Mongo

Hey Dmitry, I did get the thermostat today also. I got an 80 degree Celsius one that I will be putting in. It came with the shim, 2 seals and snap ring. Should I put the shim in? I have an updated water pump (it has a block off plate on it)

Jfrahm

I would do a leakdown test before replacing the radiator hoses etc. and refilling/bleeding the system.

tifosiman

You need to really figure out what is wrong before you begin indiscrimantly tossing new parts at it. Why ask for advice when you aren't following it and just buying crap that you may not need?

Mongo

I'm also going by my mechanic's advise too tifosiman. The radiator is also 19 years old in this car and it looks pretty damn old to me. Oh, and I am taking advice of people on this board, which is why I'm including a thermostat in the replacement.

And, if it was a head gasket, why would it all of a sudden start leaking after a water pump job? If it is the head gasket, fine. I will replace that too when this option is exhausted. I have a funny feelilng that it is the radiator though or a bad thermostat. It wouldn't hurt replacing the radiator at 130,000 miles too on a car from back east.

Mighty Shilling

Andy, good luck. Like some of the others have said, go to Auto Zone, and get a pressure tester. that'll also help you bleed it well. Sooooo, good luck, I'm hoping it's the radiator and cap for ya bud.

Mongo

Guys here's a bit of information my mechanic friend called me about and he has a very good point!

Since I have a low temperature fan switch in my car (93/88) there is a possibility that my car's thermostat (which is an 83) was tricked into shutting due to the fans coming on to cool the coolant. By trick I mean that the coolant temperatures were below the temperature needed to open the thermostat.

What makes this make even more sense is when most of the times I drive my car at speed, my car doesn't even go past the first hash mark (1/4) and sometimes it stays below it! coming up the hill to my house the temperature had rose to 1/2 and the fans had kicked in. Thinking back on this yet again, I wonder if the coolant was over-cooled and when at idle, all the cold coolant was down in the bottom of the radiator blocked by a shut thermostat from entering the block. When the coolant overflowed, there wasn't that much steam if I recall, at least not enough to show that the block itself had overheated.

What I'm going to do this weekend is put in this 80C thermostat and install a 92/102 fan switch. The fan switch and thermostat is used by the factory when our car rolls off the assembly line and onto the showroom. I have a feeling that the higher fan switch and this new thermostat will maintain a proper flow and stasis of coolant throughout the block accompanied by the restoration of cooling efficiency with the new radiator.


wish me luck

ljibis

IMHO, your plan sounds especially good considering the AutoX and trackday (?) use your car gets. Hopefully once you get through this you'll be able to have a good bit of faith in the cooling system and can run the heck out of her at will...

Anyway, what a saga! I'm so thankful that I haven't had any major problems with the 944 yet...right now the Audi is sucking up an indescriminate amount of disposable income.

Good luck this weekend!

M758

No stig

That would not cause the issue you have. I ran an 84 944 with low temp fan switch and reg temp t-stat and it ran fine for 10k miles like that. Even in 110F idling traffic.

Have you checked you expansion tank?

Mongo

All cars are different after age sets in. The reason why I mentioned what I said above is because the fan switch also has 2 speeds on it, low for a medium temperature, and high for the high temperature. My low temp speed starts right when the thermostat opens, hence the possibility for tricking it to close.

Serge944

The fan switch isn't tricking anything.

Replacing parts because "why not? it's old" is what makes these cars expensive to maintain.

Mongo

ok for one thing, a little extra cash is not going to murder my car because of the fact I bought a radiator to replace my 19 year old one. Secondly, what could it hurt to replace both a thermostat and radiator? NOTHING. Third, my symptoms appeared after a water pump. A head gasket cannot fail right after doing a pump that isn't near the HG. I have coolant, I have external loss, no signs of internal loss, the car goes like stink; which means there is plenty compression still.

Look you guys I'm going out on a limb here, starting from little to big. If it is the head gasket, I'm ****ed to be honest. Pardon my french it's the truth. I have no money to take it to a place that charges me $100 per an hour to do a head gasket and machining. The least I can do is at least replace the damn thing in my garage, if thats the case. I'll find out out tomorrow what happens. If it isn't, then good. I don't have to worry about the head gasket then. If it is the head gasket, then well I'm in a world of hurt and ****ed being a poor college student in massive Debt to National University for an accounting degree

Mighty Shilling

Andy, Head gasket replacements are easy. seriously, you'll have no problem. you need some allen wrenches, some knowledge of how to set up the timing belt, some bigger sockets (19mm I think) and a torque wrench for tools... as for parts, the head gasket, and the cam tower gasket. It's pretty easy to do, and you know, that if I were in California, i'd help...I know that doesn't help much, as I'm 1,500 miles away...but anywho...

I do agree that it doesn't sound like a head gasket... I agree that it's something in the cooling system. so, you've got hoses, a fan switch, a thermostat, and a radiator, right? Now, I'd also say, just for kicks, grins, whatever you wanna call it, use Joe P.'s method of testing the overflow tank and your radiator cap. If the tank is bad, you get a shiney new white one, instead of the freaky yellow that all of our cars currently have. Radiator caps aren't expensive, I'd say toss one at it while you do this fix. Also, like i've told you before, go rent a pressure tester/bleeder from AutoClone... it'll pinpoint any leaks, and help you bleed the system.

Good luck andy. you can do it.