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It took a while to heat up. I let it idle since a steadyish trickle of water continued.
Hate to tell you this, but you can't run a liquid cooled engine without liquid in it. The sensor may still be in the coolant and reading temperature at that location but where there is no coolant, you're destroying the engine. The heads up high will be the first to go due to warping and blown head gaskets. If you're missing most of the coolant in the block jackets and it dropped below the pump, you can stick a fork in it (the engine)...it's done. Also, you can't run a water pump dry without destroying it very quickly.
Just wanted to thank everyone who shared their pain...
Today was day two of my repair project. I can’t imagine attempting this job back in the 2000’s before the knowledge base was established. I’m so appreciative of all of the nuggets that folks have shared after learning the hard way.
So far I’ve not made any irreversible mistakes.
I dropped my much needed torx bit TWICE but through some miracle, found it both times, even when it fell on top of a control arm.
That tee that always breaks, broke without me even knowing it. Everything has been as explained in the posts. But it has still been extremely challenging.
I’m glad I bought the starter... the old one was dry, but I don’t ever plan on going under that intake again. Please forgive my blasphemous notion of not replacing it.
Well I’m taking lots of pics and will put a nice little post together with some things I had a hard time figuring out so the next guy or gal will have an easier time.
Anyway hope everyone had a happy Christmas! Ttyl.
Today was day 2 of my repair project. I can’t imagine attempting this job back in the 2000’s. I’m so appreciative of all of the nuggets that folks have shared by learning the hard way.
So far I’ve not made any irreversible mistakes.
I dropped my much needed torx bit TWICE but through some miracle, found it twice, even when it fell on top of a control arm.
That tee that always breaks, broke without me even knowing it. Everything has been as explained in the posts. But it has still been extremely challenging.
Im glad I bought the starter... it was dry, but I don’t ever plan on going under that intake again. Please forgive my blasphemous suggestion of not replacing it.
Well I’m taking lots of pics and will put a nice little post together with some things I had a hard time figuring out so the next guy or gal will have an easier time.
Anyway hope everyone had a happy Christmas. Ttyl.
The VERY FIRST THING you should do - before you do ANYTHING ELSE - is tape up those intake holes.Dropping a screw, washer, whatever down one could result in having to disassemble the entire engine to get it out of the cylinder it falls into.
DO IT RIGHT NOW. No kidding. If you don't - do not come back with a tale of woe when this happens.
I’m sipping on a beer in my living room rn.
That was just my Christmas card photo.
The first thing I did was tape up the holes. Thanks though. Before it started to get dark, I managed to remove both large hoses (omg was that difficult... they didn’t want to move at all), the t-stat housing, and all of the plastic pipes. I nearly finished clearing out all the chunks of broken plastic left over in the grooves.
I’m very optimistic, the worst is behind me. Fortunately, I’ve been off and have been starting at 11AM or so and taking my time.
These short days aren’t helping though.
Oh, back to taping up the intake... some rodent apparently made a nest in that valley, so yeah, that was the first thing I did.
Yup. Thanks again. Nah I’m not a complete noob, ha.
I was actually freaking out when those vent tube connectors broke off (after I broke them off). I really should have left mine alone as they weren’t brittle. But it all worked out so I’m glad I replaced the whole assembly.
I took a tip from a contributor and found just the right sized coarse thread screw and managed to easily pull out the remains on both sides.
I just pictured those pieces of plastic getting stuck where a valve is supposed to seat.
So, if I've read what you've said correctly and you've been running your engine to get whatever coolant/water out of the system that you can then you will be the luckiest person in the world if you haven't done damage to your engine. This isn't like the Citroen DS's that you could open up a large under belly vent to air cool them with if you had to (my dad did this with his first DS21 sometime in the 70's). Like every other water cooled engine it will overheat even if the temp gauge doesn't show it. I hope you defy the odds.
I figured someone would eventually google that warm water freezing effect thing.
Yeah, I won't argue on this but the water dripping out was still cold. I just drove around the block.
Anyway, I would have been finished today but got a late start.
Last snag that was super frustrating was that for my life I couldn't get the little tube to fit back in the top of the t-stat housing.
No amount of safe persuasion and jiggling had any effect. It must not be going in true, but all my struggling accomplished absolutely nothing.
I don't think I've ever been more sore in my life.
I've lost about all of the grip in my hands, my back is shot, I have bruises all up my arms -on my chest- and cuts on my knuckles.
But as was mentioned, I've never completed a more satisfying project.
Thanks to the board I didn't come across a single surprise. -About 27 mission impossible / MacGyver tasks that I spent hours on each of... but it all eventually worked out.
Didn't loose or break anything, didn't screw up anything (much to my surprise).
Ok I broke an accordion air plastic thing... but that was after I sat on it. I mended it up with electrical tape and will order a new one. It was the three way thing on the right near the intake.
