Yeah... So... Today, I lost a housing seal. It was nothing spactacular. No Large clouds of smoke, no huge power losses while at highway speed, no big bang.


I was heading to my girlfriend's house at about noon today, and when I was about a block from her house, I noticed that the temperature was raising. It normally runs about 175-185*, and when I noticed the temp raising it was about 195-200*. Just after I noticed this temperature increase, my "Add Coolant" light came on. I coasted to the stop sign, pulled away from the stop sign, and just shut the car off to coast into her driveway. It got up to the highest temp of about 215* before I shut it off. Just as I shut it off, the pressure in the radiator run-off can peaked, blew the cap off, and spew water/anitfreeze all of the place.

I popped the hood to see if I could see anything other than the water, and I really couldn't. I placed the cap back on the over-flow can and just left the car to cool off before I tried to do anything else on it.

Fast-forward two hours. We get back to her house from picking up her new car, and I pop the hood again. The temp gauge is reading 100*, and when I went to take the cap off the radiator, it was still pressurized. I started shooting water out of the over-flow can again, but as soon as I got all the pressure out, I took the cap off the radiator. ...Dry...

So, I got the hose, filled the radiator, and put the cap back on all nice and snug. I start the car, and I noticed a little water trickling from the radiator cap. I shut the car off again. As soon as I shut the car off, once again, the over-flow can blows its top and spews water everywhere.

Alrighty then....

Dad shows up with the tow strap and suggests that *maybe* the t-stat is just stuck, and I didn't really blow the seal. So, I get access to the t-stat, and it was actually a little stuck. I was starting to show signs of hope. I refilled the radiator again, and tried to start it, this time it sounded hurt. Pulled the spark plug, flipped it upside down, and water fell out of it.

My heart dropped.


So, it appears that I messed up a water jacket seal, and it was not allowing the coolant to run through the engine; causing it to get trapped, boil, and get pushed back through the radiator.

I'm really bummed, but I'm just glad that it happened now, when me having a vehicle isn't absolutely necessary. 10 years and about 120,000 miles on a street-ported 13B 4 port ain't too bad; she hung in there strong and for a long time. It was just her time to go.

I need to call my old autocross buddy Hassan at PSi down there in N'awlins and see what kind of price he can cook up for a rebuild. Hopefully, he can give me a break; considering I'm a highschool kid working ~25 hour weeks at minimum wage.

So, guys, for now, I am FB-less; relying on my parents for rides to and from work and where ever else I need to go. I'm really hoping that this will be solved in a month, but nothing is being promised.

I kept apologizing to my father, but he was like, "Stop apologizing; I'm surprised it lasted this long." Haha.

I guess there's no real rush to finish my stereo or get a new clutch now. Heh. I know that I can have the money for the rebuild and all that within a month (already have most of it saved), but I don't know what kind of schedule Hassan is on.

I apologize to you guys for such a long post, but I wanted to explain as best as possible. It's pretty rough right now, but I know that this is actually a really good time for it to happen.

Later guys,
Shawn

 

Good luck with the rebuild. My motor went in the same kind of fashion, on the way home from my girlfriends house.... I think it is b/c girls and cars don't mix well. haha

 

I found it funny that the day my girlfriend got a new car; my motor goes south. She kept asking me before she got the car if I would ride with her; I guess I kind of have to now. Haha.