Getting through its water - any ideas?

[jonny69]

I was wondering if anyone might shed some light on what's up. My Anglia is getting through its water and in a couple of hours will get through enough that it needs topping up (2-3 litres) or it overheats. It seems to be coming out the rad cap, but I can't be certain.

 

Symptoms:

-Gets through its water;

-No overheating unless I haven't topped it up;

-Burps out a load of water when you turn the engine off, looks like it comes from the radiator overflow pipe;

-Thermostat was working ok when I put it in a couple of months ago (I know that means nothing, but it doesn't overheat so I think it's ok);

-Waterpump appears to be working ok (or it would just overheat);

-Dried rusty water spray mark above the fan on the bonnet and around the sides - though I'm not sure if this has happened as part of the problem or because it has boiled over a couple of times when it's been out of water;

-Inside of radiator does not smell like exhaust and no sign of oil in the water;

-No apparent water leaks, no holes in the radiator, no split hoses.

 

So I think it's coming out the rad cap. I've never had one be problematic before but it's been on the car for over 10 years. Could it just be past it? The rubber seems to be ok, not soft, but not perished. I've no idea how strong the spring should be but it still springs, if that makes sense.

 

The engine is pretty much on its last legs, but I'm wondering if the white oil smoke I see in the mirror when I'm on a hill on the motorway is in fact steam coming out the rad blowing under the car. It would explain why there's no oily scum on the back of the car which you normally get when there's oil smoke.

 

If it's the headgasket blowing through causing excess pressure in the water, wouldn't the water stink a bit of exhaust fumes? And wouldn't that also show itself on starting as a chuff of steam and/or a misfire?

 

I've never run a totally knacked engine like this. Could it be anything more sinister or do we think a new rad cap will sort the problem?

[Cavcraft]

Replacing the radiator cap would be my first port of call. If not has it got an airlock somhow and will need bleeding?

[M'coli]

What engine does it have - pre x-flow or x-flow?

[jonny69]

It's a 1200 pre-crossflow. I've got the two heater outlets simply connected together with water hose rather than blanked off because in the past it has caused me problems just blanking them off. I don't think there's an air lock as there isn't really anywhere for it to get trapped.

[Cavcraft]

Is it the 3 bearing crank lump? I had one in a Mk1 Cortina years back and it was a bastard for overheating, they were infamous for it as it goes.

[jonny69]

Yeah I think the 1200 is the 3 bearing. Like I said, it doesn't overheat, it's just pushing its water out for some reason and pisses itself when I turn the engine off, which must be related. I'm going to try a new rad cap anyway, because I seem to remember the super crusty one on my Pop gave me problems until I changed it.

[Rocket88]

Try running it without the rad cap..........

[Split_Pin]

If you say the engine is very worn, perhaps the headgasket might have gone directly next to the cylinders and water is going directly into the combustion chamber and out the exhaust as steam. Might explain the excess pressure in the system.

 

If you take off the head and one or more of the pustin crowns looks cleaner than the others this is a giveaway.

 

Or, as the others have said, try changing the cap, cheapest first and all that.

[Guest]

Water pump impeller still attached to the shaft? had one shit itself on a x flow.

Rad hot to touch all over, ie not stupendously blocked?

Block silted to the hilt? I got THREE mug fulls out of a cross flow I built. ( Remove the core plugs and ferret about round the bores)EDIT Ok not at the mo but at rebuild time or before putting in a new lump it always worth it if for nothing else than knowing your core plugs is good.

[jonny69]

If you say the engine is very worn, perhaps the headgasket might have gone directly next to the cylinders and water is going directly into the combustion chamber and out the exhaust as steam. Might explain the excess pressure in the system.

If it was that, would there not be a chuff of steam when I start the engine up and wouldn't the water smelly a bit exhausty?

 

Water pump impeller still attached to the shaft? had one shit itself on a x flow.

I think so. No untoward noises and it stays cool when there's enough water in it, even in traffic, so I think it must be pumping away sufficiently

 

Rad hot to touch all over, ie not stupendously blocked?

Yes, seems to be clear.

 

Block silted to the hilt? I got THREE mug fulls out of a cross flow I built. ( Remove the core plugs and ferret about round the bores)EDIT Ok not at the mo but at rebuild time or before putting in a new lump it always worth it if for nothing else than knowing your core plugs is good.

That I don't know, but the water is pretty rusty.

 

I think it's rad cap first and I'll stick a hose in it to flush it out if it doesn't make any difference. After that, if it's not fixed, well I'll put up with it for a bit and deal with it with an engine rebuild.

[Guest]

With all due respect a hose pipe will not flush out the cack in the rad and block.

Not saying I'm a engine build expert but just know what I've done and I've had to use screw drivers to poke out the cack in a block and I've had rads recored that I've tried to flush and the shite in the matrix was incredible when cut open.

The water runs clear as it just isn't touching the baked in cack - where ever it is. MAgic flush stuff doesn't touch it either.

We're only now getting to the point where ya general motoring public has grasped the fact that anti freeze is also used in the summer to raise boiling point and act as a corrosion inhibitor.

 

Getting really anal mine ran fine with the impeller detached in the water pump as they run on the thermal hydro syphon, I think it is, principle. I think it was model T Fords or early flat head didn't even have a water pump!

[Guest]

With all due respect a hose pipe will not flush out the cack in the rad and block.

Not saying I'm a engine build expert but just know what I've done and I've had to use screw drivers to poke out the cack in a block and I've had rads recored that I've tried to flush and the shite in the matrix was incredible when cut open.

The water runs clear as it just isn't touching the baked in cack - where ever it is. MAgic flush stuff doesn't touch it either.

We're only now getting to the point where ya general motoring public has grasped the fact that anti freeze is also used in the summer to raise boiling point and act as a corrosion inhibitor.

 

Getting really anal mine ran fine with the impeller detached in the water pump as they run on the thermal hydro syphon, I think it is, principle. I think it was model T Fords or early flat head didn't even have a water pump!