UPDATED 2.0 VX Expansion Tank overflowing

[F355GTS]

Thanks for all your help and comments, I will double check everything and run the car again tomorrow.

 

Is the 82 degree thermostat from a specific car ie Cavalier GSi Turbo or Calibra Turbo etc or is it a Caterham Part

 

I will be replacing the fan switch and have wired a switch to the dash for the fan, I am investigating ECU control ,need ot pick up the pinout

 

Mark

[Paul McKenzie]

I think we're talking about at least two issues (failure modes?) in this thread, one being the HG, the other a malfunction in the cooling system.

 

Mark, if your engine really does run OK without spewing coolant when you discard the stat, then you don't have an HG problem.

 

Paul

 

 

[Gambo]

Mark for what it's worth, when I took my heater off ,I had to block the back of the head and the pipe from the conning tower. Hot water was being pumped from the pump to the back of the head, by-passing the stat and rad. mine ran too hot (although didnot boil) once I did this problem seemed to be solved.

 

Planning future ungrades.

[Bob Simon]

Mark,

 

AFAIK The 82° thermostat is for the Cavalier or Calibra Turbo. Since the Opel/Holden/Vauxhall XE engines weren't imported to the US, I had to get my thermostat from Courtney Motorsports at a much inflated price. 🙆🏻

 

-Bob

94 HPC VX

 

[EFA]

Yes 82 deg stat is fom any Turbo deriv of the 2.0 XE.

 

 

[ECR]

Arnie

Agreed there is no "issue" with the GM head bolts.

 

The ARP stud and nut kit is just so much easier to use. None of the 60degree/60degree/60degree b****x. I also find tightening a standard shaped hex nut less of a trial than those Torx heads

As they are not stretch fasteners they are also reuseable (which I know the GM units are also to a point...)

 

Just personal preference

[Peter T]

ARP are indeed Stretch fasteners, that is how they actually work. They are designed to stretch which is what gives them their clamping force.

Any ARP bol/nut/stud can only be used for a certain time before they lose their elasticity and finally stretch beyond their tolerances.

The idead of fitting ARP units instead of the standard GM ones is not that they can be re-used time and time again.

You are welcome to have my used ARP bolts, but they are all beyond the limits that is specified and probably arn't much better than a standard bolt.

 

Carbon Components from K9 Composites

 

[Vinnie]

Here is some perhaps relevant experience....

 

A VX engine, new to me and the chassis seemed to defy all attempts to make it run for any length of time without boiling over. The car was in the hands of come experienced bods at the time, although there were not as familiar with the XE engine as they might have wished. This problem which sounds very similar to your symptoms went on for days, with several different sets of eyes looking at it to see what they might find.

 

HG issues were suspected. (In fact most things were thought suspicious all the way through this saga!) The only difference to your story is that mine was running a heater. I have also seen similar issues in an XE powered 21.

 

In both cases the problem was traced to a poorly routed set of hoses around the "submarine" or the "J tube" (same thing different names). Hard to believe after all the fettling that the solution was *that* simple, but it was. Poorly locating the tubes that come off there can lead to a "built in airlock". Its the hardest thing to see as its under your induction and a real wrist killer to fettle. They were'nt the wrong way round, just poorly routed.

 

Have a careful look and see if there is anything there that might trap air....

 

FWIW, while on my travels in Germany in 2003 I ended up draining my coolant whilst at MOG racing, Joachim produced a handy little pump - like the balloon pumps one might buy on the high street, with a header tank cap already attached to the end. The pump was used to create some pressure in the system and then I watched as massive air bubbles came back up from somewhere down below when the coolant was forced down into the system....

 

So, in conclusion, despite several opinions that my HG must be toast or that there was a crack somewhere etc etc, I'm glad I perservered with the plumbing iussues. The engine has been in there now ever since (20 000 miles?) and has not had any HG or cooling issues since...

 

Vinnie

[Fury Pilot]

I tried (and failed) to find an 82C 'Turbo' 'hermostat last year. Neither a Vx main dealer nor a local, friendly factors (who showed me their parts catalogue) showed a differently rated thermostat from the standard XE.

[F355GTS]

FP

 

I visited a VX dealer yesterday, they found it straight away, 1992 Calibra Turbo 'Australian model', part was ordered and in today

 

Mark

[Peter T]

SBD stock these too.

 

Carbon Components from K9 Composites

 

[Fury Pilot]

Thanks guys; I'll try again...

[Marius]

Fitted my thermostat yesterday, starts opening at 72°c, together with Nicks self bleeding expansion tank a lovely and troublefree solution.

 

I vote for air in the system, too. Had a lot of trouble with that over many years.

[ECR]

Peter

 

In that all fasteners have to be stretched in order to exert a pre load you are correct. However I am told that there is a difference between what is known as a stretch fastener and one that stretches in order to exert a preload (someone cleverer than me will no doubt give details).

 

I agree that I would not re use ARP head studs indefinitely but they are notionaly more reusable than the "use once" GM bolts (yes ...I know they can be used more than once 😬).

 

It's the ease of use that does it for me....

 

Any answers yet Mark ?