Dang waterfall noise

[gaber6]

EDIT: resolved! I think
EDIT 2: not resolved. Bear with me as I post replies here while I think out loud

2005 V6.
I did the head gaskets and more at 150k miles.

Now I have new radiator, cap pump again at 230k miles and I get the waterfall sound again. I do tow a camper and I'm in the mountains. As I rev the waterfall wooshes more.

Stupid question, but the pressure and boiling point changes up here so is it more likely to get these bubbles up here?

I keep adding a little fluid to the radiator but the reservoir stays full. No moisture or smoke comes out the exhaust on startup like when I had to change out the HG at 150k. Was sweet coolant smell.

 

[ArthurKotb]

I think you have air trapped in the cooling system. I've heard, never tried, that you can point the car on a steep uphill slant for a while and let it cool, then open the cap and add mix directly into the radiator. That may be just a myth, but you should Google remedies or even just visit the dealership / trusted garage and get their opinion.

 

[gaber6]

Yeah I need to park a little steeper and see.
I do have a lift only on the rear as I compensate for towing.

I've been checking every cold start of it's low but it's really not.

 

[OopsIBrokeIt]

You could just have a regular old coolant leak and not a bad head gasket.

Check the radiator corners for crusties, the WP and belt for signs of dried coolant/coolant spray, and then the various radiator hoses for signs of maybe a small crack or missing clamp.

 

[thennen]

I think you have air trapped in the cooling system. I've heard, never tried, that you can point the car on a steep uphill slant for a while and let it cool, then open the cap and add mix directly into the radiator. That may be just a myth, but you should Google remedies or even just visit the dealership / trusted garage and get their opinion.

I’ve heard that the position of the jiggle valve on the thermostat is important. I believe its job is to allow trapped air to vent, so positioning it at the top works best. Maybe someone can confirm?

 

[gaber6]

I’ve heard that the position of the jiggle valve on the thermostat is important. I believe its job is to allow trapped air to vent, so positioning it at the top works best. Maybe someone can confirm?

It is all new hoses and thermostat too. The thermostat is part of the housing so only goes in one way.

Thing is.. if I'm driving easy then have a hill or accelerate, I can hear the waterfall as the pump pushes more coolant through.

No leaks, tailpipe doesn't stink. Maybe just a huge bubble somehow.

 

[gaber6]

You could just have a regular old coolant leak and not a bad head gasket.

Check the radiator corners for crusties, the WP and belt for signs of dried coolant/coolant spray, and then the various radiator hoses for signs of maybe a small crack or missing clamp.

It is all relatively new equipment.
It does it at 2k rpm when driving after just tooling around as well.

I spent 30 minutes bleeding the air out today after removing and checking the thermostat in a pot of boiling water. Heater on high, car on an uphill slant, and occasionally holding it at 1500 to 2000 rpm.

There is no burned coolant smell from the exhaust, and just a few tiny bubbles after 30 minutes.

I never noticed prior, but the lower rad hose is ice cold still after 30 minutes while the upper is just so hot you can touch it.

 

[gaber6]

Now I'm adding a few drops of coolant with the engine off as it settles down into the radiator and engine for the past 30 minutes.

I checked the rear 2 plugs on the driver side and the cylinders have no moisture inside but the rear plug had just a touch on the threads. Not sure if it was just oil though..

At least if I have to do the head gasket job again, I'll be able to do it easier now that it's been apart once.

 

[gaber6]

Screwed on my spare new cap and took it for a short drive. So far so good. I'll check for leaks or loss before the next startup, but an hour of burping seems excessive. Yeesh

 

[gaber6]

Was good until after the 3rd long drive up the highway..
Got back to park, but it in park and revved up to 2k rpm and the water sound came up. Must be losing coolant somewhere.

 

[ArthurKotb]

So after replacing the head gasket at 150K, no noise until 230K, AFTER you replaced the radiator, radiator cap and water pump and the noise came back?

