When does your radiator fan switch on?

[m3t4lm4n222]

I pulled out the sensor, here's how it looks.IMG_20140128_182402_180.jpg

Is that a torn up gasket, or did they simply use some sort of RTV. I can't really tell. Should that black stuff be there?

In addition, I pulled off my radiator cap and found this

IMG_20140128_182459_532.jpg

Should coolant be more visible? Does it look like i'm low? Thanks for all the help.

[TorqueEffect]

I pulled out the sensor, here's how it looks.[ATTACH=CONFIG]14925[/ATTACH]

Is that a torn up gasket, or did they simply use some sort of RTV. I can't really tell. Should that black stuff be there?

In addition, I pulled off my radiator cap and found this

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14926[/ATTACH]

Should coolant be more visible? Does it look like i'm low? Thanks for all the help.

Yeah, that looks low, should be all the way to the top, shouldn't be able to see the actual core of the radiator. Also if the rest of your coolant is that brown color, flush the system, and top up with some clean 50/50 conventional green antifreeze.

Quite easy to flush, there is a petcock on the bottom of the radiator.
A common cheap and effective cleaning agent would be Cascade Dishwasher soap, just fill the system with a mix of that and water. (Leave the Radiator cap off) Then let the car run until the thermostat opens. (you will notice when the mix in the radiator is no longer visible, then top up with more. Let it run for about 15 mins. Drain, and basically rinse and repeat until what drains out is all clean, then just fill the system with clean 50/50.

And the black stuff I believe is just the rubber seal, that isn't going to matter.

[crazyrog17]

Unless you drained the coolant first, it should have poured out of the fan switch hole when you removed it

[TorqueEffect]

Good point

[m3t4lm4n222]

A little bit of coolant did drain out, but not much. I just pulled my dipstick out, oddly enough, the oil is clean on the bottom portion (Where the oil is) but there seems to be fluid in the dipstick tunnel that looks like coolant + engine oil. This engine was rebuilt about 17k miles ago. Maybe it initially had a blown head gasket.

I'm concerned, because that may mean I have a blown head gasket. I still haven't gotten a block test done. But the car drives fine and when I bought it, I drove it about 50 miles prior to purchasing it.

[bolokid]

PM me if you want me to stop by on my way home from work. I have some spare parts, radiator, fans, etc.... if you want to try them. I also have shop manual for a 91.

[m3t4lm4n222]

I may take you up on that. I work the next two days, but Thursday and Friday I do not. I think i'm going to get a block test done (or buy a kit) and ensure I don't have a head gasket leak first.

I've driven the car 400 miles since I have owned it and had no issues, but the creamy looking fluid in the dipstick area concerns me more than anything.

[bravekozak]

It sounds like a previously blown head gasket, or the head was cracked, or not torqued down properly, or not plane. As long as your oil is clean at the moment.
They could have pulled the dipstick tube and pushed it back in again, after the rebuild, without cleaning it.

Pull out the coolant temperature sensor and inspect it. It is in the cylinder head.

[bolokid]

I have all the tools necessary. We could start with a simple compression test, using the infra temp reader check the temp as the car is running. By any chance is this the red Festie that was advertised in PSC on CL a few months ago?

[crazyrog17]

If only a little bit drained out, we have to wonder where it went.. or if it was even filled in the first place.

[m3t4lm4n222]

Yes. It's the red Festiva advertised by "Craig" on Craigslist. He was a very OCD man who works at the federal building. He happens to live in Pasco, I went to his house. He's obviously a family man so I have doubts he would of sold me a car with a blown head gasket.

I contacted him, he was using the car as a daily driver. Had him drive it to my house, I checked it out, drove it around and bit. We ended up driving around about 50 miles before I even purchased it because we ran between W.Richland and Pasco several times and it had no issues. In fact now the only issue I have is that i'm still a bit sloppy on a manual, but I still get back and forth from work without any issues.

We went to his house, got copies of all the parts purchased and machine work done to the car.

It was rebuilt by someone named "Leon" who used to work at Perfection Tire.


I work today and tomorrow, and I work 12 hours a day, so I won't have much time to look into it until Friday. If you have the tools to do a block test, I may get a hold of you for some correspondence. I do know I could pick up a kit for about $40, but i'm not entirely sure it's something I need to invest in. I want this car to run obviously, but if I have a blown head gasket, i'd like to know so I can decide whether or not I want to get it replaced, or throw the car to the pit.

If only a little bit drained out, we have to wonder where it went.. or if it was even filled in the first place.

Only a little came out, however upon refilling the radiator, it only took maybe 1/10th of a gallon before the coolant level was back to the top. By a little bit, I don't mean a dribble, I mean enough to probably sit in the thermostat housing.

[crazyrog17]

I'm a proponent of DIY head gasket jobs. The cylinder head, with intake and exhaust manifolds attached, comes off in just a few steps. Some cleaning and a new gasket, then reassembly.

Hoping you don't have a bad gasket, but know it's not 'throw it into the pits' bad.

[m3t4lm4n222]

I'm a proponent of DIY head gasket jobs. The cylinder head, with intake and exhaust manifolds attached, comes off in just a few steps. Some cleaning and a new gasket, then reassembly.

Hoping you don't have a bad gasket, but know it's not 'throw it into the pits' bad.

It's simply a lack of time.

[m3t4lm4n222]

I've got some pictures i'm going to upload soon. I removed the oil filled cap on the engine after letting it idle for about 10 minutes and sure enough, it looks like there's some milky mixture in the oil.

I'm going to be pretty upset if I do indeed have a blown head gasket, simply because of the fact that I purchased the car with all the paper work for the engine work including a head gasket. Not only that, but I got two temp sensors replaced, only for the result not to change, as well as an oil change with any warning of a coolant in the oil.

[m3t4lm4n222]

So I didn't drive the car today. Came home, started the car up, let it idle for about 10 minutes, checked the oil cap and found this.

IMG_20140130_215003_483.jpg

So I cleaned it out, put the cap back on, drove about 10 miles, came back, removed the cap, same result.

One thing to note, is that it appears the dipstick has clean oil. The inside of the engine also doesn't appear to be caked with junk.

IMG_20140130_215030_840.jpg

Am I just being paranoid?