Need help troubleshooting a temp issue.

[stubs300]

Checked my coolant level, it was alittle bit low and alot of air escaped when I released pressure from my cooling system. Topped it off and checked my oil. I didn't have coolant or oil mixing. So I babied the car home (keep in mind I daily drive my fury 180 miles every day) I noticed my temps would drop when going down hill and would randomly spike and then go back to normal. So anyways long story short I replaced the thermostat and the car was fine for a few weeks. Tonight on my drive home the car did the same thing again. I live in northern nevada its winter right now, we have snow, we are lucky to get above 40 degrees Fahrenheit right now. I've been driving this car daily for over a year now and never had an issue with it even in the hot nevada summer. So why am I having cooling issues now when its colder than hell. I havent changed much recently besides the belts and an alternator and changed the oil. Idk what my issue is, another thermostat? Should I run no thermostat? The first time I had this issue I put in a 160 degree fail safe thermostat and it did fine until tonight. I'm so bummed right now

I replaced the temp sensor and checked my wiring for any damage. Didn't find any but I know something is still wrong because my gauge has always read extremely low since i got the car. I drive 90 miles to work every morning this is my temp after about 60 miles of my commute, it's not actually low. Something is wrong with the gauge or wiring, but it does respond to temp change. I changed my radiator cap last night just because I had one and topped off my coolant. Didn't have any spikes this morning.

Everybody stop! From the west end of the state, howyadoin? In all your talk, nowhere have I read anything about you ever flushing the cooling system. Do you know when it was last done? Judging by wanting to bypass the heater talk and adding fluid a few times and just changing a few parts makes me wonder just how corroded and trashed your cooling system really is? You need to let the board know where the condition of your radiator as well, that way we can better diagnose your problem.
Why am I the first one to ask about the condition of the cooling system and it's last servicing after 20 posts?? Good Luck

 

[traintech55]

Everybody stop! From the west end of the state, howyadoin? In all your talk, nowhere have I read anything about you ever flushing the cooling system. Do you know when it was last done? Judging by wanting to bypass the heater talk and adding fluid a few times and just changing a few parts makes me wonder just how corroded and trashed your cooling system really is? You need to let the board know where the condition of your radiator as well, that way we can better diagnose your problem.
Why am I the first one to ask about the condition of the cooling system and it's last servicing after 20 posts?? Good Luck

I mentioned the radiator in post 18.

 

[MoparFlores]

Everybody stop! From the west end of the state, howyadoin? In all your talk, nowhere have I read anything about you ever flushing the cooling system. Do you know when it was last done? Judging by wanting to bypass the heater talk and adding fluid a few times and just changing a few parts makes me wonder just how corroded and trashed your cooling system really is? You need to let the board know where the condition of your radiator as well, that way we can better diagnose your problem.
Why am I the first one to ask about the condition of the cooling system and it's last servicing after 20 posts?? Good Luck

im actually about to flush the cooling system now. just finished up with work and came on here to see if theres any new info. i havent flushed it since i got the car and have no idea if it has ever been flushed before. as far as corrosion goes theres definitely some but it doesnt look too bad just judging from what i saw when i replaced the t-stat and draining what was in it before.

 

[MoparFlores]

I mentioned the radiator in post 18.

i read your post and definitely will be flushing it today before i head home. i appreciate your input

 

[traintech55]

i read your post and definitely will be flushing it today before i head home. i appreciate your input

When you drain the coolant, look inside the upper tank, if you see corrosion at the top, it will be like that all the way thru the radiator, another way to tell is remove the lower hose and look inside at the fin channels, if its corroded there, you might want to find a shop and have it cleaned. But baby steps first.

 

[stubs300]

i got the car and have no idea if it has ever been flushed before. as far as corrosion goes theres definitely some but it doesnt look too bad just judging from what i saw when i replaced the t-stat and draining what was in it before.

Don't be a fool and believe that! There's lots of people that have said that same thing, only to have it come back and bite them in the butt because they said it's good without really knowing, or taking the time to make sure it's in tip top shape when finished. The cooling system is the most neglected system on a car. Expect the worst, pray for the best. Good Luck

 

[Davea Lux]

On another note, if you plan to someday repair the A/C system, do not unhook it. The evaporator, condenser and compressor all have oil in them that will draw moisture and that will turn the oil to sludge. It is expensive and time consuming to remove that mess from the system.

Dave

 

[MoparFlores]

Well guys, I put some radiator flush in my cooling system and drove the car home. Figured that 90 mile trip would be plenty to run it through everywhere and get it all nice and hot. Temps didn't spike once during the drive home. I pulled into my garage and dropped all the coolant in it and alot more crap came out than I would have liked. A nice vibrant green coolant became a solid brown color. I've rinsed it a few times with just water and taken it around the block a few times. Theres still quite a bit of rusty crap coming out with the water I emptied after my cruise around the neighborhood. Should I run flush through it again? I'm a bit worried about flushing it again because I've heard of people running flush in an old car and developing pin hole leaks everywhere. Kind of would prefer not doing that right now. But my temps were normal this morning to work and headed home. Should I just put coolant in it and see what it does tomorrow? Let it develop some more?

 

[MoparFlores]

On another note, if you plan to someday repair the A/C system, do not unhook it. The evaporator, condenser and compressor all have oil in them that will draw moisture and that will turn the oil to sludge. It is expensive and time consuming to remove that mess from the system.

Dave

I figured I would remove it entirely and throw some caps on everything. I am a diesel mechanic and I have access to pretty much anything i want. Including an AC machine to flush, evacuate, and refill an AC system. If I decide to repair it I'm going all out and replacing most if not all AC components.

