what to do

[hershy314]

i had a guy come buy who was interested in buying my mustang. after talkin and checkin it over, he decided to pass due to the problems my car has. i thought it was my starter goin bad. but according to him my starter is fine. it was something else. odd thing was when i tried cranking it over, coolant was squirting out the resivor tank like a fountin. so not sure if i should rebuild, replace or dunno....i hate to sell it....but then again i kinda want a truck.....yesh.....

[lichtyr]

sounds like a blown head gasket of cracked head this can be a very expensive fix as untill you pull the heads you wont know if the reat of the engine is any good

[hellfyr]

If the coolant was shooting out the overflow tube, could simply be a stuck thermostat. Wouldn't typically prevent a car from starting though... unless it overheated.

[Intmdtr]

with all the symptoms you have experience with the car in its short existence with you, i would ditch it. I think there was something wrong with the motor when you got it. Pull the motor get scrap cash for it and pick up a running motor for it, or do a V8 swap.

[hershy314]

Originally Posted by Intmdtr

with all the symptoms you have experience with the car in its short existence with you, i would ditch it. I think there was something wrong with the motor when you got it. Pull the motor get scrap cash for it and pick up a running motor for it, or do a V8 swap.

that maybe true. but when i looked at the car it ran fine. i think it happened when i was on my home with the car and had a problem with the radiator, i idnt pull over right away, so i kinda think its my fault. if its just a blown head gasket then doin a swap doesnt seem worth it. or maybe i can find a motor with less miles.

[srtyrant]

go find yourself a truck,or drop a 351 in it!

[hershy314]

Originally Posted by srtyrant

go find yourself a truck,or drop a 351 in it!

i just happen to have a 351w. its in a 1980 ford wagon, thats been sitting for about 14 years so im sure it needs a rebuild. but a swap like this im not sure if its practical for a daily driver.

[armyed]

Who ever said anything about practical...its more fun when its not Take your thermostat out and see if it still does it.

[hershy314]

Originally Posted by armyed

Who ever said anything about practical...its more fun when its not Take your thermostat out and see if it still does it.

i kinda doubt thats the problem, cause i did a pressure test. i hooked a pressure gauge to the radiator and cranked the engine over and the gauge went up when it should have stayed still. the problem i have with a 351 swap is that my gas mileage might suffer greatly, and yes mileage is something im a lil concerned with. also would it connect to the 5 speed thats in my mustang or should i swap over to an automatic trans?

[Intmdtr]

yes few things you need to check,

thermostat - if you overheated the car the thermostat needs to be replaced.

Pushing coolant - if its coming out of your over flow or rad cap you more then likely still have air in the coolant system.

Head/s - Over heating your car can lead to warping a head. once and if you get the car running again check to see if you are burning any coolant or you end up with any in your oil. You may have to pull your heads and check them for straightness or cracks may also want to have them pressure checked for any underlying problems. better to get it all checked out, but its probably cheaper to buy new heads at this point.

Rad cap - Good time to install a new rad cap too.

Hope some of this helps you out.

-------- added 3 Minutes and 25 Seconds later --------

Originally Posted by hershy314

i kinda doubt thats the problem, cause i did a pressure test. i hooked a pressure gauge to the radiator and cranked the engine over and the gauge went up when it should have stayed still. the problem i have with a 351 swap is that my gas mileage might suffer greatly, and yes mileage is something im a lil concerned with. also would it connect to the 5 speed thats in my mustang or should i swap over to an automatic trans?

I have never heard of a pressure test involving cranking the car over. you usually introduce pressure into the coolant system and if it holds at a certain psi then you have no leaks in your cooling system.