My fan works but its all wrong...isnt it????

[lynall]

Gurgling doesnt sound good to me, with the engine hot and switched off slowly release the cap and see how long it takes for the pressure to release itself, be very careful and only unscrew a little until you can hear the pressure start to release.

Mine takes no more than 2 secs.

Again engine hot and swotched off how hard are the radiator hoses?


Lynall



Lynall

 

[94mattda]

Shall be leaving Cardiff to head back to Plymouth so shall try these few suggestions and update when home...Cheers again....although it has been over the weekend staying between 80 - 90 even in traffic so i think i may have been worried for nothing but we shall see.....

 

[Number_Cruncher]

Part of the problem with testing viscous fans is caused by the temperature varying at diofferent points in the cooling system.

The temperature you read on the gauge on the dash is sensed by sampling the temperature of the coolant in the cylinder head.

Stuck out at he front of the engine, the viscous fan hasn't a clue what the temperature inside the cylinder head is.

The bi-metal strip which operates the viscous fan senses the temperature of the air which has passed through the condensor and radiator fins. So, if the outside of the radiator gets clogged up, you get a double whammy - not only is the efficency of the condensor and radiator compromised, but, as air isn't flowing through, the viscous fan won't cut in either!

So, check that the radiator is clean externally, and that it is also clear internally, to allow the water to flow thorugh it properly.

I wouldn't worry too much about listening for a roar or feeling a whoosh of air - as long as the fan is noticeably stiffer when hot, it's working.

 

[lynall]

So if its now running at 80/90 the new fan has bought the temp down

I was thinking and in the 10 years i owned discos for i only ever heard the viscous fan come in hard ie whoosh about 5 times.

I think its more to do with the constant air flow over the engine all the time even when the fan is idling.



Lynall

 

[94mattda]

Well i have just got back from Cardiff....Car sat at around 90 all the way.....very hot day too so was all happy.....then oil light came on.....second time in about a month......checked it and it appears i have almost no oil...

Radiator warm evenly and all over....

No oil in water and not pressurised or gurgling after the journey

Could the oil loss just be a valve seal as suggested on another thread....would it be worth having the head off and the gaskets etc replaced....

 

[94mattda]

Gurgling doesnt sound good to me, with the engine hot and switched off slowly release the cap and see how long it takes for the pressure to release itself, be very careful and only unscrew a little until you can hear the pressure start to release.

Mine takes no more than 2 secs.

Again engine hot and swotched off how hard are the radiator hoses?


Lynall



Lynall

Only a few seconds to release pressure and hoses not too hard...not totally squigy though

 

[lynall]

Sounds good to me mind you the low oil wont help matters.

How much is it using every 1000 miles? would have to be high to justify expense and hassle of head off.



Lynall

 

[94mattda]

Sounds good to me mind you the low oil wont help matters.

How much is it using every 1000 miles? would have to be high to justify expense and hassle of head off.



Lynall

Well i would say its used aboutalmost all of it in about 1000 miles...has noticed a little puff of blue smoke every now and again but not alot.....not enough to thinkits burnt it all....

I have noticed today however there is a soapy scum on the inside of the water tank....nothing in the oil though.... thionk ishall have a compression test done this week....

 

[94mattda]

Car is booked in to be pressure tested tomorrow as suspect head.....hopefully not though....fingers crossed..

 

[lynall]

That sounds like a lot of oil

Over the years we have had 4 mercs and none have ever used oil, the 104 leaked it as std though until i replaced the head gasket.



Lynall

 

[94mattda]

shall update tomorrow with the results....

 

[94mattda]

Results for compression test are as follows: 150, 150, 120, 135, 160, 120.............going to clean out the water expansion tank and watch for a while to see if it scums up again.....???

So my symptoms are using a fair bit of oil...., a few puffs of blue smoke every now and again, not overheating but stays around the 100 in traffic but tends to stay around 90 normal driving.... and the results for compresion test on cylinders are as above. What would you do in my shoes......???

 

[kth286]

Results for compression test are as follows: 150, 150, 120, 135, 160, 120.............going to clean out the water expansion tank and watch for a while to see if it scums up again.....???

So my symptoms are using a fair bit of oil...., a few puffs of blue smoke every now and again, not overheating but stays around the 100 in traffic but tends to stay around 90 normal driving.... and the results for compresion test on cylinders are as above. What would you do in my shoes......???

Need to know how much deviation from spec.

Did tech know what the spec should be ?

 

[Dieselman]

Need to know how much deviation from spec.

Did tech know what the spec should be ?

Probably about 180psi as built, 150psi acceptable, 120psi minimum with 15psi between cylinders.

No4 is low and no's 3 and 6 look rather suspect.

 

[94mattda]

Probably about 180psi as built, 150psi acceptable, 120psi minimum with 15psi between cylinders.

No4 is low and no's 3 and 6 look rather suspect.

Head off job then do you think...or live with it for a little lonnger....going to top up oil and clean out water expansion tank and thought would drive it for a while to see if it emulsifies again in the tank....

 

[Dieselman]

Ideally you need a leak down test or a wet compression test. That will show whether the losses are down to the valves, rings or gasket.

You mentioned it smokes sometimes..is this when under power or immediately after being on the over-run then applying power again and maybe on initial start up.?

If on power it's likely to be bottom end, if after the over-run it's valve seals/guides.

Try pulling the breather pipe off and seeing how much it puffs oil smoke. If a lot it is bottom end or gasket. You might even hear a sort of popping sound due to the blow-by.


You could try some radiator flush in the cooling system, but be warned, if the gasket is on the way out it could make it let go properly. It's sort of the acid test.

 

[94mattda]

Ideally you need a leak down test or a wet compression test. That will show whether the losses are down to the valves, rings or gasket.

You mentioned it smokes sometimes..is this when under power or immediately after being on the over-run then applying power again and maybe on initial start up.?

If on power it's likely to be bottom end, if after the over-run it's valve seals/guides.

Try pulling the breather pipe off and seeing how much it puffs oil smoke. If a lot it is bottom end or gasket. You might even hear a sort of popping sound due to the blow-by.


You could try some radiator flush in the cooling system, but be warned, if the gasket is on the way out it could make it let go properly. It's sort of the acid test.

Started car....no smoke.....let run and revved up....blue smoke.....

took off breather pipe....a clearish smoke...looks normal ......no popping....

 

[Dieselman]

That sounds more like valve guides and seals. What's it like if you over-run down a hill in a lower gear to make the engine rev a bit, then accelerate again.?
The low compressions may not be directly leading to oil loss.

 

[94mattda]

That sounds more like valve guides and seals. What's it like if you over-run down a hill in a lower gear to make the engine rev a bit, then accelerate again.?
The low compressions may not be directly leading to oil loss.

You get a puff of blue smoke...... just on the start of the acceleration then it clears....

 

[Dieselman]

That sounds like valve guides drawing oil under the high manifold vacuum, then no more as the vacuum collapses under power.
If the rings were causing oil smoke it should get worse under acceleration due to compression blowby forcing more oil into the cylinders or out of the breather.

You still need the leakdown test to see if the valves are leaking compression, if so it sounds like a head job is in order.