74 NovaMan’s … Novas

[74NovaMan]

That pic is when cold. The temp seemed to creep up over a couple of minutes and when it dropped it went very quickly and was about 20-30 degrees below normal and seemed to hold there. I'm not honestly sure it is getting that warm based on the rapid cooldown. I am starting to suspect the guage but i would not think that it would shoot up like that in a failure.

[TheSilverBuick]

Is that a picture while running? If the temps are pogo'ing between 160 and 220+ in a short period of time, that screems to me low on coolant. If it took ten minutes to go from 220+ down to 160, then that's a different story. When you overheat, it goes over 220 (or pick your number) and stays there for tens of minutes at a time, or for a good half hour with the engine off.

[74NovaMan]

Thanks TSB. I'm not sure that is the answer however. I had about 120 miles of normal operation and rock solid steady temps. There is plenty of coolant in the overflow and the radiatior is full to the top. Not sure how I can check for a bubble. Any ideas on that?

[TheSilverBuick]

You're low on coolant. Make sure there isn't an air bubble in the system.

When I top off my car, I pull the top heater hose off the intake and fill the radiator until it it starts spilling out the heaterhose port, then pop the hose on. If your heater core was empty when you topped off the coolant that'll lower the level initially too.

[74NovaMan]

I hate cars! I drove to work again today without incident. Went out at lunch to pick up the new radiator and I look down at the temp guage and it is reading 220. I shut the car off at a stop light and start it back up and the guage drops fairly rapidly back down to 160. It seems fine as I go another couple of miles and get the radiator. After I leave there, it behaves similarly of the next 2 stops the last of which it made a quick dash up to 230 and then down again after I shut it off for a minute. I have an old Autometer guage a brand new temp switch (defunct out of the box - the light starts glowing at about 100 deg on the guage) and a new high flow 180 deg thermostat. I swear if there is a bad part on the shelf I will end up with it. I should have left the 250 in it. This thing is killing me.

Anyone here think it is not the thermostat?

[74NovaMan]

Trans guy called tonight. I am picking it up tomorrow.

[TheSilverBuick]

Winning!

[74NovaMan]

Drove to work today - 33 more miles.

[74NovaMan]

Finally got the hood and grille back on and drove it to town to pick up some groceries and fill the tank. It was about a 12 mile round trip and included a couple of short freeway bits. Everything seemed to work fine but the transmission, which shifted a bit weird. I am hoping to get an alignment tomorrow and install the radio & speakers on Tuesday. Still planning a transmission & radiator swap on Saturday.

[74NovaMan]

As I wait for my new transmission, I accomplished a few things today. Got the last of the exhaust hangers in. Hooked up the speedo cable. Snugged up the E-brake and installed the new tach and mounted the gauges. I used to have the guges mounted in the dash (pic #1) but I decided to leave the perfect dash insert alone and mount them under the dash. When I mounted them there I misplaced the mounting brackets. 5-minute epoxy to the rescue (see pic#3.) I may get black bezel guages and cups to mount under the dash for a cleaner look sometime down the road. I also had to by a cigarette lighter socket as my car was cig lighter delete and while I don't smoke I imagine I will need a charging port sometime in 4,000 miles.

[74NovaMan]

Dropped off the Trans last night at about 5:45 in front of the garage of the Trans guy's house. My guy was at a track meet for one of his kids and was not sure when he would be back. I got a call from him at about 7:00 letting me know that the Trans was apart and was a good rebuilder. It is an 86 model so I will need a few upgrades.

[74NovaMan]

Thanks guys. I am going to do my best to have all the other little details done before next weekend so that only the trans swap is left.

[pintoboy77]

It's doable in 2011 I had to pull the trans out of the Pinto the day before the trip to Cocoa Beach and rebuild it and get it back in to leave the next morning. Everybody ask if I was going to test it first and I said yes about 1700 miles tomorrow it did fine and still is. Good Luck.

[novadriver]

Car looks good but that sucks about your tranny. I had a problem like that before the 09 power tour with my rear swap two days before leaving. If you get in back in time you will make. See you on power tour.

[74NovaMan]

actually, I bet your old radiator will be just fine.

SBG - You are probably right and I currently have bigger fish to fry.

Here is a shot of the car outside the garage! It now moves under its own power! I even took it for a spin around the block. Detail oriented viewers will notice a hose going from the car window to under the car. This is the transmission pressure gauge that tells me that all is not as advertised with the $250 Craig's List transmission that was such a great score 3 years ago. Pressures are marginal and with the prospect of 4,000 miles of Power Tour ahead of us I have decided that it is time for a rebuild. I will be delivering the spare 700R4 to a rebuilder tomorrow and hope to have it back by Friday, May 24. We are planning on leaving for Texas on Thursday, May 30. Is it time to panic yet? I really don't want to do the Tour in a 2010 Edge. I will certainly be much more comfortable if I have to but it won't be right!