86 22R-ET overheating

Temp gauge will jump up about 3/4 of the way or hit as high as it can go for about 30 seconds then jump right back down to normal temp. I just had the head gasket replaced about three weeks ago. Any advice?

 

Sticky thermostat?

 

That’s what I as figuring. Any recommendation on a good thermostat? Also would that still be safe to drive I don’t want to damage the engine but it might be a week or so till I replace it.

 

I’d just get one from a dealership. I personally wouldn’t drive an overheating vehicle.

 

Also 5 days after the head gasket was replaced I had it idling and noticed a pool of water underneath it I figured it was AC and continued on my day then about 2 days after the overheating issues started. Could that water have been connected to a bad thermostat. Sorry if this is basic stuff I am not very experienced working with engine stuff.

 

Depends if it was merely water or something worse.

 

Sounds like an air bubble in the top of the head
Had the same thing happened to me when i had a bad water pump seal and it dribbled when it was running. Everything was fine as long as you kept the water topped off. Let it get a little low like half a gallon low a time or two between refills and my temp gauge would do the exact same thing. Be hovering about normal, maybe start to creep up a taste, then instantly BOOM jump to full max red then bounce back to normal.
When you keep the water topped off it would never do that, i can only assume when it gets low, and you refill, it can get an air bubble in the top of the head.

 

I just checked the radiator and it was totally full so would that just leave the thermostat being the issue

 

I had a '86, and after a coolant flush and refill it was difficult to get rid of air in the system. I ended up parking so the front of the vehicle was higher than the rear, and letting it run for quite a while with the radiator cap off. It worked, but kind of a pain in the.... butt.

 

could be thermostat, could be air trapped in the system given it was apart and the spike/drop in temps It probably was not properly purged. Id make sure all the air is purged out before replacing anything. Also check for coolant leaks as well.

 

is it water or coolant?

 

is that the original radiator?

 

wheres the line for the overflow tube to the right?

 

Do you have coolant in it or just clear water?

Get an OEM thermostat from the dealer. I can't think of a single aftermarket thermostat I've had work correctly in 30 years of working on cars professionally.

 

Might just be a thermostat. But when did you last replace the water pump?

 

It was water that was underneath it pooled the day it came out. And it is not the original radiator. No signs of coolant or water coming out anywhere just atf from the power steering but that’s been a known issue. Might start with troubleshooting the radiator and system if that doesn’t work then replace the thermostat. Or just replace the current radiator because it’s really old. If I end up going that route would you guys recommend going with one of the heavy duty radiators or just the basics ones. Really appreciate the advice guys thanks!

 

id try burping the system first to see if any air cones out then go from there.

stick with a factory placement style radiator imo.

for how cheap they are, replace the rad cap as well

 

I’ve owned a 22RE for 34yrs, changed coolant dozens of times and have never had to ‘burp’ the system.
My money is on the t-stat….and hopefully not a head problem.
Edit: dumb question….how does the oil look?

 

Yeah just had the head gasket replaced 3 weeks ago I know the turbo can be tough on them but I have not been driving it hard.

 

Does oil look good? Repairs can fail/be faulty.

 

Typically, this is a symptom of air in the coolant system. I would start with redoing coolant system bleeding. Worst case scenario - there is issue with the head gasket repair and these are exhaust gasses getting into the coolant system. Open coolant cap when running and see if anything is bubbling out.

 

Just hooked up a bleed kit to the radiator and no bubbles. Oil is good too it must be the thermostat.

 

I'd shoot it with a temp gun to see if its actually getting that hot.

 

Good idea pretty sure my buddys got a temp gun.

 

Flushed radiator and got a new thermostat and it’s running great. The advice really helped thanks!!!