Radiator under constant pressure?

[Jeff Stout]

On my Olds motor the radiator is always under pressure. Does not or did not over heat when running last weekend. 130-180 tops Even sitting for 2 days later I went out and checked and hoses were rock solid and water blew out when cracking open cap. Do I have air in system? I would have thought in 2 days system would be pressure free

[pfordamx]

maybe retorque heads, gaskets could be leaking pressure into the coolant system

[Mark Ugrich]

Does the car have a coolant recovery tank with the correct style radiator cap?

[Jeff Stout]

It does have an overflow tank. I will look at pressure written on cap. Maybe it is too high.

[Mark Ugrich]

Check to make sure the hose into the recovery tank isn’t clogged, I’ve also seen the inlet into the tank molded shut or never drilled open.

[fastlane]

Originally Posted by pfordamx

maybe retorque heads, gaskets could be leaking pressure into the coolant system

That is most likely your problem That is the exact problem all the new supercharged Copos are having. And a lower pressure cap will make it worse.

[cad]

I had that issue and it was electrolysis. Put an ohm meter in the water and see how many volts you have.

[1legjerry]

Originally Posted by cad

I had that issue and it was electrolysis. Put an ohm meter in the water and see how many volts you have.

This is correct. Make sure your radiator is grounded to the chassis. You could also have a issue with a chemical reaction with any additive you may be running in your coolant. I would do a complete flush and add only water.

[Jeff Stout]

Originally Posted by 1legjerry

This is correct. Make sure your radiator is grounded to the chassis. You could also have a issue with a chemical reaction with any additive you may be running in your coolant. I would do a complete flush and add only water.

Im finishing on healing from surgery. When I can I will check electrolysis in radiator. I know radiator is held in place with rubber and plastic. No metal to metal contact. Currently straight water. I will also vacuum down water system to remove any air in system. I have 2 engine shops stating air locked

[Lew Silverman]

Jeff - I would think that if you had air trapped in the cooling system you would experience a problem with overheating, which doesn't seem to be the case. Is this a "new" issue you're experiencing or has this been going on for a while? The reason I ask is because if the cooling system is working properly, there is no reason why the pressure shouldn't remain (it's a sealed system) and usually when the pressure drops it's because of a leak somewhere. The pressure is regulated by the rating on the cap, so anything above that number goes to the overflow tank. If you have a Stant (or similar) radiator tester they have a way to check the cap as well.


Hope the healing process goes quickly.


Lew