Hey all. I got my new engine in and running and everything seems to be great except for the temp light. The temperature gauge reads cold as it should when I turn it on, but the overtemp and coolant lights are on. The block and rad had been drained, and it didn't seem like the engine took all that much water when I filled it up, like maybe a half gallon or a gallon. Iirc the capacity is four gallons or thereabouts. Should I be worried, or should I let the engine warm up and assume that ttmhe light is on because there is no coolant in the rad, and the thermostat will open up and shell start chugging water? Or am I lookig at a more serious problem. Sorry for he bad spelling, I'm on my iPhone. Thanks!

 

How did you "fill up" the engine?

 

The coolant system takes 16 litres.............not sure how that translates to the old measurement but its a lot more than 1/2 gallon.

 

Don't run it until you get the 4 gallons in it. Fill the overflow tank with the small return line (driver side of the radiator) off until water comes out the radiator. This will fill the radiator (about 2 + gallons) it will also partly fill the engine block. Start the car with the heater on hot and let it idle while squeezing the upper radiator hose. This will help purge the remaining air out of the system. As it warms up the thermostat will open and the rest of the air will come out. (Keep filling the overflow tank during this process.)

 

The conventional wisdom is to fill the rad with the top rad hose. Reasonably slowly to let the air escape. Attach and then fill the recovery bottle about 3/4. Proceed as Jim suggests, but I wouln't run it again until the rad and part of the block is at least full. With what you've got in there, there's going to be no cooling effect.

 

Oh, and dare I mention - little for the water pump to work with which may endanger that unit too.

 

How long did you run it with basically no coolant?

 

"Never ask a question that you really don't want to know the answer to"
(Particularly relevant in reference to women).

 

As you recalled and was mentioned, the system takes 4 gallons. If the engine block was drained, as it should have been before storing/shipping, then usually you can pour in about 2 to 2-1/2 gallons before the reservoir will be full. Then after you start the motor it should suck down and go into the radiator even with the T-stat closed and take another gallon pretty quickly. The T-stat closes off the return hose from the radiator but the radiator can fill by gravity via the upper hose. With the heater on, as the car warms up it should suck in the rest of the 4 gallons or close to it. You can squeeze the hoses, but the system is self-bleeding back to the reservoir.