porsche4786

AGREED!

Pretty much where it is right there. I had to mess with the timing for a while (didn't mark the distributor) and I had the radiator cap off while doing that. Hopefully it found it's way out. But I don't think that was the problem last time. May even be a tad less than that after 15 minutes.

Ok, water pump/timing belt/tensioner/crankshaft seal/ and thermostat are done. The engine temp gauge doesn't seem to go as far up as it used to. The picture is how far it goes while driving on pretty flat land. And it went a little higher when I was driving over the hill this morning. The red line is where it used to get up to, and the green is what it got up to today going over the hill.

I'm about done with the water pump job. But Fast Undercar sent me the wrong timing belt....so I didn't get to finish it last night. It was the belt for a newer pathfinder with rounded teeth, not squared. I got the coolant bypass hose on without removing the rear timing belt cover, I removed the distributor to get more access to the hose (still wasn't easy getting the hose on). I wasn't comfortable trying to get the camshaft pulleys off (afraid of spinning them). There was a decent amount of rust under the water pump, but no sign of coolant. Just oily, looks like possibly the main front seal, so I replaced it. Hopefully the rest of the job goes well and it fixes the problem.

The plugs look light gray-whiteish. I'm going to do the timing belt/water pump today along with the bypass hose. The timing belt needs to replaced, it's been about 60k miles as far as I can tell maybe a little more. Also...I didn't see any of the UV dye in the coolant anywhere. But this morning I was at my GF's house out in the country, and there was a little green in the puddle under the car. I shook the radiator drain hose and a couple drops came out of it. But I also had drained some coolant yesterday to put the dye in... 0 mins 13psi 2.5mins 12psi 5 mins 11.5psi 10mins 10.5-11psi 15mins 9.5psi 18mins 9psi 20mins 9psi 40mins 7-7.5psi

Ok, I just did a compression test and they all read very well, maybe off 5-10psi per cylinder. All above 150psi. I got a UV leak test kit, and will do that next...hopefully it shows up...

Does it ever stop steaming? Or is it always?

As far as I can tell it runs fine, sounds smooth, doesn't feel like it's got a loss of power. And no check engine light or anything. It's only got 146k miles. Which on a pathfinder I would consider low. Lets say you were getting coolant in a cylinder, wouldn't it feel like it's missing when you drive it?

Is it possible to have a head gasket leak and not getting exhaust in your coolant?

It could be that your right, that it's evaporating when hitting the block, so not showing any signs of anything. But I thought I'd see something, some kind of a clue if it was that. I think the compression test will tell me a lot. If they all come out to about the same, then it's probably not the head gasket...right? The only thing I don't have, and that I don't believe I can rent anywhere, is a leak down tester. Which shows how long it takes for the pressure to drop in a cylinder. You use compressed air, it would show if you have a bad or small leak in your cylinders. I don't know of any reputable shops as far as pistons engines. I've only taken my rx7 to a shop recommended by a highly reputable rotary engine rebuilder. And I got it back with many problems, broken bolts, etc. He's now out of business. So I have a hard time trusting anybody working on my vehicles.

I did the block test a week or two ago. With the blue fluid. It didn't change to yellow (or any other color). But I don't think that's showing you if it's 100% the head gasket or not.

I've had quite the bad luck as far as water pumps in the past with my rx-7, I've replaced it on average once a year for 6 years, and I don't over tighten my belts. So that's the first thing I usually look at. I pulled the A/C tensioner pulley bracket off so I could see more around the water pump and thermostat. It's bone dry as far as I can see around the thermostat, water pump, and the coolant bypass hose. But wouldn't that also leave a leak on the ground? I wish I knew about this problem when I took the valve covers off, because I would have just done the whole job. Instead of doing things over again. I planned on doing the timing belt this weekend, but now I put that off till I can figure out what this problem is. I guess I should have driven it for a while before jumping in and doing the valve covers right off the bat.

Thanks for the reply. No puddles on the ground. And I park it in my garage, so it would definitely be noticeable if it was leaking onto the ground. The steam that comes out is only when you start it up (cold or after it's been sitting for maybe 15 mins after driving it). Then once you drive for a mile or two, it stops. It may stop quicker if it's already warmed up. They make some products that are more for head gaskets. Some by Bars Leak, and another called steel seal. I pulled and replaced the spark plugs when I bought the thing and they were all the same looking, they all looked light gray or white. I pulled one of them yesterday and it looked like the old ones did for the most part. I got a compression tester and forgot to bring it to work with me, so I'll have to do that tonight. I was pretty tempted to try the head gasket repair stuff you pour into your system, but I'm not sure if it would clog any other passages. I've heard people talk both ways about the stuff. My grandpa used to rebuild (up to about 6 months ago) antique car engines and he said he used bars leak quiet a few times in the past (not with customers cars, with his own) and it worked without problems, but others say it clogged their radiator (which i just replaced) or their heater core.

