bubbling radiator

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gzdart

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i have a 71 dart which i recently replaced the head gaskets. upon filling the radiator and doing a few spins around the block (30mph), i come home to find the radiator hoses both bubbling, and a small amount of steam coming from the radiator cap. i remember now i didnt burp the hoses when i added coolant. could that be cause of air in the radiator, thus the bubbling? im faily sure the head gaskets arent leaking, i used felpro withh copper spray sealant. i cant tell if its overheating or not because the gauge isnt working properly. also, the radiator cap is bent a little which might account why there was a place for steam to escape (not making full seal).

your thoughts on causes/remedies?

thanks so much. :thumblef:
 
Get a temperature gauge that works.
Get a radiator cap that fits correctly.
Fill the cooling system completely.

Until you do those 3 things any speculation or problem solving is pointless.
 
always burp it; what I do when starting fresh is put a few quarts of antifreeze in; start engine and turn heater on

add rest slowly til full leave cap off til heater blows extremly hot air out the vents (about 20 minutes) put cap on and try it
 
You may not have enough coolant, or you may have a leak, as in head gasket, crack, etc

Pull the heater hose which goes to the intake manifold, preferably on the HEATER end of the hose. Fill with coolant until you get coolant out of the hose or heater or both. Hook hose back up, top off, and run. Check fronts of heads with your hands, check heater hoses, which should get warm before anything else, and check heat out of heater, which should start to happen "as" or even before temp gauge goes up.

If the fronts of the heads start to get very warm, and no heat in heater hoses, shut it off. You have an airlock or other problem causing "no circulation." This can be a bad stat, some stats can be installed upside down, bad water pump or other blockage

These engines are NOT usually "that fussy." If you bleed off the air by disconnecting the heater hose, there should be no air lock.
 
Watch your temperature gauge, if it goes up and down erratically it's likely a head gasket
 
i just replaced the head gaskets, i blew one taking on a freeway run earlier in the year. the car was sitting for about 3 years before i changed fluids and got it running at that point. i installed a new water pump because the old original one was super corroded. the temp and fuel gauge dont move at all. also, the heater doesnt blow air (although the a/c works and blows cold). should i go about fixing the heater first? ive got a long "to do" list with this car...
 
I always drill a 1/8" hole in the thermostat. this lets air get thru when the stat is closed. this is really a good idea when you fill a newly rebuilt engine or after a coolant flush.
 
I've never had a problem with an airlock on any mopar engine no matter what I did. You ought to be able to just fill it, wait a while for it to get hot then top off as needed. If it's still burping you may still have a leak or crack in your heads.
 
cudajim said:
I've never had a problem with an airlock on any mopar engine no matter what I did. You ought to be able to just fill it, wait a while for it to get hot then top off as needed. If it's still burping you may still have a leak or crack in your heads.
Click to expand...

I airlocked my 440 ONCE when I changed a cam "back then." I had not pulled a heater hose so ignored my own advice.
 
Raise the front of the car when filling the system, that will aid in the "burping".
 
the lower radiator hose is hot as well as the one running from the thermostat. could me radiator be junk? there was a lot of white mineral build up inside but I flushed it as thoroughly as possible.
 
If both hoses are hot you should be seeing circulation in the radiator. Are the heater hoses hot?
(if this has a heater/ coolant control valve, make sure the controls are set for head and that the valve is actuating)
 
When I had a head gasket leak in a Mopar 2.2L (common problem), I got oil brown "mousse" in the top of the radiator and it would boil over after a 20 mi drive. There is a combustion gas detection kit to indicate a head gasket leak. I have one from "Cal Van" I bought at a specialty auto tools shop long ago. Tried it several times, but never indicated a problem. Didn't bother on my 2.2 L. Your problem sounds more like air bubbles in the system.
 
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