Oh so that's why my Japanese Battleship was overheating...
08-19-08, 06:15 PM
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Oh so that's why my Japanese Battleship was overheating...
So a couple of months ago my LS400 starts to overheat when idling for more than a couple minutes. Figured it was just time for new coolant or maybe there was air in the system. I had planned on catching up the maintenance that the previous owner had neglected and also fix a very small leak at the thermostat. I decided to replace the spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor caps and rotors, air filter, serpentine belt, thermostat and gasket, and coolant. I would need to drain the coolant to remove the radiator pipes to get to the distributors so I figured I'd knock it all out at once.
I begin by draining the coolant out of the radiator and then the engine block. For some reason the coolant doesn't drain out of the overflow tank. I think "whatever, maybe it's not supposed to drain" since I've never seen a coolant system like the one on this car; it's weird, there is no filler on the radiator, it's on the overflow tank/reservoir. So I proceed to tear down the rest of the front of the engine to get to the distributors and spark plug wires. I remove the small hose that connects the coolant overflow to the engine block and the f****r still doesn't drain, so something is definitely wrong. I look inside the overflow tank through the filler hole and there is something black at the bottom by the exit hose. I stick a long screwdriver in it and pull on that black thing. All of a sudden coolant finally starts pouring out. After it drains I remove the overflow tank and shake it upside down until the black stuff comes out. It's the remains of some ****ty RTV, which probably came from whoever replaced the thermostat last because it wasn't a Toyota thermostat.
What BS.
I finished replacing everything and put it all back together, now it runs like butter. There were 140,000 miles on the original spark plugs and wires... The engine is much quieter now, is smoother, and feels like it has more power. I also got 1mpg better fuel economy on my trip back to Morgantown, going an average of 10mph faster than normal. No more overheating either.
Cliffs: (expletive deleted) RTV instant gasket.
I begin by draining the coolant out of the radiator and then the engine block. For some reason the coolant doesn't drain out of the overflow tank. I think "whatever, maybe it's not supposed to drain" since I've never seen a coolant system like the one on this car; it's weird, there is no filler on the radiator, it's on the overflow tank/reservoir. So I proceed to tear down the rest of the front of the engine to get to the distributors and spark plug wires. I remove the small hose that connects the coolant overflow to the engine block and the f****r still doesn't drain, so something is definitely wrong. I look inside the overflow tank through the filler hole and there is something black at the bottom by the exit hose. I stick a long screwdriver in it and pull on that black thing. All of a sudden coolant finally starts pouring out. After it drains I remove the overflow tank and shake it upside down until the black stuff comes out. It's the remains of some ****ty RTV, which probably came from whoever replaced the thermostat last because it wasn't a Toyota thermostat.
What BS.
I finished replacing everything and put it all back together, now it runs like butter. There were 140,000 miles on the original spark plugs and wires... The engine is much quieter now, is smoother, and feels like it has more power. I also got 1mpg better fuel economy on my trip back to Morgantown, going an average of 10mph faster than normal. No more overheating either.
Cliffs: (expletive deleted) RTV instant gasket.
and i mean go! 
only the rubber o ring. Good for you for fixing it
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