Techtip9

SAVVA TECHNICAL TIP No 9

A POSSIBLE FIX FOR OVERHEATING?

A few years ago I purchased a car that had overheating problems - especially in very warm weather.
It never got hot enough to lose water, but the heat gauge went way up above normal to just below the red mark.

I went to the spares shop and bought a few bottles of radiator cleaner – I’ve never had much faith
in this stuff, but had to start somewhere. At the same time I replaced the thermostat - still overheating.

Off I went to a friend who has a very well equipped workshop including a very
fancy “doofy” for cleaning radiators. It’s half a 45-gallon drum full of what
looks like soapy water attached to a large swimming pool pump. They attach one
pipe from the pump to the bottom of the radiator and the other from the top of
the radiator back into the drum. You have never seen so much junk come out of a
radiator – including a 5/8 nut and a few washers – I kid you not! After an hour the brown
sludge had cleared and good old H2O was circulating through the system. Off I went, knowing my
problem had been solved – but it was still getting hot.

The next move would be to take the radiator out – a major task with this car. As winter was
on us I shelved any further thoughts of radiator removal. It could wait until next summer.
Well summer is just around the corner and I discussed my problem with a highly knowledgeable
club member, one of those people I must admit has a brilliant analytical technical mind.
He suggested “seeing it doesn’t lose water, have you ever considered the fact you could have a
faulty sender unit in the block - keep in mind the car is over 40 years old”?

What a stupid thing to suggest. However, I noticed my little old sports car had
the same “Smiths” sender unit so I swopped them over and guess what – the overheating problem
has gone away. My little old sports car now has an overheating problem. The question is -
do I admit to my friend he was right? I’ll have to give that some serious thought – it could
cost me a drink or three.

(Eric McQuillian)