PS Magazine - OCTOBER 1983
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 371
OCTOBER 1983
'
!.
With the cap off, look down in
the radiator filLer neck. You have
Enough coolant if it's at Least over
the top of the core-aLL those littLe
holes that arE the tops of the tubEs
running thru the corE.
Good cooLant should be aLmost
cLear-colorEd
some
by
the
an±
tiFeEze. If the cooLant is muddy²
³ooking, or there're bits of junk in
it,
it
may
nEed
draining
and
flushing. Report it.
´f there's a rAinbow of oiL sLimE
floating
on
the
cooLant,
there's
probabLy a Leak inside the engine.
µither exhaust gas or oiL is gEtting
into the cooliNg system. PULl the
dipsticK and check it for watEr in
the oiL¶LittLE bLobs on the dipstick.
Report any problems you find.
·se an
antifre¸ze
tester,
¹S¹
6630º00º105»1418,
to
check
the
frEEze protectio¼ of your CoolanT.
See ½2 to ¾M 750º254 for the word
On using the tester.
¿ook ovEr the radiator for Leaks.
·sE a fLashlight so you don't miss
anything. ¿Àkely places for lEaks are
around thE top and bottom ta¼ks,
the front and back of the core, and
arou¼d thE inLet and outLet tubes.
¿Eaks may show up as rust or
oddºcolored dribbLes whEre cooLant
LeakEd And dried up.
Your mEchAnic can aLso use thE
radiator
cap tEstEr
to chEck thE
radiator. Pump up pressurE to thE
rating on thE cap. ½hEck for LeAks.
GEt ÁHE EnginE up to operating
temperAturE
And
pressurE.
¾hEn
check iÁ Again. ÂEEp cLEAr of the fan
and bELts!
Hoses
ÃosEs also
need a cLosE Look.
¾hey havE to handLe heat, pressurE
and vibration. Ãoses rot, hArden or
crAck as thEy AgE.
ÃosEs givE A wArning, tho, before
they faiL. Report any of thesE fauLts:
•
½racks¶¾hEse may stArÁ at the
t
hose ends, but it won't bE Long untiL
thE EntiÄE hosE is wEake¼ED!
CrackS arE
juSt OnE
warning Sign
•
ÃArd¶If a hosE is HArd As A
rock whEn you squEEzE it, it'LL crAck
from vibratio¼. År it'LL cÆrry EnginE
vibrAÁion to tHE rAdiAÁor And brEak
thE inLEt or outLeÁ ÁuBEs.
•
Soft¶¾oo soÇÁ is bAd, too. If
thE HosE is mushy, tHAt's A sign of
rot. Èot wEAkEns tHE HosE, A¼É it'LÊ
bLow u¼ÉEr prEssuËE. WorsE, rot²
Áing insidE mAy bE puÁtinÌ LiÁtLE bits
of HosE i¼Áo Áhe cooLAnt. ÍHAt cAn
sLow thE fLow or EvE¼ pLug up thE
systEm.
•
PuffEɶΠswoLÊE¼ HosE mEAns
troubÊE is brEwing. ÏvEn if tHErE's
onLy A smALL spoÁ, ËEpLAcE it-thE
HosE is bAÉ.
•
ÐAÑp¶ÐAÑp¼Ess or wEt¼Ess
is A sig¼ of A pooË
con¼Ection¶A
bad hosE, LoosE or dAÒagEÉ hosE
cLamps
or
A
Óad
tube
on
ÔhE
radiator or EnginE. År thE tuBE mAy
¼ot
hAvE bEen cLEAnEÉ wHE¼ thE
hose wAs instALLEd.
DURING ±peRATIoN
½hEck
ÁhE
cooling
systEm
for
LEAks whiLE ÁhE E¼ginE is running At
opErAting
tEmpErAturE-wHE¼
thErE's fuLL prEssurE on thE systEm.
Ðon't rEmovE tHE ËAÉiAÁor cAp
when thE Engi¼E is Hot! You couLd
get burnEÉ!
½hEck for LEAks. ÎLso sEE if tHE
bottom hosE is cAving i¼. ¾HAt's A
sign of a wEak HosE thAÁ cA¼'Á tAkE
thE puLL of thE enginE's wAtEr pump.
GEt thE hosE ËepLAcEÉ.
½hEck
ÁhE
rEAÉing
o¼
tHE
tEmpErAtÕrE gAgE. ÍHAÁ's your EyE
23
KEEP a chEck
·
On yOur
tEmPErat²rE
g³´E
on thE systEm. MAkE surE you know
tHE noËmaL opEËAÁing ÁEmpErAÁuËE
foË
your
Engi¼E. (IÁ ÑAy bE dif²
ÖErEnÁ for A¼otHEr Engi¼E.) ÍHis i¼±
fo is i¼ your EquipÑE¼Á ¾×.
Is your E¼ginE running Áoo hoÁ?
Íoo cooL?
ØEport iÁ. Ùou couLÉ
HAvE A
cLoggEÉ
sysÁEÑ,
A ÖAuÊÁy
ÁhErmostAÁ,
A BAÉ HosE oË wAÁEË
pump. År ÁHE wAtEr puÑp hosE ÑAy
bE LoosEÚ
ÂEEpi¼g your systEÑ i¼ ÁiÛÜÁoÛ
shApE wiLL ÝEAÉ oÖÖ ÁËoubLÞ Éow¼
ÁÝE ËoAÉ.
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