Am I Too Hot? Es250

[Jrich]

I've got a 91 ES250 recently purchased with a known bad water pump. It would leak water out almost as fast as you could put it in. Strange thing, when we were test driving it, I let it idle for 15 minutes with no over heating, ran it on the freeway a couple times, no problems. So we buy it, drive it home on the freeway about 15 miles with no problems.

Son and I rip it apart and find the water pump in horrible condition (worst I have ever seen) and replace it. Put on a new timing belt and pulleys while we are there. Starts right up, no leaks! Yeah!

So now, I fill it with water, purge the air out (both the top bleeder valve and running it without a rad cap, btw new rad cap). We also put on a new lower rad hose from Autozone.

My symptoms: The car will idle 'forever' with the temp gauge just below middle. Fans go on and off like normal. Rad is hot, hoses are hot. Now if we take it around the block a couple of times, temp guage doesn't move, but at the end of the joy ride, it starts to 'smell' hot! Temp guage shows normal. It is smoking from the rear valve cover (nope, no leaks there). If I then let it idle, it will 'settle down' and stop smoking and idle forever again without any problems.

Here is the only theory that I can think of: Lower rad hose on these vehicles has to do a sharp 90 degree angle, and it looks to me like the hose is constricted. Could this cause my 'overheating'?? And why wouldn't my temp guage show it's getting HOT??

Any ideas??

[smooth1]

A couple ideas,

one, replace the thermastat and make sure it's not leaking from around there. Second is to check the temp gauge sensor. Make sure your not getting a false reading.

Also, check the over flow container. Make sure your not leaking from the bottom of it. Sometimes over time they can get brittle and crack.

Even with the 90 degree turn it should be ok. when the motor gets up to temp, the hoses soften up and expand. And sometimes the residue from rad fluid can last awhile. So the smell might be around for a little bit from previous leak being blown all over the motor.

[Jrich]

thanks Smooth1...I'll take a look at these items and make sure that is checks out OK!