Vn series 1 V6 over heating issue (Please Help)

[M3ZZA]

I have a problem with my series 1 vn motor.

I just replaced the lower radiator hose since mine was split i replaced it today and then i topped up the radiator all the way and set the heater to full power and on hot with the setting set to the floor. I then turned the car over with the radiator cap off and let it idle until all bubbles came out off the radiator.

I then put the cap back on but within 7-10min it hit half way and the thermos won't doing s**t and the temp warning light kept on beeping.

I then let it cool down and started it 30min later and within 3 min the temp light warning came back on when it sat at a qaurter and the thermos kicked in but nothing was happening.

I turned it off and i noticed that there was a weird small hissing like noise near the coil pack and the lower radiator hose was cold near the radiator but very hot near the water pump. Also the main hose at the drivers side off the radiator was making a weird noise inside it like there was a pressure build up and like it was full off air bubbles.

Whats wrong with my motor did i pop a head or something ?

[wortus]

Is it an early motor with a surge tank or the later with the radiator cap as what you commonly refer to as a "series 1" has the thermostat at the back and a surge tank with a pressure cap on that, there is no radiator cap.
You may have air in the system, if it is the early motor with a surge tank check to see if the small metal pipes that come out of the inlet manifold are blocked as these tend to let the air out of the top of the motor. If it has the thermostat at the front there is an air bleed on the cover undo it and see if any air comes out.

[M3ZZA]

its a 1991 vn calais which used to have a series 2 motor in it. It now has a series 1 motor with the thermostat behind the motor but it still has a series 2 radiator and overflow setup ?

[wortus]

its a 1991 vn calais which used to have a series 2 motor in it. It now has a series 1 motor with the thermostat behind the motor but it still has a series 2 radiator and overflow setup ?

Did you fit the surge tank? I think you'd be better off getting a series 1 radiator and surge tank and connecting it up as recommended. Sounds like you might have air trapped in the system.

[M3ZZA]

I wouldn't have a clue mate since my mate did the conversion while he owned the car.

[M3ZZA]

what does the surge tank look like ?

[wortus]

what does the surge tank look like ?

It's a plastic bottle that sits where the overflow would have been on your Calais with it's original motor. It has a pressure cap that screws down. It has 3 hoses coming out of it.

[M3ZZA]

That's what the engine bay looks like now.

[immortality]

sounds like it hasn't been bleed properly. the other question is whether the thermostat was installed correctly?

to bleed it properly, you need to run the engine with the radiator cap off, fill the radiator, run the engine, heater on full hot etc. as the engine temp rises and the thermostat opens the coolant level in the radiator will suddenly drop. keep topping the radiator until full.

the s1 motors were self bleeding into the pressurised reservoir (most people say the system is crap, however they use this design on late model engines ) from the pics i can't see what has been done with this connection. it is a black hose with a red stripe on it at the front of the intake manifold. maybe loosen off the hose clamp to let the air out of the coolant system.

[88GreenVN]

If your getting the warning temp light going off then there is not enough coolant to cover the sensor at the back of the manifold.

I'm about to re fit a S1 radiator to the 88 wagon as it keeps using coolant and the S2 radiator was diagnosed as the problem. It looks like the cap cant take the pressure with the closed S1 system used and lets the coolant go over a few weeks setting off the warning lamp.

[wortus]

That's what the engine bay looks like now.

Can you post a picture of the drivers side of the engine showing all the stainless steel coolant pipes etc? and as well the top front of the inlet manifold so we can see what's happened to the 2 small pipes that join into and go into the surge tank on the earlier setup.

You need to check for trapped air and it looks like the setup you have doesn't allow you to do that easily. You may be able to get the air out by parking the car on a hill nose up and seeing if you can fill the radiator more other than that if there are plugs in the top of the inlet manifold where the small metal pipes used to go you could take one of those out and see if any air is released?

