Blew a hose, coolant everywhere, now having heating issues

[FaDuck]

Since I wont be dropping off the car till next week anyways, I can atleast do a proper bleed. If that doesnt take care of the fluctuating temp, Ill move onto the thermostat and see if that does the trick.

I'll also look into a high pressure radiator cap as well.

[JazzleSAURUS]

A bleed is a very reasonable place to start. I don't think it's your issue, (I'm standing by a thermostat...) but it will cost minimal coolant to test, and could potentially resolve your issue.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by JazzleSAURUS

A bleed is a very reasonable place to start. I don't think it's your issue, (I'm standing by a thermostat...) but it will cost minimal coolant to test, and could potentially resolve your issue.

Would resolve the issue if it was low coolant in the first place. Otherwise (as I know you agree) it is just treating a symptom and the same thing can and probably will happen again if nothing else is changed.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

How did you know that the "white smoke" was actually coming out of the tail pipes in the first place? Not like you could see them from in the car. Could it have just been a puff of steam coming from under the car when it blew?

That was my very first thought after @OND talked some sense into us. Big ol' heat shield frying pan under there.

Srsly, OP. Unless you can still smell it in the exhaust, I retract my concern about head gaskets.


Also...
Why high-pressure cap? Was there an issue before now? You may create one down the road. What is the pressure rating of the OEM radiator? Would higher pressure cycling have any effect on its lifespan? Don't fix an imaginary problem.

Reservoir hose blowing off still bugs me. That's a lot of pressure really fast.

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by OND

Lol, OP had massive coolant spillage all over the engine bay and you guys assume his head gasket is blown instead of some of that coolant making its way to the intake and being thrown out as white smoke..

That is certainly a possibility, but as I noted in an earlier post, to be on the safe side, 'IF' the white cloud came from the exhaust, I would not assume it is one of the other possibilities until I had ruled out a head gasket or something similar. Seen far too many of them with the same symptoms OP describes.

No harm in doing a proper full bleed, or replacing the thermostat, or vacuuming the interior. Doing the first two, seeing if it calmed down the erratic temps, getting the car good and hot and doing an exhaust sniff (not a long one) would be a start. However I did so, I would, however, check the head gasket just to be sure. It is, however, the OP's car, not mine.

[FaDuck]

Im dropping off the car this morning at the shop. I highly doubt he will be able to get to it right away, but hopefully by the end of the week.

I followed the proper procedure for bleeding the system, and I wasnt able to add anymore coolant. So of course the fluctuation didnt go away.

I didnt get the chance to replace the thermostat, so I'll just have the shop do it.

My tuner made a suggestion. He recalled working on another high hp FRS/BRZ with the MAPerformance kit that also blew off that same hose. He said MAP's custom overflow reservoir was too small, and at high load you will push too much.

So I spoke with MAPeformance, and they are thinking of using my car as the mock up car, and whatever new design they come up with, they will use that in all their future kits.

So we will wait and see what the shop comes up with. Ill update as soon as I hear something.

[OND]

Originally Posted by FaDuck

Im dropping off the car this morning at the shop. I highly doubt he will be able to get to it right away, but hopefully by the end of the week.

I followed the proper procedure for bleeding the system, and I wasnt able to add anymore coolant. So of course the fluctuation didnt go away.

I didnt get the chance to replace the thermostat, so I'll just have the shop do it.

My tuner made a suggestion. He recalled working on another high hp FRS/BRZ with the MAPerformance kit that also blew off that same hose. He said MAP's custom overflow reservoir was too small, and at high load you will push too much.

So I spoke with MAPeformance, and they are thinking of using my car as the mock up car, and whatever new design they come up with, they will use that in all their future kits.

So we will wait and see what the shop comes up with. Ill update as soon as I hear something.

Is the overflow tank also airtight by any chance? The OE cap has some play in it which probably helps with venting.

[FaDuck]

Originally Posted by OND

Is the overflow tank also airtight by any chance? The OE cap has some play in it which probably helps with venting.

They do re-use the OE cap. Im assuming since all their reservoirs are custom made, that all the OE caps would fit a little differently? Some a bit more lose than others?

Ever since I had their kit installed last year, I have had issues with the OE cap popping off on occasion. I eventually decided to put a little piece of electrical tape over it.

[FaDuck]

I have an oil leak, thats for certain... Coming from the left side headgasket (assuming), at the bottom of the block. Its been dripping onto the top of the lower radiator hose.

We're thinking the head must have lifted under full boost, breaking the seal. So its something thats only going to keep getting worse.

The car still runs and drives perfectly fine though, honestly. If I didnt have the ability to watch the coolant temp, I probably would have shrugged off the hose blowing off (though I do understand, that at some point, something would happen).

Whether thats the root cause or not, its something thats going to have to get fixed.

Ughhh.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by OND

Is the overflow tank also airtight by any chance? The OE cap has some play in it which probably helps with venting.

Originally Posted by FaDuck

They do re-use the OE cap. Im assuming since all their reservoirs are custom made, that all the OE caps would fit a little differently? Some a bit more lose than others?

Ever since I had their kit installed last year, I have had issues with the OE cap popping off on occasion. I eventually decided to put a little piece of electrical tape over it.

The overflow tank is not pressurized and does not need to be air tight.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by FaDuck

I have an oil leak, thats for certain... Coming from the left side headgasket (assuming), at the bottom of the block. Its been dripping onto the top of the lower radiator hose.

We're thinking the head must have lifted under full boost, breaking the seal. So its something thats only going to keep getting worse.

The car still runs and drives perfectly fine though, honestly. If I didnt have the ability to watch the coolant temp, I probably would have shrugged off the hose blowing off (though I do understand, that at some point, something would happen).

Whether thats the root cause or not, its something thats going to have to get fixed.

Ughhh.

Nope, still not buying the head gasket thing. The head does not lift and then go back into place and if it is enough for an oil leak then it is enough to have coolant in to oil. You said there was no coolant in the oil so none of this makes sense.

[guybo]

How do we know there's no coolant in the oil? He hasn't mentioned doing an oil change

[FaDuck]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Nope, still not buying the head gasket thing. The head does not lift and then go back into place and if it is enough for an oil leak then it is enough to have coolant in to oil. You said there was no coolant in the oil so none of this makes sense.

He did do a Hydrocarbon test and it was negative, so there is no combustion leak. We both checked the reservoir, the radiator cap, the oil cap, and the oil dipstick. No signs of oil in the coolant or vice versa.

So far, all signs indicate no headgasket issue, but I dont know what else to think. The oil leak is coming from the bottom of the block, right above where the lower radiator hose connects to the thermostat housing. There is no indication of oil coming from higher up the block.

The oil has to be seaping through the headgasket doesnt it?

Im about ready to drive it back to Fullblown and have them try and diagnose it.

[FaDuck]

Originally Posted by guybo

How do we know there's no coolant in the oil? He hasn't mentioned doing an oil change

That is one thing that has not been done.