Fiero cooling system problem

[jword2001]

A friend of mine in N.M.(I'm in Fl) is having what sounds to me like an odd problem, I would like to be more helpful, but am stumped,and havnt spent much time under the hood since I got hurt, so here is his problem, as described to me," I have a 86 GT with stock 2.8, 85000 miles

Problem, There is coolant being forced out, at every hose clamp connection, on the upper radiator hose, lower radiator hose. Also at the hose on the passenger side coolant tube.(at the rear)
The hoses do not collapse
Sometimes coolant is forced out at the thermostat cap.

Not streams, but just drips. Will leave small puddles on the garage floor.

Rad cap is new, stant # 11230 I have a new thermostat.
I have a new H2O pump (no leaks there) Taken out Thermostat, still leaks.

The engine has never over heated. It comes up on temp and heater works. No leaks at heater.
Also coolant tubes are not bent or dented anywhere.

I have also replaced the clamps with good clamps.

Stop leak has never been used". any help or ideas would be greatly apreciated, thanks.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Fiero cooling system problem

Blown Head Gasket?

[DanStokes]

Re: Fiero cooling system problem

Sounds like a head gasket issue to me. Compression can leak into the cooling system and overpressure the system. Have him remove the rad cap and run the engine until warm. Then check for bubbles in the radiator. It's also possible to check for exhaust gasses in the coolant but I don't know the process.

Keep us posted
Dan

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Fiero cooling system problem

have him go to advanced auto parts or autozone or what ever useless autoparts chain out there rent out tools(here you leave a deposit and when tool is returned you get your money back,)
and have him get a stant coolant system pressure tester..
go home. let it cool off. and remove the rad cap. and install the tester..
fire up the engine and watch the testers guage.. if the head gasket is failing.. or failed..etc
the psi will slowly climb and go right passed the 15psi that most coolage systems run at...
it will more than like peg the guage after it's warm..
if it doesn't go passed the 15 psi.. it's something else..
you didn't say when or if the hoses have been changed out.
they sometimes leak between layers and come out the thread in the hose.. and leak when old..
the test. if leaking everywhere. will tell you if the gasket did in fact fail.. or if he overheated the engine and warped the heads or head..
good luck

[revolutionary]

Re: Fiero cooling system problem

2.8? yeah head gasket or cracked head or both. Run a pressure test on the system.

[jays67]

Re: Fiero cooling system problem

Sounds like a head gasket issue to me. Compression can leak into the cooling system and overpressure the system. Have him remove the rad cap and run the engine until warm. Then check for bubbles in the radiator. It's also possible to check for exhaust gasses in the coolant but I don't know the process.

Keep us posted
Dan

I have a NAPA block test kit with the blue liqued that turns yellow when exhaust is present in the cooling system
but ya sounds like exhaust in the system
I have seen them with cracked blocks do this on 2.8's the guy thought it had bad head gaskets so he replaced and it still did it so he brought it to out work with new heads and told us to put it together and it still did it we pulled it out and the block had a hair line crack in one cyl
good luck