor96

Member
Sounds like a sticking thermostat to me, pressure finally overcoming the extra force and quickly opening the thermostat causing a rapid cooldown in coolant hitting a relatively cold radiator

Maybe check out your tension on the water pump too, found mine was loose the other day
 

Cathode

Active Member
Sounds like a sticking thermostat to me, pressure finally overcoming the extra force and quickly opening the thermostat causing a rapid cooldown in coolant hitting a relatively cold radiator

Maybe check out your tension on the water pump too, found mine was loose the other day
Thanks for this. I appreciate your thoughts. Makes me feel a bit more positive about the situation to get your second opinion. I’m going to chuck the thermostat in boiling water and see what happens. Even if it does open up, I’m going to take the car out for a run without the thermostat. If it still over heats, then we have a more serious problem. Doh!!
 

Cathode

Active Member
Ok, I took the thermostat out. It looks very rusty as the previous owner couldn’t have used coolant. Anyway I put it boiling water and the spring moved a little but not a lot. Personally I think it’s knackered.

I filled up the radiator and got as many of the air locks out of it as I could and took it for a drive without the thermostat. About an hour as it turned out and for the most part it never over heated once. It tried momentarily but sorted it self out and that was that which, I’m going to put down to an air lock.

When I got home i let it idle for 5 minutes and the fans had kicked in but it never over heated. I'd've thought that if it were the head gasket and it really was cooked then it would just over heat when cruising but it never did. Not even when I kicked it’s head in a bit. Now, I don’t know if this is a victory or not but I want to think so. Any opinions?
 
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Cathode

Active Member
Update: I decided to stop being a “puff” and took the executive decision to buy a cooler running stat.
Mishimoto! Sexy.
 

astarozna

Active Member
If it be head gasket then it would pressurise cooling under load, easy to check. Take radkacp off and give it some revs, if there's a volcano then....you guessed it right or just give it revs and check overflow bottle if it fills up and if you let go of the gas it would create some vacuum and suck coolant in to the cylinder, check the plugs for color or stick camera in to the bore and see how clean they are. Summertime you can run without a thermostat.
 
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