I need cooling system help

[avdcav]

EM
460 C6 Decent cam


Okay so here's the deal.. My car will not stop this driping out of the
what I will call overflow tank.. Recently it overheated for the first time
and it never did that ' Yesterday I just let in run in the driveway for about an hour and it was starting to get hot and the overflow tank was just non stop pissing fluid.. I have had it with this. it just made my entire engine bay as complete filthy mess. It never did that always stayed around 90c

I tried new cap no real help
I constatny check the water level and burp it as best as I can get it.

What is the solution here ? I don't wanna waste time or money
what will fix this so I do it one time.

Sorry about the pics " this forum is so hard to deal with images..
why will this site never post pics ? mine are all under 39k

[avdcav]

Again sorry for the pic problems

http://i46.tinypic.com/2epk9zq.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2dl0ufc.jpg

[mln385]

If this is a new issue have you changed your t-stat yet?

[FWB]

run it and when you think its up to operating temp feel the radiator hoses and the radiator.....are they hot? if no then the thermostat isn't opening if they are hot too then there is probably a leak somewhere such that the cooling system is not getting pressurized causing the overheat and the tank to pee. you'll need to pressure test the cooling system and find the leak as it may be in the motor not just externally.

[Jerry Clayton]

Everything is downhill-----------cap is lower than engine, catch can is lower than radiator--

is that a coolant recovery type cap???????? and what pressure??????????what do you have for a catch can??????????how are the inlet /outlet confiqured??????????

[jhv48]

Your thermostat is sticking. Replace it.

[avdcav]

The other day I pressure tested te cooling system at 18 pounds
For 2 hours. Needle didn't even flinch. So that's good

When it gets up to op temp the hose from the thermostat
To the filler cap expands and stays expanded for a while as
The car is cooling down . So pressure seems good,

Should the blue tank be moved into the engine compartment
To try and raise it up?

I've always been Porsche " oil cooled so you see why
I am water challenged .

[FWB]

hard to tell from the pics what the can is even for....

what hoses go to it? if its just for the overflow from the cap take the hose off and troubleshoot the leak without it, if there is that much overflow going into it then why?
1- radiator cap is too low of pressure
2- its the right pressure and your blowing engine compression into the cooling system, but you said you pressure tested at 18 then why didn't pressure go into the tank then? or maybe it wasn't 18, or maybe there is more pressure at running than you realize.

3- you simply have the system overfull
4- clogged radiator, collapsed radiator hose on the pump side.....

drain some of the coolant pull the upper hose and put a new t-stat in it.

there is no real magic wand here, if it ran fine before than something has changed......

[avdcav]

Yes it's just overflow from the cap
Cap now is 14 pounds
Was 16

I'm gonna change the tstat and the tstat housing
And drill the little hole people seem to recommend

[FWB]

14 might be a tad low.....i would stick the 16 on....the higher the pressure the higher the boiling point of the water

[Gaz64]

You should run a header tank system with the tank mounted above the thermostat housing. Now the pressure cap will be the highest point and will self bleed every time. All new cars have a system like this for good reason.

Your overflow tank is a poor design, too small, can't see what volume is in it etc. The tank max level should be at about half way.

[RET_COP]

You let it idle in the driveway for an hour!!!? Don't ever do this without changing the rpms every few minutes. This is not good for a engine with a "decent cam".
"don't want to waste time and money"!!!??? It's a Cobra!!, I waste alot of time and $$ on my Cobra--just ask my wife.
Lou

[Jerry Clayton]

Answer my question----Is it a coolant recovery type cap????????????

[Tim Brewer]

Here's what you need to do:

1) Get a clear plastic overflow tank from your local A/P store and replace that blue
thing you now have.
2) Never, EVER idle your Cobra for an hour! Why would you even do that? Out of all
the thousands of Cobras on this site, I'll bet at least 75% of them (including mine),
will overheat and spew fluid everywhere if they were to idle for an hour.

[joyridin']

Do what everybody above recommends, and if none of that works, replace the head gaskets. Assuming the thermostat is working correctly and you have a good/correct cap, it sounds like a gasket is bad and is pushing coolant out.

[FWB]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

Answer my question----Is it a coolant recovery type cap????????????

very important.......2 types of caps. the wrong one will do what you are describing...

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by FWB

very important.......2 types of caps. the wrong one will do what you are describing...

Correct, a non recovery cap will allow coolant into the tank at the cap relief pressure but won't allow coolant to drawn back from the tank as the engine cools down.

For every time the coolant gets pushed out, the level goes up in the tank.

[avdcav]

I'm gonna see if I got this right by consensus
Do not let car sit in driveway an idle for an hour "

These silly air cooled machines... Very finicky

[FWB]

so your advocating a air cooled Porsche engine solely because you can let it sit and idle in your driveway for an hour?

all water cooled engines are sub-standard because you are having a coolant issue?

honestly get used to tinkering and having to adjust, play with, modify your car...it is a custom car. if you want a plug and play 24-7

buy a production car from one of many car manufactures that has billions tied up in testing

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by FWB

...honestly get used to tinkering and having to adjust, play with, modify your car...it is a custom car. if you want a plug and play 24-7...

He's probably got the wrong cap on there, just like Gaz said. AVDCAV, read this thread Overflow Tank question and take note of the reference to the "Radiator Caps, They're Not All The Same" thread and, specifically, the Putnam Suck Test to determine what cap you have (no, I'm not kidding).