radiator hose cold... water pump?

[arrowstrap]

how can i tell if the water pump is working? i installed a 203* stat and after a 1/2 hour drive the upper radiator hose is cold. removed hose from radiator with engine running and no coolant flow. squeezed hose and placed palm over end to suction water and small amount spilled out. heater blows hot air. do i have an air bubble in system or a faulty water pump or am i just not hot enough to open the stat? tested stat in water and started to open at 200*. cant tell if i am loosing any coolant. any ideas on where to start? replaced factory water pump about two years ago. factory engine temp needle has never moved from cold... ever.

 

[jestersv]

if your getting cab heat water pump is moving coolant prob just not getting hot enough go drive it hard and see what happens. whats the outside temp.?

 

[aaklingler]

you might want to hook up a temp gauge.

 

[BJS]

either hook up a temp gauge or remove one of the heater hoses you'll see the flow that you're looking for.

In order for your waterpump to fail and not pump any water at all then one of two things needs to happen,

1) the impeller needs to fall off the shaft or 2) the fins on the impeller need to fall off 3) shaft broke

for 1 to happen you will get the waterpump grinding into metal

2) no external signs but the OE moving idiot light (temp gauge) should read something above where it normally sits. this is common if someone used pure water. photo demonstration

3) play will be evident in the fan & waterpump pulley

Given your location and the ambient temperatures I'm hazarding a guess that you're not getting hot enough to open the t-stat especially at idle, go drive it a while and block off the radiator with some cardboard or a winter front.

 

[Tbar]

Did you get the thermostat in correctly? Even with y'alls temps being in the teens and 20's I would expect the thermostat to open after 30 minutes of driving.


Tbar

 

[JLDickmon]

Normally, if you have no coolant flow, you have an engine overheat problem..

Let it cool off, then top the coolant again, take it out and drive it..

Blowing good heat?

 

[arrowstrap]

thermostat is installed correctly. there is no way to install it incorrectly.

i will try the cardboard. i dont think it is getting to temp. newer water pump and no play or grinding sound.

drove it 3 hours and never got hot enough to open. its average 40-50* lately

 

[dpantazis]

something is not right, you should be getting hot even at 40-50 out.

did you ONLY use the OE type cut gasket or did you use goop to seal up the thermo housing?

 

[arrowstrap]

i only used gasket. no goop. no leaks. since installing the new thermostat my temp gauge is working. old stat must have been stuck open. in town drives gauge reads 1/4. 7-mph freeway runs almost 1/2 temp. i dont think stat has opened yet. still have not covered radiator to boost temps.

 

[aaklingler]

factory gauge usually never comes up above N or O.