Bowhunter1974

Hello,

New subscriber and first time post. I recently bought a 1986 944 non-turbo NA as a first time car and project with my son. All seemed well until I registered the car yesterday, pulled into a local parts store to check on a replacement fuel inlet hose from the tank to the junction where it goes on into the fuel lines. Came back out of the store and it was dumping coolant from the bottom of the car. Once we go the hood open noticed a slit in the lower radiator hose just on the other side of the clamp on the top side. I did notice when we drove it home and in town that the temp gauge would get up to about the last white line but then go downward when going down the road. The gauge was not hot when we pulled into the store.

I have a few questions - Do i just need to replace the lower radiator hose? Along with draining remaining coolant and refilling. Previous owner stated he replaced the oil cooler for the radiator and timing belt.
Is it possible the fan is bad and this caused the over heating/lower radiator hose to bust? I thought maybe the thermostat is faulty??? Would anyone recommend replacing the thermostat? If so, where is the thermostat located exactly?

I did briefly search the forum before subscribing but not extensively. So if there are posts/threads dealing with these issues please reply with the links. Thanks in advance

Emefef

It's a 33 year old car - as you work on various parts, you'll find things that have been replaced, and those that still need replacing. That lower rad hose could simply be one of the latter, even if the P.O. did some work in the cooling system.

One of the important things for the cooling system is to properly bleed it once it's refilled. There's a bleed screw where the upper coolant hose goes to the engine. I won't try to explain it by memory, because there are other threads about it (lots of them) - but air in the system will cause inconsistent operating temps.

The thermostat is just inside the water pump. Great thing to replace when you're doing the water pump, a little more difficult when the pump is still attached...but still possible.

mrgreenjeans

One thing to watch on that hose ( big end on one end and small on other ? ) is the replacement of it in a scheduled way. Not going too long between new hoses. One also needs to be wary of how the hose clamps on it, and on adjoining smaller hoses and clamps are interacting ... sometimes they can be placed wrong and chafe one another when tightened up. Hoses will weaken there and burst under pressure.

I bought an '84 new and that hose broke at around 10,000 miles. From the factory, it had been in contact with the band of another hose and caused a weak spot. It was replaced under warranty.

When you replace the coolant make sure the nose is elevated to 'burp' the air from inside the block, using the bleed valve on back and side of block, and at the coolant cap. Make sure that cap is a BEHR original equipment cap with the proper pressure and not one from an early or series one car. They are different. Use Porsche approved coolant mixed 50/50 that is non phosphate and for use in Aluminum engines ONLY.

Best wishes with the resolve. If you had proper heat range before going in the store, more than likely you do not have t-stat or other issues. Usually those show up in traffic or on a hot day and can be stat, cap, coolant reservoir, plugged cores, or air locks causing it. Non functioning or faulty sequencing of fans will also be a cause.

Also make sure the prev. owner got all the sludge from oil and coolant mixing, out of the system.... it will still show up as frothy residue in the reservoir if he didn't.