 

[MoparFlores]

When you drain the coolant, look inside the upper tank, if you see corrosion at the top, it will be like that all the way thru the radiator, another way to tell is remove the lower hose and look inside at the fin channels, if its corroded there, you might want to find a shop and have it cleaned. But baby steps first.

I might just run flush through it again it did seem to have alot of crud in there after I got home and drained what was in it. I'm just nervous about developing pin hole leaks or something like that.

 

[traintech55]

I might just run flush through it again it did seem to have alot of crud in there after I got home and drained what was in it. I'm just nervous about developing pin hole leaks or something like that.

At this point I would correct the leaking heater core, correct thermostat, and drive it. A cooling system that has been neglected can cause a lot of issues down the road, Since you are a mechanic, I would put a pressure tester on it.

 

[USSMOPAR]

Remove the drain plugs in the block, flush with water, maybe back flush too
& bypass the htr core. Change the t stat. Today's fuel needs a min operating temp of 190 so either find a nos tstat that's 190 or put in a modern 195. 240+ is hot. The car orig had a 190 t stat.

 

[stubs300]

Theres still quite a bit of rusty crap coming out with the water I emptied after my cruise around the neighborhood. Should I run flush through it again? I'm a bit worried about flushing it again because I've heard of people running flush in an old car and developing pin hole leaks everywhere.

How hap hazardly, half *** of a job do you want to do with it? Being a diesel mechanic you should and ought to know better, but it's your car. Do what you want with it!

I might just run flush through it again it did seem to have alot of crud in there after I got home and drained what was in it. I'm just nervous about developing pin hole leaks or something like that.

Do whatever you want, the balls in your court! Are you trying to be a cheap skate here, it sure sounds like it? What'd I say in another post? Expect the worst, pray for the best! Good Luck

 

[Mr C]

The next time your temp gauge "spikes" look at the other gauges and see if they are doing the same thing. Indicates that the instrument cluster bi-metallic voltage regulator is dying. Solid state replacements are available.

Not to say that the effort you're putting into the cooling system isn't justified...indeed the rusty coloured coolant you describe indicates some attention is required. But you should also rule out the gauge behaviour as its behaviour sounds like it could be the regulator.

 

[MoparFlores]

How hap hazardly, half *** of a job do you want to do with it? Being a diesel mechanic you should and ought to know better, but it's your car. Do what you want with it!



Do whatever you want, the balls in your court! Are you trying to be a cheap skate here, it sure sounds like it? What'd I say in another post? Expect the worst, pray for the best! Good Luck

im just asking for opinions man. no need for rudeness. i know what i want to do, im just asking for advice from people that have more experience with these cars.

 

[MoparFlores]

The next time your temp gauge "spikes" look at the other gauges and see if they are doing the same thing. Indicates that the instrument cluster bi-metallic voltage regulator is dying. Solid state replacements are available.

View attachment 435072

Not to say that the effort you're putting into the cooling system isn't justified...indeed the rusty coloured coolant you describe indicates some attention is required. But you should also rule out the gauge behaviour as its behaviour sounds like it could be the regulator.

none of the other gauges are doing the same just temp. its ok tho i flushed it again just to see what would happen and theres a few pin holes at the very bottom of the radiator. at this point ive ordered some new parts and just have to wait a few days. appreciate the input.

 

[MoparFlores]

At this point I would correct the leaking heater core, correct thermostat, and drive it. A cooling system that has been neglected can cause a lot of issues down the road, Since you are a mechanic, I would put a pressure tester on it.

Thank you for your help sir. I've got some new parts ordered and I'm just waiting for them to show up at this point. I ran flush through it again and my radiator has about half a dozen pin holes in it at the very bottom, so i figured the rest of my cooling system is pretty well screwed. Will have a day of free time next week where I can dig into it all but until then. Run her to the moon (I'm kidding everyone, I wont be driving her for a week or so)

 

[stubs300]

Well at least when your done the most neglected system on your car should be in good shape outside of not knowing the heaters condition? But if you have pinholes now, you can expect that in the heater core too. Like I said, hope for the best, expect the worst, but I think you already learned that? Good Luck
BTW- What radiator route are you going with? Guys here will give input on that.

 

[MoparFlores]

Well at least when your done the most neglected system on your car should be in good shape outside of not knowing the heaters condition? But if you have pinholes now, you can expect that in the heater core too. Like I said, hope for the best, expect the worst, but I think you already learned that? Good Luck
BTW- What radiator route are you going with? Guys here will give input on that.

Heater will also be replaced like I said I figure if the radiator has holes in it the rest of it isnt far behind. Question for you, freeze plugs are something I should replace while I'm going through it all right? As far as radiator I went with a champion cooling aluminum radiator from jegs but if you guys got input on a better quality radiator I'm all ears. I would much prefer to buy something that's of a known good quality. Plus I have two furies and if I decide to buy a different radiator for the 73 i can toss the one I already ordered on the 68 right?

 

[Davea Lux]

Most of the time corrosion eats up pretty much everything in the cooling system. Freeze plugs are probably not far behind so it would be a good idea to replace them. I usually try to keep my cooling system stock by taking a dead radiator to a good radiator shop and have it re-cored. This will cost more than an aftermarket aluminum radiator, but the brass ones, properly cared for are good for 100k or more. As far as the radiator swap goes, Chrysler C-Bodies used 22" and 26" radiators, they do not interchange readily, but as long as you are changing the same size if might work. Most, but not all, of the A/C equipped cars ran 26" radiators, most of the non-A/C cars ran 22". Some of the small block cars have the hose bibs located differently than the big block cars, so you will have to verify the hose locations on your particular vehicles..

Dave