I are a mechanic!
#1
If you don't ever work on cars or trucks... this probably won't interest you. For the record, I used to work on all of my vehicles but I gave it up because things just got too damn complex... especially with all the smog stuff and power everything. However, I found myself in a jam the other day so I decided to get out my dusty old coveralls. First of all, they didn't fit. Someone had shrunk the waist area and I had to work with it unzipped. But let me go to the beginning.

2007 Dodge 1500 pickup 4.7 gas engine.

It started to overheat so I pulled over and found coolant leaking from one of the water pump bolt heads... well that's where the coolant was dripping from but the leak was somewhere else on the water pump. So I made it home and called Lithia. They could get to me in 3 weeks. I called a few buddies and they were willing but unsure if they had the tools. Anyway, I decided to give it a try on my own. 

To my surprise, I managed to get the water pump off without too much trouble. I had to pull the radiator overflow/wiper fluid reservoir, fan, idler pully and serpentine belt but I managed okay. It wasn't until I got the water pump off that the fun began. I knew from years of experience that I would have to pull the pulley off of the old pump and use it on the new pump. Lucky for me I had a puller. I swear I never strained so hard to get a pulley off in my life! I finally gave up when I realized that I was actually boring a hole ithe shaft with the tip of the puller. Anyway, I went to O'Reilly's to buy a water pump. It came with a pulley already pressed on!   Embarrassed Sad I looked down at my bloody knuckles and sighed. The next day I put it all back together and went for a ride. Within 10 minutes I was overheating again! SHIT! I went on home and called it quits.

The next day I decided that it HAD TO BE the thermostat. VERY EASY FIX! 2 simple bolts. The bottom bolt was a breeze. The top bolt was blocked by the friggin hose clamp from hell- plier-needing-bullshit clamp. I could not get a wrench on the bolt or pliers onto the clamp! I was so pissed off! I ended up having to use my angle grinder to cut the GD thing off. So now I needed a new thermostat, and a new lower radiator hose. The other end of the hose had a similar clamp and I had to take the flippin wheel shroud off to get a pliers onto it! Fuck all of this BS! 

So now I go back to O'Reillys and get everything that I need INCLUDING NORMAL HOSE CLAMPS!  and get I home and put everything back together. I turn on the truck and idle it in the yard for awhile. SONOFABITCH heats right up again! I put all of my shit away and decide that I will just try to nurse it over to Lithia in a few weeks.

HOWEVER  Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows I made one last attempt at figuring out what was going on and lo and behold... I think I got it figured out. Anyone care to guess what I neglected to do? And no, it wasn't that I forgot to add coolant.
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#2
(10-27-2018, 06:07 PM)GCG Wrote: If you don't ever work on cars or trucks... this probably won't interest you. For the record, I used to work on all of my vehicles but I gave it up because things just got too damn complex... especially with all the smog stuff and power everything. However, I found myself in a jam the other day so I decided to get out my dusty old coveralls. First of all, they didn't fit. Someone had shrunk the waist area and I had to work with it unzipped. But let me go to the beginning.

2007 Dodge 1500 pickup 4.7 gas engine.

It started to overheat so I pulled over and found coolant leaking from one of the water pump bolt heads... well that's where the coolant was dripping from but the leak was somewhere else on the water pump. So I made it home and called Lithia. They could get to me in 3 weeks. I called a few buddies and they were willing but unsure if they had the tools. Anyway, I decided to give it a try on my own. 

To my surprise, I managed to get the water pump off without too much trouble. I had to pull the radiator overflow/wiper fluid reservoir, fan, idler pully and serpentine belt but I managed okay. It wasn't until I got the water pump off that the fun began. I knew from years of experience that I would have to pull the pulley off of the old pump and use it on the new pump. Lucky for me I had a puller. I swear I never strained so hard to get a pulley off in my life! I finally gave up when I realized that I was actually boring a hole ithe shaft with the tip of the puller. Anyway, I went to O'Reilly's to buy a water pump. It came with a pulley already pressed on!   Embarrassed Sad I looked down at my bloody knuckles and sighed. The next day I put it all back together and went for a ride. Within 10 minutes I was overheating again! SHIT! I went on home and called it quits.

