Coolant Flow Problems

[ChrisR]

Some of you may remember my other post about the coolant not flowing at all, well, the saga continues. I got the little front part of the water pump off, and it was perfect, spun freely and looked pretty good. I'm wondering what else could be stopping the flow? It could still be in the lower water pump outlet tube, as I haven't been able to get the timing belt off yet (separate question later). Or it could be clogged in the engine somewhere.

But first I need to get the timing belt off. I pretty much followed the shotimes instructions, but can't get it. First, my little marks on the belt don't line up-do you just put the wheel on, put car in 5th gear and turn until they line up? Or do I need a special tool, or???

Also in the shotimes instructions it says: "Place it so the wrench rests on subframe. Attach battery to car with good jumper cables or just place battery in the battery area and reconnect battery cables. Make sure car is in NEUTRAL. Crank starter for less then 1/2 a second. You will hear a clunk and the bolt is loose."

My car doesn't start.
I'm about ready to let the SHO just roll down the hill in my driveway and off the cliff. cuss cuss

\Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. hail

 

[K-Dawg]

The marks on the belt will not line up with the marks on the gears after the engine has been turned over. For a MTX, you'd just put the wheel on and turn it forward until the mark on the crank gear lines up with the one behind it at 5 o'clock. The cam gears will either be lined up or 180 degrees off. If they are 180 degrees off, turn the engine over one time and the will all line up. Make sure to turn the wheels and engine clockwise (when looking at it from the passenger side).
As for the car not starting, does it do anything? Do you have power to all the other electrical stuff? Check the battery terminals.
If you're going to roll your car off a cliff, how about giving me the headlights first? wink

 

[ChrisR]

I'm sorry, but witch one is the cam gear? the one on the bottom? until the mark on the crank gear lines up with the one behind it at 5 o'clock.he mark on the crank gear lines up with the one behind it at 5 o'clock.
And the cam gears are the 2 on top I assume.

Yes, nothing happens. The first time I hooked the battery up and tried to start it, the RPM guage went all the way up to redline, and now is stuck down there. So I know the car was getting power. Do the accessoy belts need to be on to start?

Thanks for your reply

 

[K-Dawg]

Right, the cam gears would be on top (on the cams) and the crank gear is the one on the bottom (on the crank). (Make sure to read carefully as it's easy to read them wrong)
As far as getting the motor to turn over, you do not need the accessory belt on. I'm not sure what's up with your tach. The tach reads off the crank position sensor I believe, so are the CPS and DIS hooked up? But I think it should still turn over even if they aren't although I could be mistaken. I've never had this happen, so I really can't help you here. All I can say for now is to check and clean all your grounds.
With the coolant blockage, how do you know its not flowing? Have you checked the thermostat to see if it is opening? You can try disconnecting hoses and see if you're getting flow anywhere.

 

[masho95]

ChrisR:
Yes, nothing happens. The first time I hooked the battery up and tried to start it, the RPM guage went all the way up to redline, and now is stuck down there. So I know the car was getting power. Do the accessoy belts need to be on to start?

You don't want the car to "start". You just want the starter to move the crank to loosen the crankshaft dampner bolt. Make sure the DIS module is disconnected. Place your wrench on the crankshaft dampner bolt as suggested and turn the key to run for 1/2 second or so. Check to see if the crankshaft dampner bolt is loose. If it isn't try it again. If it is continue disassembly. Before removing the timing belt you need the alignment marks to line up. The cam sprockets (upper ones) need to line up with the rear timing belt cover marks. If they do make sure the crank gear (lower one) mark lines up in the 5 o'clock position. This ensures that when replacing the timing belt that everything is lined up.

 

[K-Dawg]

Oh yeah. Duh! Me --> doh

 

[ChrisR]

Thanks for the help. I will try to work on it tomorrow, and see where I can get. I hope I am on the right bolt. Is the crankshaft dampner bolt the one that is in the middle of the very bottom pully? Jeez, are timing belts this hard, or am I just absolutly retarted.

As for the coolant, I have ran the car without a thermostat for about 10 minutes, and not one drop of coolant came out of the water outlet. So I assumed the waterpump was not pumping, but it was fine. So now there must be a block either on the lower aluminum part of the water pump housing or in the engine somewhere?

time for sleep

 

[masho95]

Yes the bolt in that lower pulley (crankshaft dampner) is the bolt you are looking for. If you plan on doing the timing belt (or even removing it) it would really help to have a manual or at least a really good complete write-up to follow.

 

[ChrisR]

I do have the Chiltons and the ford shop manual. They both have good directions, but then they say loosen this or that and don't have a picture, so I don't know what the **** I'm looking for. Scott sent me a pretty good procedure, we'll see if I can get it.

Thanks

 

[Off Road SHO]

ChrisR

As for the coolant, I have ran the car without a thermostat for about 10 minutes, and not one drop of coolant came out of the water outlet. So I assumed the waterpump was not pumping, but it was fine. So now there must be a block either on the lower aluminum part of the water pump housing or in the engine somewhere?

time for sleep [/QB]

Chris,

Which water outlet did the water not come out of? The one on the passenger side of the car, near the water pump? That's the inlet to the pump. Or the one on the drivers' side? That's the outlet.

The inlet side must be attached to "something" full of coolant like the bottom hose of your radiator. The level in the radiator must be up to the water pump level or it wont pump.

Tom

 

[Dave Ladely]

Hey Chris,
Why didn't you have Ron work on your car? ****, we might have driven down there to do it! A fellow paid about $900.00 for what Ron did for you for about$350.00 or so by the way, so he is pretty reasonable. Like your lights! Are they glass?

 

[ChrisR]

Dave, How you been doing? Haven't talked to you for a while. I read that also that he paid $900! Wow!

Well, when Ron did the work on the car the first time, he didn't think it was the correct water pump, so he didn't replace that (I just had the outer housing). But that wouldn't have made a difference. If Ron is still avail, I might just have to pay someone to: first find out why there is no coolant flowing, fix that problem, and then put the car back together again. I can usually take things apart pretty good, but putting them back together jpshakeh Maybe you could shoot me an email: mailto:[email protected][email protected]</a> to possibly discuss working on my car.
The lights are lexan in front, and the stock housings in the back. It was a **** of a lot of work, and I should have just bought some aux. HID's like yours. But I think the final results are pretty awesome.

Off Road SHO, The bottom water inlet was all still connected, and the RAD and water overflow tank were filled up. I took out the t-stat and ran the car, and NO coolant came out the water outlet. shrug
And damn that's a nice intake eek!

<small>[ July 27, 2003, 12:46 AM: Message edited by: ChrisR ]</small>

 

[SHOZ123]

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I took out the t-stat and ran the car, and NO coolant came out the water outlet.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
With the system full of water, a good pump that is working, no t-stat and the upper hose off the water should be gushing out of the t-stat outflow tube.

You either have some blockage or one of the above situations not working. I would take the lower radiator hose off and with a garden hose make sure there is plenty of water flowing out of the radiator when filling from the top.

Next I would inspect the lower radiator hose. If it is collapsed it will starve the pump for water.

Then I would connect the lower hose and again force water through the motor from the radiator with the upper hose off and no t-stat. There should be plenty of water flowing through the motor.

 

[ChrisR]

Both hoses are fine, I hosed water through the upper and lower. I think the blockage is either somewhere in the engine, or it could still be on the lower part of the water pump inlet tube (the aluminum part) because I haven't been able to get that out yet. So it must be in one of those 2 locations.

THanks for all the help.