Where Does The Water Go?

[66yostagea]

A few, several, years ago I fitted an FFP in accordance with instructions I got from a DIY on the Skyline forum. Since then the engine seems to have been plagued with fits of the "gurgles". And, after a trip to the coast and back the radiator level is nearly down to the tubes and the overflow bottle is nearly empty.

There is no oil in the rad and there is no water in the oil.

Where, how and/or is the water going.

[Duncan]

well, it may not be the FFP, it doesn't have an coolant does it?

the best way to sort this sort of thing is a radiator pressure test; any mechanic should be able to do it free or cheap. It will confirm if there is a leak, and you can often hear exactly where the leak is coming from. small leaks are generally radiator cap faulty, pinhole in the radiator (what I just had)

[Dan_J]

check your heater hoses and turbo water drain line that goes to the intake mani

it could be a pin sized hole and it will only piss out once the engine is hot

or your rad has a slight leak

[66yostagea]

The FFP has a coolant chamber, Could there be a leak into the intake that can be recirculated via the exhaust back thru the turbo to the intake etc.

I will take all this advice on board and once I finish my other issues this will be my priority

For my Dayz rebuild I am thinking of going Plazmaman. That way there is a lot less modding to do..

[Gts-t]

Is it being bled properly when it is filled?

[DaveM35]

What about your heater core? If you ever smell coolant in the cabin or notice stains on the carpets around the footwells, could be that. Can get over looked during pressure tests because they dont always cause big enough pressure drops when they first start to go.

[shane344]

Hate to be the worst case scenario guy but head gasket?

My Cressida (different car I know but similar symptoms) used to eat coolant, and number 6 spark plug used to get rusty.

If it sat for a week or so, it used to cough when you first started it until it cooked the water off.

Those things were renowned for blowing them after toyota ballsed up the head torque specs but mine went softly rather than properly.

It never got hot, just used to slowly empty the rad...

Kept driving it for a year, didnt get much worse, sold it cheap-cheap...

Edited April 29, 2014 by shane344

[66yostagea]

Is it being bled properly when it is filled?

Sure is. Top up with Coke bottle header so plenty of water above bleed valve, Even raised bleed about 75mm. Always bleed with heater on.

[coparts41]

sound like the bleed wasn`t long or good enough , if its gurgling then there is still air in the system somewhere , may need a pressure bleed. I always use a funnel and piece of tube 300+ mm .but you may require somthing different,

[66yostagea]

To keep up to date..

Tried a new rad cap. No improvement.

Pulled the thermostat out and tested. Opens at 65C. So that seems OK. It was a sod to get out and worse to get back in.

Neat time I will go Plazmaman FFP.

From what I have seen so far it clarifies why my oil temp goes to 115C coming up the mountain,because by that time there is not much water in the radiator.Methinks? I have closed the loop on the heater so there can be no leak there.

When I drained the rad the water was fairly rusty and there was a lot of crud in the thermostat housing. I had been using good coolant addative but can see how diluted it has got over time. As a precaution I am getting the radiator cleaned and tested. Am sure the water pump works as when revs over 21/2

makes liquid spout out of the bleed valve and the radiator fill point.

When bleeding I use a large Coke bottle full fo reservoir and have lifted the bleed valve up 100mm.

If all this fails it will be off with the Greddy FFP and back to the stock intake. See how that goes and if OK will leave it on.

[PN-Mad]

Isn't there a small nut to crack or something on the Oem manifold system to clear air when bleeding the car?

I'm far from the RB expert, but I think someone mentioned it, worth a search anyway. Did your manifold delete this?

[PN-Mad]

Used these two bleed screws, or what has the FFP done to their locations?

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/421184-rb25-neo-bleed-valve-for-cooling-system/

[Ben C34]

That's way too early for the thermostat to open.

[66yostagea]

WHAT TEMP? 65c IS PRETTY HOT.

[Ben C34]

Pretty hot for a bath, but not an engine. It's too cold.

Neos run at 82. I think pre neo is a touch cooler but not that much.

I recall my vl turbo running at 82

Edited May 8, 2014 by superben

[KiwiRS4T]

I find it unlikely that FFP is to blame. If you are going to all the trouble to remove thermostat you should have put a new OEM one in place. They should open at more like 80deg or more - 65 deg is not hot.

Did you get a pressure test? A radiator shop shouldn't charge you for it. If the pressure doesn't go down then maybe you need a new radiator core - I see you are getting yours cleaned - that may well fix your problem.

[DaveM35]

An early opening thermostat won't cause overheating or coolant loss, so it's not crucial to change it anyway. If there was a lot of rusty coloured water and or scale your rad was most likely not efficient anymore.

Might not be a total fix for your probs but good idea getting it serviced anyway.

[66yostagea]

I'll do the rad first and see what happens. If that does not fix then its deep surgery.

But I still dont know where the water goes.