KA overheating

[240sxfamily]

Okay, we picked up that s14 on here for 650, Did 5 lug swap, well still in process, 300zx brakes, put carpet and headliner in it, and the leather seats and a wheel. Now, for the engine, before it was leaking coolant real bad, tightend all the rad hoses and it stopped..has a ebay radiator(from PO), new tstat, and new waterpump(us). I believe its a head gasket or the temp sending unit. cause heres an exp.

We pull out of walmart, the guage is below c, 1 mile down the road its above H...is that really possible for it to heat up that fast? the motor runs like a charm.

Its got 110k on it if that helps, i mean if its a blown HG no problem we got them stocked so we might do that either way, but its just time we dont have right now, he bought this as a daily, so we can work on the other s13s and the track s14.

[g6civcx]

1 mile down the road its above H

Throw away the stock coolant temperature gauge. It is not accurate.

Get a real water temperature gauge and come back if you're still having this problem.

[240sxfamily]

alright ill tell him to do that, because mine just plain and simple doesnt work i wasnt sure if s14s were junk too lol

[g6civcx]

All stock thermal transmitters are junk. C, middle, and H positions have such a large range that the gauge is meaningless.

[idlafie]

Okay, we picked up that s14 on here for 650... Now, for the engine, before it was leaking coolant real bad, tightend all the rad hoses and it stopped..has a ebay radiator(from PO), new tstat, and new waterpump(us). I believe its a head gasket or the temp sending unit. cause heres an exp.

We pull out of walmart, the guage is below c, 1 mile down the road its above H...is that really possible for it to heat up that fast? the motor runs like a charm.

Its got 110k on it if that helps, i mean if its a blown HG no problem we got them stocked so we might do that either way,

Couple of things you might want to check. First make sure you get all the air out of the cooling system. Best way to do that is jack up the front end of the car & put it on jackstands. Open up the air bleed valve right by the Engine Temperature Sensor. Fill the radiator up with a mix of coolant/water till you see it coming out of the air bleed valve. Close the air bleed valve. With a pair of thick leather work gloves, (so you don't burn your hands), slowly squeeze the upper & radiator hoses a few times to force any air pockets out. Make sure the motor is off, but the engine is somewhat warm. You want to make sure the thermostat is open when you try to get rid of the air pockets. Also remember to turn your passenger compartment heater on & switch it to the position where coolant runs thru it, (NOT the Recirculate position on your heater).

If you can hook up an OBD II Diagnostic Reader device that monitors your engine in "Real Time", do it. If you can get your hands on one you can actually read your engine coolant temperature while the motor is running. It should be around 180 degrees. If it's running higher than that, then chances are your radiator from the previous owner is bad/clogged or your thermostat is not opening. Aftermarket thermostats are notorious for this - always try to stick with a Nissan OEM thermostat. To check for a head gasket leak, remove your spark plugs & check for signs of coolant on your plugs.

Anyhow, hope this helps....

ID

[240sxfamily]

car was obd1. but yeah we fixed it..the rad hose was loose, then turned around and sold the car for 4k..aint that a huge gain? 650 bucks for iit. tighten a hose, change the oil. and sell it for 4k..

[rocksteady_racer]

Hah I had the same problem with my 91. The gauge would randomly jump up to H for no reason. Turned out the lower rad hose was leaking - duh lol.