leroycjr

Hey guys
so i as was driving home and opening her up pretty good then all of a sudden i started to smell antifreeze and then she started smoking smoking baaaad here are some pics. Did i blow out the heater core? the hot indicator started blinking d after i got home she didn't want to stay on.

Any advice would be great.want to fix quickly

coppercutlass

Looks like you blew the hoses off. Those two pipes should be where ur heater hoses hook up unless you un hooked them. Check the coolant level. If you blew the hoses off that would over heat due to low coolant. Its hard to tell from the pics. If you opened her up and those clamps where loose the added psi from high rpm spin on the water pump would blow those out. That happened to me in my caprice once.

leroycjr

That's what im thinking cause in really was rolling (spedo was past 120). Only thing that spooks me is I remember mechanic saying he disconnected heater with caps. Can the core still get the high psi not being connected. The engine is totally hot and cooling off and I know I lost a ton of coolent so I'll pick some up inn the am and recap the core tubs. Refill and see how she rolls after that. Won't be doing that again just the start of my best friend bachelor party weekend and was screwing around.

coppercutlass

If he capped it off then no. But fill it up with water and see if it leaks from anywhere before u waste coolant. Check freeze plugs, all your hoses, anything that can carry coolant. Also check you oil. If it's milky it could have been a head gasket.

dancutlass

Did the radiator push coolant out of the radiator overflow?
If so it might be a blown head gasket as well even if your oil looks good!

Oldwolf

You can check the motor mounts also. Mine once was loose, and the engine tvisten badly,the twist can pull the hose lose.

MDchanic

Okay, I'm a little baffled here, but at least I've got my bearings on those sideways pictures now .

• Your heater core is disconnected (so, ummm, you couldn't have "blown it out.").
• You have a contemporary aftermarket A/C system installed in a non-A/C car.
• You have a piece of nipple installed in the intake heater valve hole (normal for a non-A/C car), which is capped by an aftermarket rubber heater nipple cap with a hose clamp.

So, you haven't told us: Where is it blowing steam from?

And, also, are you saying that you had a sudden release of antifreeze / steam at over 120mph, got the HOT light (indicating over 260° temp), and just kept driving it?
If so, then good luck.

- Eric

Jamesbo

At 2:46 in the morning ? I'm with Eric, Hope you still have an engine left.

oldcutlass

Also with Eric, on this one. Your going to have to do some investigation as to where you lost your coolant. I would first see how the oil looks. Then refill the radiator, leave the cap off, start the engine and top it off when the thermostat opens. Put the cap back on and see where its leaking if you haven't found it by then.

Keep us posted.

hookem horns

Looks like the picture shows steam coming from the back of the motor on the passenger side, making this the likely culprit since the heater is disconnected. Hope so since it's an easy and cheap fix.

That's the scary part and hope the overheating did not do significant engine damage. A little late now, but add a temp guage since that idiot light only comes on once it's time to shut her down.

oldcutlass

It may not want to run because the distributor got drenched. You may need to remove the cap and dry everything under there.

Redog

I have to agree with Eric, I really don't understand what is going on here. How did you blow the heater core, if it's not connected?

CQR

I'm going with a popped intake gasket, head gasket, or welch plug.

Octania

If the hoses are not even connected to the heater core, it could not be pressurized. Mass coolant loss says blew a freeze plug to me. I had that happen once on a fairly fresh engine. Sometimes upon installation it does not go in right. Look from underneath at all three welch plugs on the side of the motor.

If the heater fitting on the intake is not feeding the heater core, then why not plug it with the proper thing?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#brass-threa...-plugs/=ibg4qp

MDchanic

The OP has not posted since the initial 2 posts at 02:00 and 03:00 2 days ago.

Wonder if the problem became obvious in the cold (and painful) light of day?

- Eric

Fastback71

theres a heater control valve in the back of the motor on the pass. side kinda near the distributor. that blew out on me one time and i had coolant gushing everywhere... double check that valve

Rickman48

He's got more problems than that - I've never seen a valve cover on top of the firewall!! Even in a air car!
Maybe all 3 mounts broke @ 120 MPH!!

MDchanic

I think that has to do with his "perspective" at 02:00 after a bachelor party.

- Eric

OLDSMORAT

Check that rubber cap on the rear. I bet it blew a hole in it. they are not worth a damn.
I 've had them blowout alot. Just check it out.

Rickman48

If I had to 'jump' the heater core, I always used the 2 sized connector- and 2 hose clamps.
Done!!

leroycjr

Hey guys
Sorry for the delays had a ton of stuff going on over weekend. Culprit was the rear rubber cap on intake. Looks like the clamp holding it had already started to slit the side. Then I would assume with the pressure and heat the slit just bigger and bigger until it ripped across the back where its hard to see. Luckily all of this happened right before the exit ramp to house so i was able to get off quickly and i live right off eway.

Replaced with water then saw everything spew out without have tons of smoke in my face. $2.50 fix but a two day stress fest worrying about what happened. Flushed and topped off with all new coolant and problem solved. Just a serious panic attack when it happened.

And Eric is correct!!! Perception was due to a night of ( . ) ( . ) and many cold ones. My night went from

MDchanic

We've all had nights like that, but, as a member of what has become the "older" generation, I can't say that I ever posted up a thread on an automotive BBS at the end of such an evening.

One thing to note for those who might read this thread later:
If you've got a VERY HOT, boiling over engine, it is unwise to introduce cold water to it before it has cooled down (like when you're stuck on the side of the road and in a hurry). If the coolant was over 260°, then the block walls could have been approaching 300°, and adding cold water to hot, brittle cast iron could be a recipe for regret.
I've gotten lucky doing this in the past ("Crap! Should I have just done that?"). I've also been unlucky (don't know how much it may have contributed to a warped aluminum head on a 4-banger once).
It sounds like you're okay, too, but, reader beware, "Don't try this at home."

I'm glad it was something easy.

- Eric

leroycjr

OHHHHH NOOOO the water was put in "yesterday" daaaaays after problem happen and days of sitting. Yeah that goes back to old science days of the paint can boiled in water then put in ice cold water!!!! It looked cool as hell on Mr Wizard (damn I think I just dated myself lol)

Jamesbo

Glad things worked out for you. Soooooooooo how as the shoe show?

leroycjr

Jamesbo - Fantastic!!! Lets just say there was a lot of personality in the room and they knew how to work their charm. All were very talented in their craft and there was a lot of going on lol.