Bubbles in header tank

AuFordChick · 24-04-2013, 08:14 PM

Hey guys, I have a problem. There is bubbles in the header tank, my first thought was blown head gasket but there is no other signs just the bubbles, there was a loss of water, about a quarter in a few days but its been three weeks and no more loss of water, any ideas??

gra · 24-04-2013, 09:34 PM

same thing happened to me
it bubbles and rises up and down well mine did
consulted the mech who advised recore radiator, flush cooling system, new temp sensor etc etc about $500
went home waited till the next morning and topped up the coolant and all good

hope this helps
cheers
gra

FGII-XR6 · 24-04-2013, 10:13 PM

sound like a head gasket but just keep an eye on it and see what happens before you chuck money at it.
if it ends up being a head gasket it's better to buy a good low K engine you can get an engine with under 100K for a few hundred if you look around . a lot of wreckers have them coming out of their ears as they are so reliable they don't sell many

AuFordChick · 25-04-2013, 12:44 AM

Thanks, it's been bubbling since I bought it a few months ago topped it up when needed but bubbles still there...
Would anything else cause the bubbles apart from head gasket? There's no smoke, no power loss or anything else like that.

Magna · 25-04-2013, 11:42 AM

get a mechanic to do a carbon monoxide test, they put a test tube with chemicals in the header tank and if it changes colour then its a head gasket or cracked head/block. takes all of 5 mins.

**auIILTD** · 25-04-2013, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magna

get a mechanic to do a carbon monoxide test, they put a test tube with chemicals in the header tank and if it changes colour then its a head gasket or cracked head/block. takes all of 5 mins.

Great advice Magna. I believe any radiator workshop will be able to perform the same test. I don't believe they would charge for this as it is a simple test for them.

Cheers
Stu

AuFordChick · 25-04-2013, 03:13 PM

Awesome thanks, I'll do that tomorrow

AuFordChick · 26-04-2013, 05:07 PM

Asked a mechanic today and he said the bubbles were normal, if it was a head gasket there would be frothy white stuff on top so all is good

FGII-XR6 · 27-04-2013, 01:04 AM

it's sad there are mechanics around who know this little. if the gasket is blown in a way that allow oil into the coolant then you will get what he describes but if there is damage in the gasket only between the cylinder and a water jacket then you will get bubbles but no frothy white on top. the frothy whit stuff is an emulsion of water and oil

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuFordChick

Asked a mechanic today and he said the bubbles were normal, if it was a head gasket there would be frothy white stuff on top so all is good

**Mechan1k** · 27-04-2013, 01:37 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hence why the carbon monoxide test is a good test to get done as well when trubleshooting. As mentioned earlier.

Maka · 27-04-2013, 10:42 AM

Aufordchick, sorry for the questions - How hot was the motor getting when it was dumping water? Did you find out where it was leaking from? How old / fresh is the coolant? Old & over diluted coolant will froth / bubble up when near boiling point, but as said above, i would be inclined to go to a radiator specialist asap to get the gas test done if you cannot find the source of the water leak.

p,s - is it me but i get the feeling the mechanic could have done more to verify the problem?

cheers, Maka

**auIILTD** · 27-04-2013, 10:53 AM

Not just you Maka. I would have thought he would be interested in the business - clearly not.

Stu

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 02:07 PM

The coolant is only a month old, I have no idea where it's leaking, sometimes it leaks but other times it doesn't, topped it up 3 days ago and hasn't moved. The hottest the car gets is on the N. when He mentioned the frothy white stuff I said there was no water in the oil but he said the frothy white stuff is caused by the carbon monoxide

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 02:31 PM

I'll definitely be taking it to the radiator place on Monday, hopefully its not a blown head gasket

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 02:50 PM

I just read that a faulty thermostat or stuffed radiator cap can cause bubbles in the tank, I'm gonna replace both of these today and see what happens, fingers crossed it fixes it!

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 03:45 PM

Just had a good look at it while the car was going and it looks like the bubbles are caused from the water going into there really fast, water is also spraying up onto the top of the tank. Also there's been water coming out the overflow pipe so I'm pretty sure that's where the water is 'leaking' from, there's a coolant stain there and has been for a while just didn't know for sure if it was coming from there but when I looked just before it was wet, anyone know why the water would be getting pushed out there?

