Hi all,
I'm working on the ol'blue 90 stationwagon. Awhile ago before my dad actually got the headgasket fixed he decided to use the kiss of death, i.e. stop leak. So of course now that the engine is fixed that crap is gunkin up everything and the cars heating to almost the red. It doesn't quite overheat but it runs extremely hot, too hot for comfort. Any ideas?
thanks
cp

hey guys thanks for responding,
i haven't got a chance to try anything, but i think i'll start with flushing out the system and having a look at the thermostat. I don't know if it was the kind of stuff that was supposed to be flushed out or not, but couldn't hurt. I'll also try some of those other suggestions.. If the flush doesn't work, is there any kind of compound that breaks that stuff down or am i lookin at a new radiator or other coolant parts.. thanks
cp

ps,
is it really worth taking it somewhere to get flushed out, i'm embarrassed to say i've never done it:(

Hi-

When I saw these words It doesn't quite overheat but it runs extremely hot, too hot for comfort. it reminded me of the same symptoms I had in my 1979 245DL.

A Volvo shop told me this test, you might do the same:

When the engine is dead cold, as in the morning, before starting it do this:
Raise hood, remove cap from coolant tank and lay it aside.

Leaving the hood up, get in and position yourself so you can see the open top of the tank.

While watching the open tank, start the engine and watch for coolant welling up and out of the tank. If it does, you have a break in the head gasket allowing compression/combustion pressure into the cooling system.

With my 1979 the break apparently was such that after the engine heated up it squeezed the leak closed as very little coolant was lost. It consistently ran with the temp gauge needle about a needle-width below the red. Performance seemed unaffected.

God Luck,

Bob

:>)

My fear is that if it is blocked with stop-leak, neither off-the shelf or professional flush will remove it. I would pull the radiator and see if it easily flows all the water my garden hose will pump into the top port.

I put the kind of stop leak that comes as gold-colored pellets that you have to crush and add as powder. It stopped my head gasket (the old #3 cyl passenger side leak) from leaking until my next timing belt change. I ran it for two weeks and then flushed it out as the instructions said.

When I pulled off my head a couple of years later, I was horrified to see that the ports in the head were partially bridged with Stop-Leak. I cleared those but who knows what else is bridged.

maybe you can start by changing the thermostat and flushing the radiator. the heater core may be clogged as well.
Unless I am mistaken those are the tightest spots in the cooling system. Perhaps the ports in the head, but I don't think so.

I would seek out an old school radiator shop that knows how to really flush out a system.

That might be your best shot.

Nuked the temp compensator board yet?

Good luck,

Paul