The next day I decided that it HAD TO BE the thermostat. VERY EASY FIX! 2 simple bolts. The bottom bolt was a breeze. The top bolt was blocked by the friggin hose clamp from hell- plier-needing-bullshit clamp. I could not get a wrench on the bolt or pliers onto the clamp! I was so pissed off! I ended up having to use my angle grinder to cut the GD thing off. So now I needed a new thermostat, and a new lower radiator hose. The other end of the hose had a similar clamp and I had to take the flippin wheel shroud off to get a pliers onto it! Fuck all of this BS! 

So now I go back to O'Reillys and get everything that I need INCLUDING NORMAL HOSE CLAMPS!  and get I home and put everything back together. I turn on the truck and idle it in the yard for awhile. SONOFABITCH heats right up again! I put all of my shit away and decide that I will just try to nurse it over to Lithia in a few weeks.

HOWEVER  Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows I made one last attempt at figuring out what was going on and lo and behold... I think I got it figured out. Anyone care to guess what I neglected to do? And no, it wasn't that I forgot to add coolant.

Forgot the belt?
Reply
#3
(10-27-2018, 06:41 PM)Valuesize Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 06:07 PM)GCG Wrote: If you don't ever work on cars or trucks... this probably won't interest you. For the record, I used to work on all of my vehicles but I gave it up because things just got too damn complex... especially with all the smog stuff and power everything. However, I found myself in a jam the other day so I decided to get out my dusty old coveralls. First of all, they didn't fit. Someone had shrunk the waist area and I had to work with it unzipped. But let me go to the beginning.

2007 Dodge 1500 pickup 4.7 gas engine.

It started to overheat so I pulled over and found coolant leaking from one of the water pump bolt heads... well that's where the coolant was dripping from but the leak was somewhere else on the water pump. So I made it home and called Lithia. They could get to me in 3 weeks. I called a few buddies and they were willing but unsure if they had the tools. Anyway, I decided to give it a try on my own. 

To my surprise, I managed to get the water pump off without too much trouble. I had to pull the radiator overflow/wiper fluid reservoir, fan, idler pully and serpentine belt but I managed okay. It wasn't until I got the water pump off that the fun began. I knew from years of experience that I would have to pull the pulley off of the old pump and use it on the new pump. Lucky for me I had a puller. I swear I never strained so hard to get a pulley off in my life! I finally gave up when I realized that I was actually boring a hole ithe shaft with the tip of the puller. Anyway, I went to O'Reilly's to buy a water pump. It came with a pulley already pressed on!   Embarrassed Sad I looked down at my bloody knuckles and sighed. The next day I put it all back together and went for a ride. Within 10 minutes I was overheating again! SHIT! I went on home and called it quits.

The next day I decided that it HAD TO BE the thermostat. VERY EASY FIX! 2 simple bolts. The bottom bolt was a breeze. The top bolt was blocked by the friggin hose clamp from hell- plier-needing-bullshit clamp. I could not get a wrench on the bolt or pliers onto the clamp! I was so pissed off! I ended up having to use my angle grinder to cut the GD thing off. So now I needed a new thermostat, and a new lower radiator hose. The other end of the hose had a similar clamp and I had to take the flippin wheel shroud off to get a pliers onto it! Fuck all of this BS! 

So now I go back to O'Reillys and get everything that I need INCLUDING NORMAL HOSE CLAMPS!  and get I home and put everything back together. I turn on the truck and idle it in the yard for awhile. SONOFABITCH heats right up again! I put all of my shit away and decide that I will just try to nurse it over to Lithia in a few weeks.

HOWEVER  Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows I made one last attempt at figuring out what was going on and lo and behold... I think I got it figured out. Anyone care to guess what I neglected to do? And no, it wasn't that I forgot to add coolant.

Forgot the belt?
Assume that all parts are re-installed properly.
Reply
#4
I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?
Reply
#5
(10-27-2018, 07:26 PM)GPnative Wrote: I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?

Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.
Reply
#6
(10-27-2018, 07:27 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:26 PM)GPnative Wrote: I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?

Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.

That'll do it!
Reply
#7
(10-27-2018, 08:00 PM)GPnative Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:27 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:26 PM)GPnative Wrote: I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?

Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.

That'll do it!

