problems with mark....

[4drpower]

well not really problems just a couple of odd ball questions, first the radiator was leaking so I did the old pepper trick and that stopped it for the meantime, second would the coolant reservoir ever build any pressure to where coolant come out of the top of the cap?? i drove it after the leak stopped popped the hood and it looked like something had sprayed coolant in there there was a stream of coolant that ran down the side of the coolant reservoir bottle... hmmmm not sure also when I start the car for the first time in the day I hear a ta ta ta ta noise coming from the engine then after about 5-10 seconds it stops and sounds fine, keep in mind the motor has
211k on it any suggestions I just changed the oil and filter with a fram extra guard filter and fresh new pennsoil (spelling) 10w40 any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[Elessee]

I've got about 240K miles on mine.
I noticed a radiator leak on the floor about 2 months ago.. a few drops.. no big deal.. I filled the radiator and kept driving it long distances.
At one point it overheated. Lucky i was close to home. So i checked it out.

Radiator was half empty.
There was a water spray pattern around the fan.. centrifugal force sprayed the cowling.. and there was a green puddle in the radiator support frame.. I search for the leak.. don't see nothing at first.

There was a very slight discoloration on the front side of the radiator fins pretty near the overflow reservoir... a greenish patch near the top corner, about 2 inches wide. I rubbed it with a finger. The fins disintegrated... fins were like tissue paper.. I rubbed a larger area and the whole section was corroded very badly. Then i could see that several rows of tubes were corroded through.. pinholes.
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So, i'm off to the parts store.. asking questions about one brand of stop-leak's advantage over another.. bought a couple different ones.
But i recalled from earlier cars i owned that the stuff circulates throughout the cooling system, can clog things up and some types have corrosive ingredients. They are for emergency use only, imo.
(Even antifreeze needs to be carefully chosen with this corrosion factor in mind. The manuals specify what types of antifreeze are safe.)
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So, i figure i'll get a new radiator. The part store had one in stock, aluminum core, $70 or so. I installed it in a couple hours.. easy job.
Tell you what.. Now i can fly up the high desert mountains freeways at 85mph on my way to Vegas and this engine doesn't even get past the N in "normal".. with AC on. At first i thought it was a bad gauge, but when idling at a standstill the guage goes up and is accurate.

my recommendation is don't mess around.. Spring for a new radiator... and a new cap.. you won't regret it but you'll eventually regret not doing it.

Don't bother reading further until you've fixed any leaks.
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The overflow reservoir can't overflow it's cap if you fill it only to the "FULL COLD" line near the bottom when the engine is COLD.

Here's how to fill the system properly:
Cold engine. Check radiator and fill to the top. Replace cap, then (maybe) add water to the overflow reservoir to FULL COLD if it needs it. Then go for a spin.

When the engine warms up:
a) the water expands, and some overflows into the overflow reservoir.
b) Any empty cavities in the cooling system are.. empty.. and the system needs more water.. but you can't do it by just filling the radiator.
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OK.. Next, the car is shut down and engine allowed to cool .. cold.. not even warm. As it cools, the water in the system shrinks. If there was any water in the overflow reservoir, it is vacuumed up the tube and back into the radiator. (That tube requires care.. no leaks, no collapsed areas and no kinks. Reroute it if need be.)

When COLD, again you open the radiator cap. Chances are the water level is quite low (It circulated and filled all the empty spaces).
Fill radiator to the top and then add some to the overflow if it needs it. Add ONLY to the "Full Cold" line. (use a flashlight or a homemade dipstick to check reservoir level.

Now you should have the correct water capacity.. run it fast and get it hot, open the hood, and you'll probably see 8 or 10 inches of water in the overflow tank. This is normal. It'll vacuum back into the radiator when the engine cools.

i mighta forgot something but this post is already too long.

 

[4drpower]

I really appreciate all the info alot!!! I have so many questions to ask, but i see it takes awhile to get a response, again bc there is not many people on here like on mercurymarauder.net but atleast when I do get a response it is a full blown detail oriented explanation, which I infact really appreciate.. I am going to go with a new radiator and reroute the line from the reservoir to the tank bc it runs inbetween the radiator and the "cant think of it" right now but I am still wondering about the ta ta ta ta noise from the car when first started in the morning, again it goes away in about 10seconds or so, its just that noise really scares the :q:q:q:q out of me, i have had to many motors spun a rod bearing "which i am dealing with in the merc" and just really makes me womder if the oil pump is failing, or a thinned rod bearing or something else or hell it could be bc it has so many miles on it.. I mean when its warmed up i can hold a steady 3500rpm and hardly hear it at all it is so light i dont think anyone would notice it unless I said something, but its just when it starts up for the first time in the morning, it makes that noise and after it has been sitting for an hour or too but yet it goes away after 10seconds or so, so any other info would greatly be appreciated...

thanks again ELESSEE

 

[OldSchool1]

...
Here's how to fill the system properly:
Cold engine. Check radiator and fill to the top. Replace cap, then (maybe) add water to the overflow reservoir to FULL COLD if it needs it. Then go for a spin.

When the engine warms up:
a) the water expands, and some overflows into the overflow reservoir.
b) Any empty cavities in the cooling system are.. empty.. and the system needs more water.. but you can't do it by just filling the radiator.
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...

Excellent advice and good instruction. I'm just ~way~ too verbose to have done it like you

 

[NYC LS8]

The coolant coming out of the overflow could be from a bad head gasket. I know this from personal experience after blowing my 87 up at the SSHS6 event.

 

[Elessee]

snip
I am going to go with a new radiator and reroute the line from the reservoir to the tank bc it runs inbetween the radiator and the "cant think of it" right now but I am still wondering about the ta ta ta ta noise from the car when first started in the morning,... snip

In stock configuration, the way the vacuum/return hose was stretched tight and took a sharp U-turn off the radiator cap nozzle bothered me, so I rerouted mine, coming up from below the nozzle, using twist ties to secure it. The hose is a couple inches longer than it has to be and allows a bit of leeway. The U-turn can be straightened a little.
If that hose leaks (air or water) or is kinked or clogged, the overflow tanks' function (added cooling capacity) is sacrificed.. so it deserves some attention, imo.
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As for that noise...
I'd have someone else start the car and try and determine where it originates. If it's loud it may be external to the engine, meaning something is hitting something.. and it's location might be obvious.
If it's internal then.. well... i guess you get a engine stethoscope (length of garden hose?) and try and narrow it down to a general area.. Since it goes away fast, if internal it may be due to lack of initial lubrication.

To show how one thing may lead to another along a very strange pathway, I had a similar noise and it was due to a suspension problem.. lemme explain that.

My air springs were leaking. The front end often "deflated" and dropped down very low, sometimes while parked with the front end over a curb or concrete wheel stop (like in parking lots).
Front end drops, hits that curb and bends the fan cowl. It's plastic so it springs back for the most part, but not all the way.
Anyhow, the one blade of the fan that is slightly longer than the others would bang against the cowl's bottom with a loud tap-tap-tap when starting, then go away as everything loosened up a little.
After fixing the air springs, a little pressure on the sides of the cowl rounded it out enough to eliminate that noise.

Noises are difficult to source remotely.. since you have the car, nobody is better suited for the job. Front, left engine? Right rear? Centered over the intake? Share that info and people here might be able to suggest a next step.

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So, there's another 200 words or so that could be condensed down to 6 or 8 if I tried.. but I won't.