Nismo_Capri

Hi All
The heater in the beast hasn't worked since I got it. Last weekend I did the big flush and cleared a lot of rust and crud out. Now the heater kinda works, warmer is more of an apt term for it.
Any hoo when I was running the engine with the heater hoses disconected the flow from the water pump was crap, if I lifted the hose about a foot higher than the engine it would stop the flow. Also if I'm sitting in traffic for a while the temp starts creping up.... So I'm thinking that the water pump is on the way out. Normally I'd just swap it but it's going in to get the rust done and a freash paint job so I don't really want to spend cash on an unnessassry water pump..... That said I don't want to fry the engine being a cheap arse either.....
Cheers

ZK 351

so its the orginal pump then?? water pumps are only $80 odd for a cast one, dearer for alloy i think, people tell me cast ones last longer so i put a new one of those on when i had it appart for some water leaks
just replace it

xbgs351

pressure = row * g *h
P [Pa] = 1000 * 9.81 * 0.3048
P [Pa] = 2983
P [kPa] = 3

Pull the pump off, bet the impellors are stuffed.

drof

Hi, what you can do is go to the parts store, get the pump and gasket (usually come as one) and get a extra gasket, if your pump bearing and seal are ok and you just suspect the pump impeller, simply remove the pump and compare the impeller to what the new one is like, after all its easier to tell if or how worn it is if you know what the original shape was like. If it looks worn, replace it, if not use the spare gasket and return the pump. Usually if you tell the parts person your intentions ahead of time they dont mind at all, they'll think your wise, not cheap.
But i would also look into other things, for example, if i just did a flush and the heater wasnt working i would assume that i had a airlock in the cooling system which is almost natural after doing a flush, the quickest way to tell if you have a airlock is usually you have no or little heat from the heater, also waterpumps dont have that much force in that area, especially at idle, and the coolant isnt forced to go into the heatercore at any time, it can bypass. if it was even mild pressure, i would think it would build up at the heater valve when closed and leak or balloon a hose, so dont expect much pressure in that area when just starting up and idling a engine.
Opening up the cooling system and disconnecting the same hose you did before will bleed the airlock out eventually, but you should only hold the hose a little higher than the highest point in the cooling system, and run the car at maybe 1200 to 1400 till a steady stream on coolant comes out then reinstall hose, coolant might need to be topped up before and after.
Or disconnect that same hose, lift it up again and fill the cooling system up from there, first with the rad cap off then with it on, be patient, bubbles will rise up, keep filling from there till full then reinstall hose. if that didnt completely fill the cooling system and get rid of the airlock it probley helped and the airlock will go away soon, leave heater on for this at all times untill bleed. fill expansion tank 3/4 full, and recheck system when cold that it is. full in the rad and sufficiant in the overflow bottle. hope that helps, all those things can be checked for free.

Nismo_Capri

Thanks for the info guys!
I have rung around a few places and I have been quoted everything from $100 - $200 so I've ordered the $100 pump.

Hey drof it's not an air leak. The heater didn't work at all when I first brought the beast and ater the flush I primed the all the hoses and bled the system like you said.
Cheers

drof

Hi sorry, about that, i actually read your question again after i posted my reply and realized you mentioned that about your heater and then i guessed that most of my answer would be useless to you problem.
I still have a few suggestions though now that i have carefully reread the question, but they are for your heater problem, not your temp rise is traffic problem.
Assuming first that you are getting coolant flowing into the heatercore and it is of optimum temperature. I would be looking possibly at the heater controls themself, possibly a stuck blenddoor or leaky servo or heater valve or vacuum lines if equipped. If you car has vacuum operated heater controls you cant feel when there broken or stuck like you can with cable controlled temp controllers.
This is something to check if the pump doesnt help, but i hope it does, just a bit of a pain to check. remember your overheating and no heater could be two different problems.

Nismo_Capri

At the mo the heater core is plumbed straight in to the water pump as the vacuum flow control valve was rusted to crap.

I'm pretty sure now that the problem is the pump impellers.... I pick up my pump today and I'll fit in on the weekend.....I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for for the suggestions man!

Nismo_Capri

Hey

Drof, you were sorta on the money.....it wasn't the pump <inset swearing here>

So as it stands I have :-
Flushed the system and refilled with anitfreeze
Connected the heater core directly to the water pump (so I have heat all the time)
Replaced the thermostat
Replaced the water pump

When driving the temp is a bit under ½ on the gauge, when sitting for a while in slow stop start traffic is goes up to a tiny bit past ½.

The heater now runs hot on a low or no fan setting. If I turn the fan up to full the temp drops big time.... to me this sort of points to a lack of flow and the air is cooling the water in the heater core?????
So if this is the case does anyone have any idea why a clevo isn't pumping like it should? ....wrong pulley on the pump?

Work Horse

Nismo_Capri I've had my XD van for a few years and the heater has never worked well. I have replaced the motor and rad in that time, but it made no differance. I have always put it down to the heater core being blocked and never worried about it. I don't live in Christchurch, but I have been there great place but way colder than Melbourne! If you do find a fix let us know.

Nismo_Capri

Thanks Work Horse... are the car heaters as crappy?
It it true that the front of the van is exactly the same as the saloon?
I just brought some mint doors for $40 the pair.
Thanks again....
PS is you van Power Steering or non?
I also got a complete PS setup that I want to swap in but after what you said about the headers I'm nervious....