I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.
Reply
#8
(10-28-2018, 08:20 AM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 08:00 PM)GPnative Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:27 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:26 PM)GPnative Wrote: I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?

Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.

That'll do it!

I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.

I had a Subaru that had a small cap on the opposite side of the radiator cap. I didn't know it was there and I thought it had a bad head gasket.The car sat for monrths.
Finally when I found that little cap to let the air out of the system it stopped overheating.
Reply
#9
(10-28-2018, 03:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 08:20 AM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 08:00 PM)GPnative Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:27 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:26 PM)GPnative Wrote: I can relate, I still do a lot of my own work, oil changes, etc. It is amazing how often an easy job can turn into a bitch, like the master cylinder i did a few weeks ago.

My guess for your issue, bad radiator cap, or vapor lock?

Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.

That'll do it!

I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.

I had a Subaru that had a small cap on the opposite side of the radiator cap. I didn't know it was there and I thought it had a bad head gasket.The car sat for monrths.
Finally when I found that little cap to let the air out of the system it stopped overheating.
My Dodge has a little plug that screws into one of the water ports on the manifold. I unscrewed that almost all of the way and that where the bubbles escaped. It took about 20 minutes.
Reply
#10
(10-28-2018, 04:43 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 03:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 08:20 AM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 08:00 PM)GPnative Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 07:27 PM)GCG Wrote: Ding ding ding. I forgot to purge the cooling system.

That'll do it!

I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.

I had a Subaru that had a small cap on the opposite side of the radiator cap. I didn't know it was there and I thought it had a bad head gasket.The car sat for monrths.
Finally when I found that little cap to let the air out of the system it stopped overheating.
My Dodge has a little plug that screws into one of the water ports on the manifold. I unscrewed that almost all of the way and that where the bubbles escaped. It took about 20 minutes.
I had a friend who replaced the water heater on a dodge car. I stopped by and he was very upset because the engine STILL over heated.
It was boiling water out and I asked why he didn't put antifreeze in it. He said he didn't want to waste it in case the water heater was not the problem.

So who knows where I'm going with this?
Reply
#11
(10-28-2018, 05:28 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 04:43 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 03:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 08:20 AM)GCG Wrote:
(10-27-2018, 08:00 PM)GPnative Wrote: That'll do it!

I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.

I had a Subaru that had a small cap on the opposite side of the radiator cap. I didn't know it was there and I thought it had a bad head gasket.The car sat for monrths.
Finally when I found that little cap to let the air out of the system it stopped overheating.
My Dodge has a little plug that screws into one of the water ports on the manifold. I unscrewed that almost all of the way and that where the bubbles escaped. It took about 20 minutes.
I had a friend who replaced the water heater on a dodge car. I stopped by and he was very upset because the engine STILL over heated.
It was boiling water out and I asked why he didn't put antifreeze in it. He said he didn't want to waste it in case the water heater was not the problem.

So who knows where I'm going with this?

Not sure what a water heater on a car is... maybe you mean the heater core? Or was it one of those 110V plug in heaters that keeps the water warm in cold temps?
Reply
#12
(10-28-2018, 05:36 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 05:28 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 04:43 PM)GCG Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 03:06 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-28-2018, 08:20 AM)GCG Wrote: I guess bleeding the air from a modern system is a bit of an undertaking. I think that I got most of it out but I'm still running a little hotter than normal. It could be the new thermostat
but I'm going to elevate the front end a little more and see if I have any more bubbles.

I had a Subaru that had a small cap on the opposite side of the radiator cap. I didn't know it was there and I thought it had a bad head gasket.The car sat for monrths.
Finally when I found that little cap to let the air out of the system it stopped overheating.
My Dodge has a little plug that screws into one of the water ports on the manifold. I unscrewed that almost all of the way and that where the bubbles escaped. It took about 20 minutes.
I had a friend who replaced the water heater on a dodge car. I stopped by and he was very upset because the engine STILL over heated.
It was boiling water out and I asked why he didn't put antifreeze in it. He said he didn't want to waste it in case the water heater was not the problem.

So who knows where I'm going with this?

Not sure what a water heater on a car is... maybe you mean the heater core? Or was it one of those 110V plug in heaters that keeps the water warm in cold temps?
OH crap, I meant water pump.
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