Cooling?

[Bourkemaster]

I may well be in the wrong place, but I have a question about cooling issues. Yes I'm in PA and it's 7 degrees out today. My 3.8 Cutlass Supreme does something funny. Not really HAHA funny but strange. I'll describe it to you then give my ideas and see if anyone else has any other ideas.

82 Cutlass Supreme, 3.8. Bone Stock. 58K on the clock. When the thermostat opens, the top radiator hose starts sucking in. If I race the engine it sucks almost flat. My first thought was that the hose is worn out and just cant handle the pressure anymore. Then I noticed a pretty big puddle of water on the ground under it over the last few days. The sucking means there's more negative pressure in the hose due to the water pump drawing from the radiator and positive pressure on the other side of the pump theoretically all the way back to the radiator. The pump is obviously doing its job if it's sucking water in, but a leak somewhere from the water pump back should explain the changes in pressure, correct? I guess the best solution is to get under it and find the leak.

I would like to start simple and not have to do a waterpump gasket, but since I'll have to replace the top hose anyway, I might as well do the thermostat and think about doing the pump gasket since all that stuff is jammed into a tiny little space between the cylinder banks and I dont want to go in there twice if I dont have to. Any other suggestions?

 

[dan2286]

I don't know if this is related to your problem, but a friend had a Toyota that would collapse the upper hose after it warmed up and the car would overheat. Changed the hoses and thermostat and the problem was still there. The problem ended up being the impellers on the water pump were pretty much gone. I am not sure why it caused that problem with collapsing the hose, but it did fix the problem.

 

[Blake442]

Check your radiator cap.

 

[madmaxstyle]

No just kiddin its not really funny.

My ol truck does the same thing when its running shy of fluid. If its full and hot there's pressure and the hose is expanded and hard but if its low on the fluid (30 year old rad and heater core) the hose 'sucks in'
This is physics acting upon a system that leaks fluid and draws in NO air to replace it (due do the fact that if its HOT pressure is pushing stuff out of the system) If you open the cap (careful when hot) then air should rush in and the vacuum holding the hose would release to normal.

The question is where is the water puddle coming from? If its from the blow hole on the bottom of the water pump then your pump is shot.

that's what I'm thinking anyways.

 

[Bourkemaster]

I've got a course of action mapped out. I did some driving and found that antifreeze is puddling up on top of the steering box and sprayed onto the fan shroud. I'll replace the top hose and the water pump. I priced them out and they're $30 so it's probably worth doing. I've also had an extra thermostat I haven't installed yet. While I'm at it, I'm going to switch to a direct drive flex fan since my fan clutch may be pooping out as well.

 

[87REGALPRO]

I'm not havin' the same prob. But many someone can help me out. My upper hose gets pressurized to the point you almost can't squeeze it. This just started thurs. I think after I put the Bar engine repair 2 stuff in my engine.

 

[Peter]

while doing your water pump, would be a real solid time to do your v belts