Im stuck....literally...I love my 1980 Toyota Van,but after trying to troubleshoot/fix the overheating....?

Question

I have had the thermostat changed,Radiator flushed (although it was not hooked up to the machine afterwards)...i have had numerous mechanics look it over and it still overheats,,,Anyone else(with a Toyota van,who's had this same problem) or a knowledgable mechanic,have a hunch of what might be causing this constant overheating.I am tired of carrying a 2 liter bottle of water everywhere i drive in fear of my car overheating.....advice would be greatly apprectiated

Answer 1

If there are no leaks then the only possible answer is that you have a leak at the head of head gasket on the engine. That pushes exhaust gas into the cooling system causing air pockets that will cause overheating any time the air pocket pushes into the block when the thermostat opens. and if thats whats wrong with it if its a previa I'd say its seen its day unless you want to sink a good down payments worth of money into fixing it.

Answer 2

Yes I have repaired many of these.99% of the time after it overheated the cylinder head warps,which will cause it to overheat until you have a new head gasket and have the head surfaced.That will take care of your problem.Find a shop that does Toyota's and they will take it from there.At one time the Factory was replacing the cylinders heads for FREE.I would call your local Toyota dealer and check with the service manager there.He can check your VIN number to see if yours is one.I know its 20yrs old,however they were doing it free a few years ago.I was a service manager for Toyota in 1998. Good luck

Answer 3

Have you changed the radiator cap?? If the rubber seal on the cap is cracked or very "flat", get a new one

Answer 4

All the answers are good ones, but did you check your water pump?