dantheman387200

My 1992 truck with the 22re, started to have overheating problems tonight as I was going to school and coming back. It usually sits pretty low like 1/3 of the gauge, but tonight it rose to maybe 3/4s. If i had the heat cranked in the truck it would go down. Or when I was stopped at a red light it would go down right away, when I got back up to speed it would rise again. It has a newer radiator in it. And I have gone thousands of miles without this problem... What is the main cause for this, and is it ok to drive a couple of miles back and forth to school?

Triumphman

My 1993 4x4, v6, 5 speed, is overheating too! It started to heat up at a light, then cooled back down while driving around town. Then I started it one morn and it started to blow steam out of the hood, radiator leaking at seams. So I pulled the rad. and put in a new one! Flushed the engine with plain water , put on the cap and she still got hot. No heat coming out of the inside heat blower either. Could it be a simple thermostat sticking? It is not easy to get to the lower hose and thermo case is in a tight lower area. May be able to crawl underneath. I also have fears the bolts may snap off. They have been in there from day one when the factory built this engine. Does PB blaster rust buster stuff work, I hear its better than WD-40 sprays? Thanks for your help.

75k5toy

I'll say i'ts the fan clutch.

Triumphman

Fan Clutch? The fan is turning fast! Its quiet and working. The engine is overheating! The water is hot. No heat inside from heater. Fan at max. New radiator! Clean and new! I'm waiting for a break in the weather to pull the Thermostat. Had to go out and buy a 12mm deep socket to get the three nuts off the thermo. housing on the lower engine block. The 4 cyls. have the Thermo on top hose. How nice! Mine is under. Have to crawl under the truck and work up on the engine block. Not easy in the driveway., laying on my back! If its not the T-stat, I guess I have to admit its the blown head-gasket as a friend told me, without seeing my truck. But then he's a mechanic and earns his $ every day doing repairs! Wish me luck!

Triumphman

How can I tell if its the water pump? Its not squealing, not leaking, like they do when they go bad, so?

75k5toy

well, I had that similar problem long time ago, truck never over heat on level ground, but if it started to go up, so was the temp. needle. When I told my mech.cousing, He spun the fan and found to little resistance, then He took it out, He took 3 or 4 screws to separated the clutch, then He put some bearing grease in, put it back together, and no more problems, (ps, I had the 22-r)

deeyoo75

My 03 has a similar problem. However it is opposite in that at speed it cools, at idle it overheats. No hot air from heater. When I stop the overflow tank sounds like a bong.

sam333

Its common with a blown head gasket for your coolent to be heated/ pressurized by combustion gases leaking into cooling system( radiator leaking at seams,coolent container bubbling /overflowing, bubbles in radiator, burst hoses). There are several tests you can do, or have done to see if its your head gasket. Compression test ,pressure test the radiator, Have radiator/ coolent sniffed for combustion gases( this is probably the best) somtimes this is the only way to find a small leak when there is no obvious signs( coolent in oil, oil in coolent, low compression on adjoining cylinders steam out the tailpipe) other than overheating.

Alex123456

grab the front and see if it has any wobble, they don't always leak.

Probably not causing your overheating issue, I would bet on head gasket.

bryan89

if its a blown head gasket, wouldnt you be able to see sludge from oil in the anitfreeze and white goopy nasty crap on the oil dipstick? i would check that first.

Alex123456

You don't always see the goopy oil if you have a blown headgasket, only if oil and water are mixing.

bryan89

is it that common for you to blow a head gasket and not mix oil and water?
i assumed if you caught it quick enough, you could avoid it, but eventually wont they mix?

deeyoo75

My local shop said it had a blown headgasket but I didnt see coolant in the oil. I added thermagasket but dont thimk it worked. Since I added it my heater stopped blowing hot air. TG support line said i may have air in cooling system and to bleed it. The exhaust gas leak would explain the overflow bong sound

Alex123456

I've had it happen several times and not mix. You can actually go quite awhile sometimes before it gets so bad you mix. Usually you will be using coolant though.

bicklebok

75k5toy mentioned the fan clutch, which I would definitely check. I think their may be some confusion with your understanding of the fan clutch. The fan clutch is attached to the radiator fan, and the fan will turn even if the clutch is bad. It doesnt sound like you have checked that.

Read on how to check a fan clutch. Or, we can tell you how.

deeyoo75

Ok, in dire straights now. I flushed the cooling system , removed the t-stat, added more thermagsket and did my best to bleed the air. Heater still not working. Thermagasket says to run with just water. Drove to work today (~35mi) and barely made it. Had the bong sound and steam coming from tailpipe. Getting here is easy but am terrified of trying to get home in stop and go traffic. bicklebok mentioned the fan clutch but I don't see how to check it. What other components could it be? Can anyone share a resource on how to replace the headgasket? Is it something a novice can do? I don't have the grand the shop wants to replace it, and would like to find out what caused it to overheat in the first place.

sam333

You have a blown head gasket , there is no fix other than removing the head.
The coolent will damage /ruin your cat and o2 sensor.
You can do the repair yourself , there are lots of resources here, manuals/help.