Hi 3gbill2
No i have not had a prob with low temps on a 180 thermostat. In the winter ambient temps drop to around freezing point but wind chill drops it to below -20c. Cold enough to freeze hand brake on and stop auto boxes changing into over drive. So your heater matrix could be blocked or hose leading to or from it. When you flush engine remove one heater pipe and push hose pipe in. If blocked you will know instantly. If not then you have given it a good flush out.
Me am waiting for delivery of my bleeder valve later this week. Have tried all usual tricks. Today when i left work turn rad cap to loose lock. Drove home 27miles still had airlock so did something that health and safety would lock you up for as a raving nutter. Got a pair of rubber gloves and tea towel and released to rad cap totally on a hot running engine.YES VERY STUPID THING TO TRY. Coolent came out and lots of air bubbles. When pressure dropped put rad cap back on tight. Will check coolant levels on overflow and rad in morning when completly cold. The rattle is so annoying.

 

Thanks for the tips. Sorry to hear your problem continues? I wonder, did you check for a head gasket leak cause I never had such a issue with air in the coolant. My motor has/had a leaking head gasket from PO, I used that powder like copper looking stuff in clear bottle and seemed to work pretty well for 12 years, had to redo it once. Not sure if it would work if pressure coming from cylinder, mine was leaking to the outside. I've rebuilt everything on my truck except the motor and trying to put that off.

 

If head gasket is gone then i have no symtoms. No white vapour in exhaust no mayo in oil nor has oil level gone up. So think i have a dodgy hose or hose connection. Cannot find any tell tale antifreeze leaks and dont seem to be losing coolant. Have stunning performance and pretty good mpg.

 

I'm confused. How can there be air getting in the cooling system without a bad head gasket or water/coolant is overheating and boiling I would just fill it and have the cap on tight, connected to recovery tank and see what happens in a couple days, might settle down?

 

Hi
Dont think air is getting in just cannot get last bit of air out. Other than airlock rattle everything is fine. My heater hoses on my 3vze run very close to bonnet. Come up from block and curl down to heater matrix this is what i believe the problem is. Cannot push hoses down without putting a kink in them and block flow. Before i cut them shorter i need to know if any one else has hoses following this route. Mine are moulded into a elongated s shape.

 

Hi
my bleed valve has arrived and plan to fit it tomorrow. seems airlock affects engine tick over. above tick over engine is very smooth and powerful (?).

 

Hi
When i cut heater pipe to fit bleed valve no coolant came out as pipe full of air. not what was expected. Filled cooling system through bleed valve with rad cap off. when coolent came out of filler put cap on and carried on filling through bleed valve. took over 1 litre of coolant to fill warmed engine up and bled through valve. Rattle has gone. tick over stable and fuel smell in exhaust has vanished. took it for a quick test drive bottom end of rev range is very strong pulls along at 10mph with no throttle. ummmm will sort this after a few trips as it may settle by its self.

 

Hi
had to pick wife up from work today 45 mile round trip. now she is very mechically minded and sensative to all changes in vehicles must come from her 9 years in oz driving east to west and back a couple of times a year. you dont want to break down in nulabor desert. her report is very smooth better heater and serious pulling power.

 

Have found cause of air entering cioling system. overflow pipe loose and decaying. have replaced all hoses in system. but think i have a small leak on rad neck needs to located and seal. a pita job.

 

please help. 96 4runner. i have steam blowing in cab all over windshield any one know what is causing this or how to fix?

 

imo not that old to have a bad heater core ? might be a crack where the in & out tubes are soldered into the core. might just be the hose connection if hose passes through firewall but usually its not in cab?

 

Hi
thought all my hose clips where tight. when engine is warm the old spring hose clamps turned very easily. so have replaced with new jubilee clips. see how this goes. have learnt when engine plays up there is lots of air in cooling system. think my cooling system is water tight but not air tight as i do not seem to be losing coolant. while cooling system had pipes off reflushed it still getting small amounts of brown gunk. brown gunk is now in massively smaller quanities. fingers crossed ive flushed last of gunk out of system. refilled using a hose pipe on the smallest trickle i could manage and new bleed valve open. hopefully no more airlocks. will know when engine has cooled down if all this work has paid off.

 

Hi another update
Apparently two of my new jubilee clips cannot be fully tightened ????? and coolant pipes can be turned quite easily. Ummmm sounds like i need need coolant pipes and top notch jubilee clips. Have used two jubilee clips to make right size until i get new clips. Will update on this quick fix.

 

I had to use a non hardening compound to keep mine from leaking. The original clips are weak and hard to remove and install in tight areas. The standard ones sold everywhere with the screw on top of strap have bent in my radiator inlet and outlet with big dents Good clips/hose clamps are hard to find in a pinch. Think i like the ones with screw going straight in and pulls up the clamp or strap on both sides at once, more even force seems to me?