More Radiator Issues in an 88 Escort

Same car from earlier this week, more detailed symptoms.

  1. Radiator is being filled properly. When the car is started, the coolant is backfilling into the overflow resevoir, most likely due to pressure.

  2. There is no trace of white smoke in the exhaust, or any discolouration in the oil that you would find in common with a head gasket breach

  3. There are no visible signs of external leaks after checking all the hoses and pipes leading out of the radiator.
    Since the earlier thread and my grandfather-in-law have both stated it could be the thermostat, what symptoms of thermostat problems would I notice, other than the overheating issue?

I am not amiliar with the earlier thread but for what it is worth my escort would overheat but only when waiting at a long stoplight or at a drive up window etc. I could go forever on the freeway with no hint of overheating.
Anyway the problem was the electric fan. Rather than a fan driven by a fan belt my escort has an electric fan that does not seem to run all the time. It’s purpose is to keep the radiator cool while idling. You might weant to see if yours is the same way especially if like me your over heating problems occur more often while idling than while driving.

If it’s seeping in rather slowly at first, and perhaps more vigorously as the engine gets warm, a faulty radiator cap is indicated. If it’s happening rather vigorously from the moment a cold engine is started, it’s a combustion leak ( = head gasket). To check for this, fill it to the top of the radiator (cold engine), leave the cap off, and start the engine. If it rhythmically pumps coolant out right away, it’s head gasket time.

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While having those symptoms almost always means a head gasket problem, lacking those symptoms does not prove the absence of a head gasket problem. Not every blown head gasket/cracked head/cracked block situation is the same. It’s not unusual for a car to have some, but not all, of the possible symptoms.

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You mentioned steam in the first thread. Visible steam means vaporizing coolant out where it can be seen. That means a leak. Some leaks defy identification with just visual inspection. A pressure test will usually aid greatly in locating them.

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If a thermostat is causing coolant loss, it’s doing it by means of sticking leading to significant overheating. There would be no symptom caused by this until the engine was hot enough for the thermostat to open. You might have a thermostat problem, but that would not account for all the symptoms you’ve mentioned. Something else is going on.

If improper filling is completely ruled out, then based on the rest of the information I would start investigating a cracked cylinder head. Here’s why;

A radiator cap is supposed to hold back a certain amount of pressure (this amount is usually printed on the cap) but will vent excess pressure to the overflow container to allow for the expansion of the coolant as it’s heated. If unheated coolant is being vented then either the cap is bad (like Gary T said) or cylinder compression is pressurizing the block past the limits of the cap (also what Gary T said). A cold engine with a good cap should not vent coolant.

Also, while the coolant is cold the thermostat is closed and holding back the coolant. This allows the engine temperature to rise to normal operating temps before the coolant is circulated. Some people remove the thermostat altogether, not realizing that it will take even longer for the engine to warm up and start running without the choke. I mention the thermostat because it operates similiarly to the radiator cap in that it is normally closed and holding back the coolant but, whereas a the cap will vent coolant based on the pressure, the thermostat will open based on the temperature of the coolant…unless the pressure behind the thermostat is too great for the spring which then will mechanically force the thermostat open allowing the coolant to flow past. If you look under the cap of a cold engine when it’s first started, you should see the coolant just sitting there waiting for the the thermostat to open.

Look under the cap like Gary T said and if the engine is cold yet the coolant is flowing you either have a bad thermostat or cylinder pressure leaking into the coolant system is forcing the thermostat open.

Now, I said cracked cylinder head and not a blown head gasket, why? Because a blown head gasket will allow the vacuum in the cylinder on the intake stroke to draw coolant into the cylinder to be vaporized and exhausted as white smoke. Without the white smoke (really steam) the crack in the head would have to be in a part of the head isolated from the cylinder while it’s on the intake stroke, namely in the area behind the exhaust valve (on the stem side of the valve). The exhaust valve will be closed during compression and combustion and the pressures of each would not be forced through the crack, but when the exhaust valve is opened the pressure meets the crack. The piston coming up, pressurizing the cylinder to exhaust the burnt gases could force excess pressure through the crack, into the coolant system, past the thermostat and finally through the radiator cap.

A blown head gasket can cause the same scenario but, without the white steam, it seems unlikely.

If it is a crack in the area I described it will not show up as such in a compression check since the proper way of performing the test calls for both valves to be closed. So, if all other observations point to a crack or blown gasket but the compression test is fine, it’s probably a crack in the exhaust valve bowl.

Too put all this in one paragraph; look for air bubbling through the coolant like Gary T said and if you see it then you have a cylinder head problem. If you see absolutely no white steam in your exhaust it is likely a crack and not a gasket. Perform a compression test, if it checks out, it’s a crack and not the gasket.

Hi Xayoz

What has been done to the engine? Radiator flush/fill, thermostat replacement? Lots of japanese engines have a purge-screw installed up high on the cylinder block or head area. If the coolant has been drained for any reason this screw needs to be removed while the engine is backflushed to ensure all the passages are full of coolant, if this is not done coolant will never make it up there on its own. Find a manual or a look carefully for a large phillips screw head in the upper block/cylinder area.

Thermostats themselves tend to fail in the “open” position and/or lose their tension. A new thermostat will increase operating pressure - i.e. if the radiator, headgasket or other seals are marginal it might be best to leave it alone as long as it isn’t stuck closed. It is possible to install backwards.