Blown Head Gasket?

[Mudderoy]

I heard a gurgling sound coming from the engine bay, I was looking for coolant leaks otherwise I probablay wouldn't have noticed it.

So I looked around and found it was coming from the overflow container. I shot a quick video before it stopped, of course someone walked up and started talking to me while I was trying to do this...

Alright fellers, this is a bad sign, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmTXtvHQuGc

[rguignard]

muddy is that the overflow ? if it is ck the rad. cap it could be bad. do you have any water in the oil or any leaks?

[Mudderoy]

muddy is that the overflow ? if it is ck the rad. cap it could be bad. do you have any water in the oil or any leaks?

Yeah I've been thinking about it, and did some searching last night and now I'm thinking it may be the bent up neck and radiator cap.

No no oil in my peanut butter, or chocolate in my water. I think I was thinking blown head gasket because of an issue I had with a 1986 Cougar that would over heat and blow all the water out of the overflow. This is nothing like that just a gurgling sound.

This is how my new 3 core came to me.
http://xjtalk.com/images/special/Jeep_radiator1.jpg

This is after I straighten it out, still a little bent.
http://xjtalk.com/images/special/jeepcoolant.jpg

[rguignard]

that looks like that might be it :thumbsup:

[Mudderoy]

that looks like that might be it :thumbsup:

I went out and "fixed" it this morning. I tried bending it a little more into shape. I put the cap on then remote started it, leaving it to heat up and build coolant system pressure. I went back in side to finish getting my stuff.

I came out to a nice puddle on the ground just under the radiator cap. :stars:

So I fixed it some more.

The past week or so, it's been running hotter than what it has been. 210 as opposed to say 195(?) Today it stayed around 195 all the way in. I'll be able to tell better on the way home during the hotter part of the day.

I stopped at NAPA here on Jones Rd. on the way in and picked up a new radiator cap just in case.

[96xj]

I'm surprised that you kept that radiator in that condition , i would of sent it back

[Mudderoy]

I'm surprised that you kept that radiator in that condition , i would of sent it back

I wasn't happy when I saw it. In fact the reason for the picture was so I could attach it to an e-mail back to radiatorbarn.com. They said that CFS packs the radiator in such a way that this is very common, and I could just bend it back out. I was fine with bending it but I wanted to make sure that if I broke it they would take it back. They agreed without issue, so I bend it back into place, as much as I felt comfortable doing.

[4.3LXJ]

Muddy

The top lip is the secondary seal. The first on is inside. Personally, I would have sent it back on their dime. But now that you have run it, to diagnose the head gasket, fill it up so there is coolant in the neck and bring it up to operating temp. Then look in the fill. If it is not full, put some distilled water in it to bring up the level to the lower lip. Then look for bubbles. If it is bad there will be bubbles just coming through on a regular basis.

[Mudderoy]

Muddy

The top lip is the secondary seal. The first on is inside. Personally, I would have sent it back on their dime. But now that you have run it, to diagnose the head gasket, fill it up so there is coolant in the neck and bring it up to operating temp. Then look in the fill. If it is not full, put some distilled water in it to bring up the level to the lower lip. Then look for bubbles. If it is bad there will be bubbles just coming through on a regular basis.

I'm afraid that no matter how much I sent it back the replacement would have looked the same based on how it was packed and what I was told.

[96xj]

I'm afraid that no matter how much I sent it back the replacement would have looked the same based on how it was packed and what I was told.

send it back and find it some where else , if a company sells a product they should know how to pack it right so that it doesn't brake , they feed you some shit so that you keep it thats bull shit

[alwaysxj]

send it back and find it some where else , if a company sells a product they should know how to pack it right so that it doesn't brake , they feed you some shit so that you keep it thats bull shit


i work at a big company that shipps stuff everyday and we ship motors and they will come broken and insted of packing it alittle better so they do not have to eat $350 again. they just pack it the same and but a this side up sticker on it. go figure.

i would send it back as well, hope it works out for you.

[Mudderoy]

Well I didn't get interrupted today while looking at the reason for the gurgling, and you know what I found out? No bubbles. It's coolant filling up the over flow bottle. Why? Cause it is hot, expanding etc...

I just never had the hood open right after getting somewhere before, or it if I did it wasn't that hot.

When I got home I got out, leaving the engine running, and checked the overflow bottle. No noise and just about the proper coolant level in the bottle.

I then killed the engine and the noise started. I pinched the overflow hose (boy it was hot) and the noise would stop.

So I've confirmed that it is working the way it is supposed to. :rotfl2: