what can i do?

So I drive my 76 Comet every day. Never gives me a problem to and from work. Well it's exactly one week until I drive it to Ocala for my mini meet. Tonight it over heats. I've had some problems with it over heating since I got it. But we put a different radiator in it, replaced the thermostate and its been okay. It made it to Kentucky fine, it needed oil in Georgia and it did overheat once about 20mins into our drive home but put some water in and no more problems on the drive back to Florida. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to take it to Ocala alone. I don't know why it just randomly overheats. I was only driving it for about 10 mins, stopped to get gas, drove to walmart about a five minute drive and when I parked and shut it off smoke was pouring out from under the hood. Well I think more like steam, because when I went to open the hood everything was wet.

What can I do this week to try and prevent having a problem before I drive it on the interstate? I was already planning to carry oil and water with me, but is there anything I can do before I leave? I don't want to risk blowing the engine or something.

 

The smallest coolent leak can cause something like that. Have it pressure tested, the whole system. Happened to me several times. Can be as simple as a bad seal on a gasket.
Dan

 

I remember a long time ago someone said a product called Water Wetter helped his car run a whole lot cooler. It's been awhile though, I think the poster was Ryan.

 

water wetter won't solve the problem. sounds like it's something that just started. simplest thing would be to have the radiator cap pressure tested first. good luck.

 

I agree with the others have the system pressure tested.

6 cyl or V8? If it is a V8 could have air trapped in the system.

I bought a setup similar to this, works real nice.
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/MIT-4700.html

 

It's a six. My dad said that he pressure tested it. What I don't understand is why it hasn't done this at all in five months, and then I take it on a short drive and it over heats. It was no longer of a drive than every day to and from work.

This may be a whole different issue but it did shake when I turned it off, but it does that every once in a while. Sometimes I'll park it and shut it off and it does a sort of shake down like its settling or something.

 

You may have an internal-combustion leak(leaky head gasket,intake gasket,a cracked block)....If nothing shows on a pressure test I'd have the block tested

 

Another way to test is to apply shop air to each cylinder seperatly and look for air bubbles in the radiator....Don't forget to remove all the spark plugs...sometimes coolant will come out one of the cylinders......your car being a 6 banger,look at the head gasket.....

 

all good advice. I'd definately look for a small leak somewhere. Hopefully somewhere simple like the radiator cap.

 

The "shakedown" problem is more than likely in your ignition timing....

 

the timming can give you an overheat problem...a lean mix on the carb. will also. try a new rad. cap and or t-stat.... (t-stat sticking) would be my guess. they can be bad "new" ...frank...

 

I also say think small first. However in this case I also suspect a small head gasket. The fact you keep adding to the system and have not found an external leak at this point. Good Luck

 

Around town trips are harder on the car than interstate. You said you put a different radiator in. Was it new or another used one? Much less air flow going through it around town. I'd buy a new one, or at least get yours rodded out.

 

Also, do you have a temp gauge on your car? Could be its running much hotter all the time and you just dont know it. If it is running hot, you could be loosing coolent until it gets too low and then it blows.

 

The radiator was used, it came out of my 77. I guess the first thing I will do is replace the thermostate again. I don't have a temperature gauge, can I find one at any parts store? It probably is running hot, but not hot enough for the check engine light to come on. I'm just going at this problem blind, I don't have that much mechanical knowledge, and now that my dad isn't working as a mechanic he has no interest in helping me out with the car anymore.