Radiator reservoir overflow problems

VNMUS03

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Well. I gave it another go to re fill this morning and burp the system. The system took a gallon of distilled water and had room for more. I only had a gallon so I didn’t even bother driving it today. I quickly checked tho oil dipstick to see if I had crossover but it was clean. Idk how this shit lost all that fluid. The reservoir tank marked full but the crossover area was dry.

I really don’t want to take it to a shop in my area but Im kind of lost here.
 

hotcobra03

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Well. I gave it another go to re fill this morning and burp the system. The system took a gallon of distilled water and had room for more. I only had a gallon so I didn’t even bother driving it today. I quickly checked tho oil dipstick to see if I had crossover but it was clean. Idk how this shit lost all that fluid. The reservoir tank marked full but the crossover area was dry.

I really don’t want to take it to a shop in my area but Im kind of lost here.


your loosing fluid and have air.

1st. feel carpet on passenger side foot area for coolant.

2. compression test

3 check temperatures at radiator hose

i have had heater core leak. caused this issue.

i have had cracked head twice causing this issue

i had radiator now cool enough

when i had head issues i also had alot of oil in throttle body. like wet enough to drip. messy

i also had oil cooler to block gasket leak coolant
 

MG0h3

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OP I had a cap go bad earlier this year. Apparently over time it was vaporizing fluid out and I never caught it until I noticed the temps run a little high. Never had a puddle or drips under the car.

Couldn't believe it when I put somewhere around 1.5 gallons in.

Turns out the low coolant sensor was unhooked; reminds me I need to trace that down.

I know sometimes it's hard to get air out but how long are you running the car? Do you have a funnel to fill at the crossover with? A good method is firing up the car when cool/cold and having a couple inches of coolant in the funnel. It will rise slightly as the engine/coolant heat up so leave room at the top. When the Tstat opens you'll see the funnel empty. Start pouring coolant in slowly. Keep going until the car can't take anymore while occasionally squeezing the coolant hoses and reving the engine sightly. Don't be afraid to let it idle for 10-15 min. with the funnel in place.

Another way to see the WP working is with a couple inches in the coolant funnel rev the engine, you should see the coolant level drop a little and then rise again when you let off. Works best with stat open.
 

SVT_Troy

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How full are you filling the reservoir up?


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com
 

VNMUS03

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This sounds like you still have air in the system. The burping procedure takes several steps and heat cycles. ALWAYS fill at the crossover, not at the overflow tank. I once had a dealer flush my cooling system and even they screwed it up.

Follow these instructions: Ford 4.6L DOHC Coolant Refill & Burp Procedure by Reische Performance Products


So I filled the system and burped it again. Going to check my foot board but the surprising thing is my heater works again. I'm guessing it was complete dry before. I’m leaning towards a bad radiator. The top is hot and bottom feels cool to the touch.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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I typically had to burp mine 3 times starting out with the correct fill and burping procedure
 

VNMUS03

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I typically had to burp mine 3 times starting out with the correct fill and burping procedure
Incase it happens to be the radiator what do you guys recommend? I’m having a hard time finding a direct fit with no mods required or supper small adjustments needed for install.
 

HudsonFalcon

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Incase it happens to be the radiator what do you guys recommend? I’m having a hard time finding a direct fit with no mods required or supper small adjustments needed for install.

I believe SVE (LMR) makes a direct fit radiator. Discount code is lmr6.
 

VNMUS03

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I typically had to burp mine 3 times starting out with the correct fill and burping procedure

I burped it 4 times last night and it still spewed water. I give up lol ford charges me 125 for a diagnostic. I’m taking it in Monday unless I find a shop I can trust around me.
 

SVT_Troy

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I bought one of these and never looked back, it makes filling the system a breeze and also leak checks it. You do need an air compressor to use this tool.

Airlift Cooling System Leak Checker and Airlock Purge Tool Kit

 

Goose17

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I burped it 4 times last night and it still spewed water. I give up lol ford charges me 125 for a diagnostic. I’m taking it in Monday unless I find a shop I can trust around me.

What made you rule out a blown head gasket?
 

firemanmike

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I know its already been said, but these cheap plastic overflow tanks and caps can warp from the heat our cars generate. I went through the same thing and in the end I swapped out the cheap overflow plastic tank and no more problems.
 

CSCOBRA03

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I would definitely get a test kit to check for combustion gases in the cooling system. This is a easy test to perform and any good garage should be able to do it for you and it doesn't take long to do. It's best find the cause before replacing parts that are not needed. There have been many good suggestions in this post and they could all be a possibility but like I said test first and replace parts after testing. I hope this helps , I was a Ford tech for over 40 years.
 

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