So I replaced the whole aluminum upgrade kit, both tees (aluminum now) and all of the hoses, the t-stat and the starter. All new gaskets and o-rings. Also the small emissions tee that breaks (brass now).
Added the orange extended life Prestone coolant (which was in there from the p/o) and distilled water.
Rented (bought) the $250 Autozone loaner tool pressure test kit and checked for leaks at 15 psi. All good.
Drove around town and everything is beautiful. I'm so relieved. Lots of pics to come in a new post.
Steve - I think you mentioned you got your aluminum coolant T's from AutohausAZ (?) - would you have a link because I couldn't seem to find them, thanks.
Btw if you want a dreaded coolant day story, be glad you are not me. So the family took a short 3 day vacation last week, renting a cabin way, way off the grid in the Canadian Rockies. Park and hike the rest of the way deal. Great time, then packed up and ready to leave, started it and the coolant low light comes on. The PO had done the coolant pipes, and I had assumed the T's as well - guess not, because it was gushing out from the rear drivers side, so I am assuming the tees went, or something in that area. Although I had all my tools, a road side fix wasn't going to happen in a snow bank with no parts. Poured the rest of the 5 gallon camping water in and made it to a road. The 800 km tow home would have cost almost as much as the car is worth, so we got to a UHaul shop, found a one way flatbed trailer in one town, but UHaul has no vehicles that have seats for 4 people. The only truck that could tow this and carry 4 people was an F150 extended cab in a different town again, but it was only for local rental. So got transport to the city with the F150, took the F150 to the city with the trailer, picked it up and then to the town with my broke CTT, family and gear. Loaded it up, 50 lbs under the weight limit of the hitch and trailer. Starting that night, drove 10 hours back home, through mountain passes and snow storms. Slept 2 hours, dropped the trailer off locally and then had to drive all the 800 kms way back to return the F150. Did this in tandem with my wife driving a BMW we rented near home, so we had a way to get back after we dropped off the truck. So that was 8 hours out and immediately 7 hours back, on 2 hours sleep after a 10 hour tow! Good times, good times.
The funny part of this is I recently posted on another thread about how reliable these high mileage CTTs can be. I was asking for it I guess! And on the first part of the trip I was thinking of posting a review of how the KO2's were performing under heavy winter blizzard conditions...now I just want to sell it.
But I probably won't so if you could send any info on the T's that would be great, thanks.
Lol, The coolant temp sensor is located in the coolest part of the system. Not that it would matter when it's empty!
"One owner, driven by a little old lady, always pampered."
I'm adding this one to the comedy tour......
Probably a Pelosi supporter....
Idiot much?
Steve - I think you mentioned you got your aluminum coolant T's from AutohausAZ (?) - would you have a link because I couldn't seem to find them, thanks.
Btw if you want a dreaded coolant day story, be glad you are not me. So the family took a short 3 day vacation last week, renting a cabin way, way off the grid in the Canadian Rockies. Park and hike the rest of the way deal. Great time, then packed up and ready to leave, started it and the coolant low light comes on. The PO had done the coolant pipes, and I had assumed the T's as well - guess not, because it was gushing out from the rear drivers side, so I am assuming the tees went, or something in that area. Although I had all my tools, a road side fix wasn't going to happen in a snow bank with no parts. Poured the rest of the 5 gallon camping water in and made it to a road. The 800 km tow home would have cost almost as much as the car is worth, so we got to a UHaul shop, found a one way flatbed trailer in one town, but UHaul has no vehicles that have seats for 4 people. The only truck that could tow this and carry 4 people was an F150 extended cab in a different town again, but it was only for local rental. So got transport to the city with the F150, took the F150 to the city with the trailer, picked it up and then to the town with my broke CTT, family and gear. Loaded it up, 50 lbs under the weight limit of the hitch and trailer. Starting that night, drove 10 hours back home, through mountain passes and snow storms. Slept 2 hours, dropped the trailer off locally and then had to drive all the 800 kms way back to return the F150. Did this in tandem with my wife driving a BMW we rented near home, so we had a way to get back after we dropped off the truck. So that was 8 hours out and immediately 7 hours back, on 2 hours sleep after a 10 hour tow! Good times, good times.
The funny part of this is I recently posted on another thread about how reliable these high mileage CTTs can be. I was asking for it I guess! And on the first part of the trip I was thinking of posting a review of how the KO2's were performing under heavy winter blizzard conditions...now I just want to sell it.
But I probably won't so if you could send any info on the T's that would be great, thanks.
OMG -- nightmare. It would have been a shame if the PIG had accidentally caught fire while in a snow bank...
12-19-2018, 10:07 PM
Yeah it's all superstition. While you're in there, don't forget to change out your turbo charger coolant. 