I also have some kind of ticking noise from mine, I mostly notice it when I'm on a flat straight road very lightly on the throttle. And the engine also sounds a bit different once you get above like 3500rpm. I'm fairly new to piston engines, besides my GSXR(motorcycle). Which doesn't quite count I don't think. My other car is an RX-7, no pistons. So maybe it's normal.

I have been trying to get a little help/ideas from another forum and haven't had much luck in the past couple weeks. And starting to get frustrated with this pathfinder I just purchased about 700 miles ago. I hate getting lied to about problems...I'm going to post the other info I posted on the other forum and see what we can find out. I'm leaning towards a cracked block or head gasket. But others I have talked to don't think it's that. But they also have no ideas as to what. Feb 12th, 2010, 12:38 PM I recently bought a 1990 Pathfinder SE last Saturday morning. And am having trouble determining if it has a blown head gasket or what. I replaced the valve cover gaskets the same and following day (after I purchased it, took me a day and a half to do the job). Got it all back together, started it up, and I had a pinch in a coolant hose in the rear of the engine (coolant was spraying out). So i went and got a new hose, replaced it and all was fine. I topped off the coolant reservoir and radiator. A couple days later the coolant reservoir was near empty. So I refilled it at work. I went home after work, back to work the next day, from work I drove about 20 miles to a u pull it. Drove back home, about another 20 miles, then after I was home for a while, another 8 miles. Drove to work the next day, coolant reservoir was still full. I drove home, and back to work the next day and the reservoir was half full. I'm not sure where it's going. Maybe a bubble in the cooling system and it's filling it up. There is no coolant in the oil, oil in the coolant, and the coolant doesn't smell like exhaust. It does have steam come out of the tail pipe after start up. Even if the engine is warm during start up (but it hasn't been above about 45 degrees out). When the engine is cold it steams more than if it's already warmed up. But if you drive it, it stops steaming. I have smelt the exhaust, and it doesn't smell like coolant to me. But I have a pretty bad sense of smell. Any ideas? My main thought is that there were/are air bubbles in the cooling system, either from before I got the truck, or while I had it all apart/when it started up and was spraying coolant out from the hose that was pinched. Edit: There are also no leaks that I have seen. Nothing on the ground after it's been sitting. And it passed emissions the day I bought it. Edit #2: I got a block tester and it didn't show exhaust in the coolant. Feb 18th, 2010, 12:12 PM I looked at the radiator, and in the upper drivers side corner it has a very small leak. It's hidden under the fan shroud, and there is dried/corroded coolant on the fins. I got a new radiator and replaced it last night. Hopefully that was it! Only thing I don't like is the new radiator is plastic, the old one was brass. But I guess for $80, new, I can't complain too much...Just gotta get myself pumped up for doing my timing belt in a couple weeks... No coolant was hitting the ground or the skid plate. It was drying up before dripping off the radiator. Feb 24th, 2010, 08:50 AM Ok, It's been about a week since I replaced the radiator now. And I've added coolant to the overflow tank twice. And now it's half full when warm and closer to the low line when cold. How long does it take to get the air out of the system? Or do I have another leak somewhere...? I'm going to get a pressure tester tonight and see what kind of results I get. Feb 25th Added coolant yesterday at work and drove it home along with a few errands on the way home. I pressure tested it last night, and I am definitely losing pressure. I checked the oil (it has been about a week or so since I last checked it). And the dipstick had nothing on it. I got in the car and the engine was cold. And the coolant level on the full mark still. I went to fred meyer to get oil, poured in a quart in the parking lot and drove it home. The next morning (today) the coolant level was half full and the oil only half way up the dipstick. So I added another half quart. It's only been 700 miles since the oil was replaced. Coolant in the radiator and overflow are still nice and green. The valve covers have some seepage appearing, so I tightened the screws a little more. I replaced the valve cover gaskets a few weeks or so ago. Maybe I used the wrong permatex with the gasket. I should have probably used high temp permatex and not the regular. But no oil leaks that have appeared yet, and no coolant leaks that I can see. Getting frustrated. Half tempted to get a re manufactured engine. But that's a lot of work and money. 0 mins 13psi 2.5mins 12psi 5 mins 11.5psi 10mins 10.5-11psi 15mins 9.5psi 18mins 9psi 20mins 9psi 40mins 7-7.5psi Thank you for your help