So I pull over and the engine seems HOTTER than normal. I added some Barrs stop leak to the radiator before I left this morning so I guessed it gooped up my thermostat or waterpump or something. I hate that stuff, never again. So I check: the water=okay but stinky and rusty tranny fluid=okay oil=low(add a quart=okay) Still rough idle and no third...I limp to Advance and discover a vacuum hose on the back of the carb has come off. I will probably have third now(hopefully). But before I noticed that I bought a new thermostat to install figuring it was $5 so why not.
If the coolant smells bad and is rusty...I would make sure the water pump is working.Not unusual for the impeller blades to rot off in a (now this isnt a disparagement on you Paintank)...poorly maintained cooling system.To test, pull the radiator cap off (cold engine) run and look for coolant flow through the rad.Run it till the T-stat opens and pinch off the top hose for 15-20 seconds and release the pinch while looking to see if the flow comes back rapidly...If it dont...WP may be rotted to death.Good luck!
LOL coolant...more like water I have to keep topping off. I noticed this morning that there is a pinhole in the filler neck where the cap goes on. As the temp rises and pressure builds, the leak gets really going. That might explain why it's such a slow leak and why it only does it after the car is driven awhile. Now I am thinking I should address this with a modern technological advancement known as a "soldering gun". I'll remove the radiator again and while I'm at it I'll replace the waterpump and thermostat. I could tell the vacuum line had slipped off because the nipple on the back of the carb where it goes was shiny silver and the only hose around fit perfectly but loose. I shortened it up and stuck 'er back on.
I had a thought, of course I had this thought AFTER I removed the front of my engine but anyway...my thought is as follows. Could the rough idle have been because of the vacuum leak from the hose slipping off? It all started at the same time.
Not sure where to get it but they make some sort of milky liquid to go in your radiator that will clean that baby up! Radiator fluid will be milky for about a day but then it turns the normal green color.
I sealed up a pinhole in one of the tubes of my aluminum radiator with solder. Worked like a champ, has held solid for about 18 months so far. There is only one problem I ran into... At first I tried to use a simple, typical soldering iron to seal it up, but I couldn't get the solder to stay wet long enough to stick well. It turns out, radiators are really good at dissipating heat! (Who knew?!) So I used a blowtorch. Worked great.
I have no soldering iron or gun it seems...I have no solder either. I'll be using a pentorch and maybe some lead or something. Melted penny? There is a guy up the street from me who redoes radiators. He charged me $40 to refurbish a 1980 Trans Am radiator and he cleaned it, sealed it and straightened all the fins before repainting it. That was like 8 years ago though.
I don't know that a penny would do it, but perhaps a lead fishing weight, or a bullet. (Minus the brass and the powder, unless you're a real man...)
you can also get some stuff called liquid metal that works good for sealing up stuff. I used it on the pinhole is my gas tank
Probably gonna be .22 bullet shavings melted with a pen torch. I need to test for leaks somehow. I was thinking attach the hoses, block one off and blow into the other one and look for bubbles as I hold it under water. Perhaps using the exhaust hose from a shop vac.