[immortality]

You may be able to get the air out by parking the car on a hill nose up and seeing if you can fill the radiator more other than that if there are plugs in the top of the inlet manifold where the small metal pipes used to go you could take one of those out and see if any air is released?

if you look at the first pic you can see that the little black steel pipe is still in the manifold. it has a black hose with red strip on the end that then goes back down to where the stainless pipes are. having this looped like that will create a airlock, hence i suggested he loosen the hose clamp to let the air out

[M3ZZA]

I will post up some pics tommorow.

[wortus]

if you look at the first pic you can see that the little black steel pipe is still in the manifold. it has a black hose with red strip on the end that then goes back down to where the stainless pipes are. having this looped like that will create a airlock, hence i suggested he loosen the hose clamp to let the air out

I'd be curious to know where this hose connects to or if it is just blocked off, either way your right that is where the air is meant to bleed from with the surge tank setup. I found this tube blocked up on my 1990 VN just after I bought it and went to do a coolant change.

[M3ZZA]

There is a hose that has been blocked off on the drivers side with a big bolt. Its been t peiced.

[immortality]

we would need to see how it's been set up. but i'm almost certain you will need to loosen a hose clamp to bleed it properly

[M3ZZA]

I just topped it up at the overflow and the radiator with the heater set to full hot on the floor,Let it run for a while and gave it a few really big revs and long high revs until i noticed next to none air bubbles i then put the cap back on and let it idle for a few minutes.

I took it for a spin and the temp light came on, and temp gauge was creeping up so i gave it a small burst and the temp light disapeared and the temp went down. I drove it around for 30min in medium traffic with air con on full ball and the temp stayed perfect i then gave it three really good bursts without the a/c on and then cruised around for another 5min with a/c on and then took it home and let it idle for 5min. I then checked the overflow and it went down so i topped it right up and let it sit with the cap off for 3min so that there was no air.

I will closely monitor it for a few days and see how the water consumption and temp gauge and all that goes and i will let you all know.

[M3ZZA]

Is there a difference in a series 1 and 2 radiator because some people reckon there isn't ?

Also i am trying to obtain a series one three piece water bottle setup so if anyone can please tell me how to convert it to series 1 that would be great and if someone can post pics up off there setup.

Thank you for all your help.

[immortality]

lol, it sounds like the air lock has cleared itself.

there is indeed a s1 and s2 radiator. the s1 radiator has no pressure cap because the s1 system is fully enclosed.

if you need to bleed it in he future, there is a hose behind the power steering pump, black with a red strip. when cold, pull the bolt out the end, start the car, hold the hose straight up. once coolant starts coming out put bolt back in. that will clear any air out from under the intake manifold.

cheers

[M3ZZA]

Thanks for that mate.

Whats the best way to make it all s1 then if i get a series 1 radiator and the piece bottles.

[wortus]

Thanks for that mate.

Whats the best way to make it all s1 then if i get a series 1 radiator and the piece bottles.

The surge tank goes where your overflow is now so you may need the matching windscreen washer bottle as the 2 you have now I think are joined together. When I had my VN I had to replace the surge tank and they were about $90 new from Holden however I got a reasonably new one from a local wreckers for $30.
I've got a couple of the surge tank hoses brand new if you can't get them, the hose that goes from the surge tank along the top front of the radiator and into the radiator was from memory no longer available from Holden however Gates have it and you can go to Repco but they are not cheap, you would also need to get the matching radiator without a cap.

The 2 hoses on your engine that are blocked up with bolts will work OK but if I wasn't changing to a surge tank etc I would look at getting the stainless pipe welded up and removing the small metal pipes from the inlet manifold and seeing if I could put bleed valve(s) in?

I might have some pictures of how it is setup and I will have a look when I can and post them.

[NPreston]

Don't really know anything about VN's but I fitted a S1 V6 into my VC and I was unable to find a surge tank in good condition with a cap so I went a different route. I fitted a VN V8 radiator after the locating pins on the bottom were moved and changed the lower radiator hose position as it was too low but this should not be a problem in a VN. I had a small tube welded in to the radiator filler neck to which I connected the bleed hose. The aluminium radiator was around $300. Maybe something similar could be done with a V6 radiator?