FGII-XR6 · 27-04-2013, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuFordChick

Just had a good look at it while the car was going and it looks like the bubbles are caused from the water going into there really fast, water is also spraying up onto the top of the tank. Also there's been water coming out the overflow pipe so I'm pretty sure that's where the water is 'leaking' from, there's a coolant stain there and has been for a while just didn't know for sure if it was coming from there but when I looked just before it was wet, anyone know why the water would be getting pushed out there?

only reasons it will come out the overflow is if the pressure exceeds the pressure rating of the cap this is caused by either pressure increase because it is getting too hot or pressure getting into the cooling system from the combustion chamber ( head gasket)

CATXR8 · 27-04-2013, 06:12 PM

Head gasket gone or warped head

Evgeni · 27-04-2013, 06:43 PM

Like others have said a hyro carbon test would confirm a head gasket issue.
But, if the system is not pressurising then the boiling point will drop. The cap is rated at 120kpa, which is about 17psi. For every 1psi, the boiling point is raised by 2 degrees. Potentially, you can have a system that reaches its boiling point 34 degrees earlier than it should.
When the thermostat is rated at 92 degrees, these symptoms are plausible.
Can you feel some pressure in the top hose at running temp?
Hopefully it will just be a cap and thermostat.

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 08:15 PM

Yeah I'm definatly going to get the test done, just hoping the cause of the bubbles is something simple. How do I check the pressure? Do I squeeze the hose?

**Mechan1k** · 27-04-2013, 08:19 PM

Yeah ... squeeze the top hose when it is up to temp.

Another thing I had was a small crack in the header tank near one of the front smaller hoses on my AU ... and just replaced it with a B-series header tank from a wrecker (near new for like $40

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 08:26 PM

Ok cool I'll do that in the morn, so what's good, if there's pressure or no pressure? I have no idea about cooling systems lol

mex351 · 27-04-2013, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuFordChick

Hey guys, I have a problem. There is bubbles in the header tank, my first thought was blown head gasket but there is no other signs just the bubbles, there was a loss of water, about a quarter in a few days but its been three weeks and no more loss of water, any ideas??

Check for yabbies in there...

Shame the mechanic is been as helpful as a empty water bottle in the desert.Where are you located perhaps someone could offer a place to help or help themselves is there nearby...?

I'm thinking gasket issue myself but it really needs further investigation before the small issue turns into a REAL EXPENSIVE 1 IMO.

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 08:43 PM

Haha, there's a radiator place here I'm gonna see on Monday. I did squeeze the hoses today while it was running and they were pretty easy to squeeze in, I'm gathering that's not normal if its supposed to be pressurized!?

**auIILTD** · 27-04-2013, 09:03 PM

Correct. Hoses should feel tight when up to full temp/pressure.

Good luck and hoping it is not too bad for you.

Cheers
Stu

AuFordChick · 27-04-2013, 09:06 PM

Thanks, me too

Evgeni · 28-04-2013, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuFordChick

Haha, there's a radiator place here I'm gonna see on Monday. I did squeeze the hoses today while it was running and they were pretty easy to squeeze in, I'm gathering that's not normal if its supposed to be pressurized!?

Looks like it is not building pressure.
Just so you don't get told BS on Monday, A radiator cap and thermostat should cost no more than $40. Roughly $12 for a cap, $14 for a thermo, $10 for the o ring and gasket and around 500ml of coolant to top off.

With the test, you would be looking for the presence of hydro carbons (unburnt fuel) or carbon monoxide (partially burnt fuel) in the coolant tank. There is only one way in and that is via a head gasket that is not doing its job.

AuFordChick · 28-04-2013, 09:21 AM

Yeah will definitely replace the cap and thermostat first before I get it tested, also is it normal for the big pipe that comes from the water pump to be soft in places and really hard in places?

AuFordChick · 28-04-2013, 09:26 AM

Its like there's metal in the pipe in certain places, its a different kinda hose, all the other hoses are normal but this one has grooves in it

Evgeni · 28-04-2013, 10:28 AM

There is a metal skeleton inside the hose from the water pump to the radiator (bottom hose). It is there to stop the hose from collapsing under high rpm - not that I think that will ever happen with our plain 6's!

What you dont want is for the hose to feel 'crunchy'. This would suggest the metal is corroded and time to change it out.

When the system is working correctly the top hose should be hotter than the bottom. I have a non contact thermometer now, but I used to just use the wife's thermometer that she used to stick in the Sunday roast - got into a bit of trouble for that...