How Hot Is Too HOT!! Did i Over Heat My Motor?!

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 7:13 am

last night i just took my bug out for about a ten minute spin, after i did some little touch ups to the engine compartment. afteer a little while l started to lose power and almost stalled in the middle of an intersection. In the lower end of the gears it feels like nothing is there, but once it gets reved up, it feels kind of good again. my fan was always turning as far as i know. gen light was out and fan belt is still good. After i got to my destination, i turned around and came home. limped the whole way there. When i got to my drive way to put it in the garage, smoke was billowing out of the left side only, but the entire back end was hot to touch. i mean hot. on one of my touch ups i put on one of those colored dist caps, i think it was firing wrong because of the cheap cap. and i think the dist itself was a little off. anyway, i got home drained the oil, checked to make sure the valves wernt stuck, looked good, and let it cool down. i filled it back up with oil, and it starded right back up tenn minutes later. so when do i know my motor is shot? and, why isnt it cooling right? also i should add i got rear ended a few months ago, could the pulley getting hit cause any of this?
please ask any questions you need, and let me know what you think.
thanks a million, guys!

Max Welton · Post by **Max Welton** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 8:03 am

I would worry mostly about the heads.

Do a leak-down test and check the torque on the head bolts.

When adjusting the valves from now on, keep a log of the valve-lash on each valve and watch for trends.

Listen closely for the sound of loose heads as you drive it from now on.

Install (if you haven't already) at least an oil temp gauge. Or a Berg dip-stick.

In general, look for any change in engine behaviour.

Actually, all of the above are good ideas even if you hadn't overheated the engine.

And NEVER limp home on an engine that is getting that hot. Not only could you loose the engine, but an engine FIRE can easily cost you the whole car.

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:03 am

why am i not adequetly cooling. everything is hot to the touch. i cant even pull out my dip stick. i know my fan is turning.
if there is not a proper seal between the upper and lower motor, could that could overheating? there is a gap in between the left side of the engine compartment and the tin. could that let hot air up and cause things to get hot? i am really kind of lost here. please help.

Post by **Marc** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:14 am

kangaboy wrote:why am i not adequetly cooling. everything is hot to the touch. i cant even pull out my dip stick. i know my fan is turning.

Based upon what I've read so far I'm guessin' there's a problem with the timing, if it's retarded she'll run hot. If the point gap closes up and increases the dwell, that will also retard the timing. Rule that stuff out first.
Have you groped your cooling fan to make sure it hasn't gotten blocked off with a paper towel or something?

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 3:57 pm

ill check the gaps and all. but i never moved them or even attempted to move tham. one other thing i should add is that i had to swich my generator out. i just heard from my uncle that he once had the fins in the fan housing fall in and close off all air flow from the fan. is it possible that this may have happened when i was messing with the fan? would this couse it to run super hot? and is it an easy fix? drop motor? thanks for all the help so far, and any thing else would be great. thanks a lot!!!

Joe

one more thing. when it first starts out, it runs perfect. after about ten minutes on the road, it starts to crap out. it sputers and just loses power. is this partly from vapor lock? the intake manifold is hot as hell. that would be vapor lock right?

general_lee_jr · Post by **general_lee_jr** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:45 pm

I had a fan break apart on me. The engine got real hot real fast and I did not know that it happened. That was the same time my alternator bearing welded itself.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 6:01 pm

If the fan wasn't shimed up rite or it came a little lose that half square hole in the fan becomes round then you think the fan is spinning but it's not enough . I'd recheck the genny and fan installation. Not a guru but I've been down that particular road ! Good luck Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 21, 2003 6:52 pm

Might want to make sure your cooling flaps are opening up, had one where the rod to the thermostat got stuck and wouldn't let them open. . .

Justin

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Fri Aug 22, 2003 8:38 am

thanks alot guys. ill recheck the gen. to fan connnection, and then the fan housing flaps. that is all i can really think of. is there anyway you think that getting hit in the pulley migh have caused the crank to squeze the bearings, and then creating a little friction? that would be my only other thought. there is not really any other way to explain why this is happening. thanks for all the help.

joe

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 9:32 am

well i found out that the flaps cant be causing the problem. i didnt even put them one, or the thermostat. the fan was conected fine and there was no slipage. what else? could the berings in there being squezed cause the heat and problems? please let me know what you think.

Joe

67 newbie · Post by **67 newbie** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 9:40 am

I am having overheating problems too.. is there an adjustment to the thermostat?

Kangaboy- I have been researching my heating problems and do you have a gasket around the oil cooler? How about an engine seal? I don't know much, these are just things I have been trying. I know my timing is correct and we rebuilt the carb, car runs fine just hot! hope you find it please let the rest of us know

Max Welton · Post by **Max Welton** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 11:46 am

kangaboy wrote:well i found out that the flaps cant be causing the problem. i didnt even put them one, or the thermostat. the fan was conected fine and there was no slipage. what else? could the berings in there being squezed cause the heat and problems? please let me know what you think.

Joe

1) Missing flaps actually REDUCES the amount of effective cooling. When open, those flaps help direct air over the heads where cooling is most needed. When missing, that air just goes over the cylinders which are not that hot compared to the heads.

2) Since the overhheating came on suddenly (if I read your posts correctly) you REALLY need to concentrate on things that may have changed at that point. Odds are it will be something you installed, adjusted or otherwise touched. It could be something that happened to fail at that point in time. But that would be a coincidence.

kangaboy · Post by **kangaboy** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 10:37 am

yes is was all of a sudden. i put about 2000 miles on it this summer after my accident. and then when i messed around with the gen. things just went to hell. of course it would be the last day before i go back to school. so now i am car less once again. but i would assume the carb and timing is set right because it passed the smog test with flying colors. i have also changed out the oil and there is no chunks of metal, and no flakes, so i kind of ruled out the bearing idea. any more ideas?

JC-ATL · Post by **JC-ATL** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 11:03 am

kangaboy wrote: i would assume the carb and timing is set right because it passed the smog test with flying colors.

Means virtually nothing - particularly in older cars, the best tuning and the tuning that passes smog can be two entirely differen things. Sounds to me like you have timing problems causing you to run hot.

Max Welton · Post by **Max Welton** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 11:39 am

kangaboy wrote:yes is was all of a sudden. i put about 2000 miles on it this summer after my accident. and then when i messed around with the gen. things just went to hell. of course it would be the last day before i go back to school. so now i am car less once again. but i would assume the carb and timing is set right because it passed the smog test with flying colors. i have also changed out the oil and there is no chunks of metal, and no flakes, so i kind of ruled out the bearing idea. any more ideas?

As JC-ATL said, passing the smog test doesn't mean the timing and carb are necessarily OK.

However, if timing and carb setting are the same as before the overheating started then chances are very small that either is the problem. Again, it will be something that changed at that point in time.

kangaboy wrote:... when i messed around with the gen. things just went to hell.

Excellent! This is what we need, a place to start. What exactly were you doing with (or near) the generator? Was it removed? If so, what else was removed to get the generator out?