Is that the correct sequence?
Maybe take it to a dealership or trusted garage for a diagnosis?

Does the sound change if you switch from cold to hot to cold on the dash when it's making the noise? Maybe it's the heater core making the noise? Did you have the heater on full hot when you replaced the coolant?

If the overflow stays full but you are having to add 50-50 coolant to the radiator, maybe your hose/connection in the overflow tank or connection at the radiator has a leak and is letting air get sucked back into the radiator instead of coolant.

 

[gaber6]

Radiator and hoses were 2 years ago before pulling my camper. Otherwise everything replaced at 150 with HG job.

I got an overheat when the cap failed so I replaced the cap and water pump again last year.

Always have heat on high when refilling. And the hoses in the tank are good and go to the bottom.

The temp doesn't fluctuate on the gauge like it did with the bad HG.

I'd smell it inside if it was the heater core, right? It's just weird that the bubble always works itself back to the back at the heater core to make the noise....


Hmm. Thinking of the cap fail, I wonder if the piece that broke off the cap is blocking something.

A Tacoma just pulled up and I asked to check the radiator hoses.. his lower has some warmth to it. Mine was cold to the touch after a drive. I'll have to double check that after another longer drive

 

[AuSeeker]

Radiator and hoses were 2 years ago before pulling my camper. Otherwise everything replaced at 150 with HG job.

I got an overheat when the cap failed so I replaced the cap and water pump again last year.

Always have heat on high when refilling. And the hoses in the tank are good and go to the bottom.

The temp doesn't fluctuate on the gauge like it did with the bad HG.

I'd smell it inside if it was the heater core, right? It's just weird that the bubble always works itself back to the back at the heater core to make the noise....


Hmm. Thinking of the cap fail, I wonder if the piece that broke off the cap is blocking something.

A Tacoma just pulled up and I asked to check the radiator hoses.. his lower has some warmth to it. Mine was cold to the touch after a drive. I'll have to double check that after another longer drive

This the first time you've mentioned it overheated, that alone is enough to do harm, could be a warped head or head gasket.

 

[gaber6]

Right. And when I did the HG at 150k, I didn't get the heads resurfaced.

It really didn't overheat bad last year. The temp was fine and I saw steam, because he cap failed so I stopped immediately and filled with water.. it was hot but who knows. After that, I still drove it for a year after the cap and WP and it was ok.

It just started acting up after a trip over some mountains taking it easy at 25mph 2k rpm but no overheat, but it was loosing coolant.

I'll try some magic radiator fix to hold me over until when I can find a garage for a week to work on it.

 

[phatcheeks]

Try using one of those bleeding funnels. These 4runners are hard to bleed properly because the heater core hose sits so high.

 

[gaber6]

Picked up a radiator pressure checker and stop leak.

On the way back sat in traffic for a while for a good heat soak. Still waterfally on revs. Check the coolant reservoir and the level is up, so some reason, it's getting air that is causing some funny business. Has to be HG

 

[gaber6]

Try using one of those bleeding funnels. These 4runners are hard to bleed properly because the heater core hose sits so high.

I'll consider that if the pressure test comes back good. Thanks!

 

[gaber6]

LOL I think I got it.

So random. Hooked up the pressure tester and it doesn't seal. Flip the gasket, still no seal. The plastic housing in the radiator had the slightest nick in the mold so that's probably what caused the first cap to fail as it lost pressure and got steamed. Never noticed, as a new cap would mold into the divot for awhile.

Got some sandpaper and smoothed it out and we're holding at 16lbs on the tester..

What a fu$%**ing relief.

 

[gaber6]

Found a spot where I can burp the radiator tomorrow.

 

[gaber6]

Left the cap off all night on a slope and topped it off this morning and the bubbles are gone.
I'll head up the highway this afternoon and see how it does on the way back coming up a mountain pushing 2500k for 4 miles.

Had to be the radiator cap housing being bad from the factory. I even paid a little more for a NAPA one instead of AutoZone. Jeez.