Hi everybody,

Well, took my 04 Disco for a drive yesterday after having installed airtex brass impeller water pump, fan clutch, and original LR 180 (gray) t-stat and coolant reservoir cap. Bled, and re-bled as described in RAVE, raising coolant reservoir as high as its lower hose would let me, and removing bleed screw until no more air escaped. Highway temps were decent to say the least, maintaining 194-196 with a low of 190 at 70 mph with A/C on. Idle was not so good, surging up to 221 before proceeding to move, where it then went back down to above temperatures. Now forward to this morning, I checked my hoses to find them collapsed as if being sucked on. Suspecting bad reservoir cap, and I must say that A(tlantic) B(ritish) has lost a customer. They advertised the motorad 180 as PEL500110 (original t-stat 180 part #) and I was shocked when I opened the box to find motorad. THAT right there is fueling my suspicions about the reservoir cap, who knows where it came from? Allmakes? Cheaper?
Anyways, back on subject, what should I do besides new hoses?

 

Just to clarify, the thermostat I have on it IS the original soft spring style, as I proceeded to purchase it from BPUtah

 

Have you tried a pressure test yet? Go ahead and replace the cap. You should not be anywhere close to touching 221 with brand new parts like that. How old is the radiator?

I run the motorad 180 with no problems btw.

 

I have not done a pressure test yet, and radiator is only a year old. It has only ever had PEAK global green coolant, as I had converted to it about 6 months prior to swapping in new radiator, and from changing the parts no Dexcool sludge was apparent anywhere (water pump, WP passages, old thermostat). I also ran a motored 180 for awhile, until I noticed temps began to rise, no overheat condition, though, which is why I changed all those parts. I'm beginning to fear the possibility of cracked block, even though I've invested so much to keep temps down...

 

Similar issues here. I have installed a new radiator, water pump, reservoir cap, new upper hose, and switched from motorad to OE 180 t stat, new viscous fan, new condenser fan, condenser cleaned and still have issue. Did a pressure test and did find 3 small leaks at hose clamps so replaced those. Holding pressure at 18# (cold engine) but my temps still creep at idle and have seen 220 as well but on the road I see about 188 or so. My hoses are not collapsing and I don't notice that I am losing coolant.

I am still trying to check if maybe i have an air pocket but for the last two weeks its been random if I open of the bleed screw and reservoir tank sometimes I get a little air to escape and other times no. Guess I could be pushing air into the system with HG leak and but leaking into motor and only doing it once up to temps? I am not sure

 

Thanks, Jared. I did double check belt routing with RAVE before starting her up.

 

Install stiffener 'coils' inside the pump suctioned hoses. I assume one of those are the ones you found collapsed, right ?
Perhaps the industry is now making radiator hoses from condoms to cut corners and make more money.
----> https://www.viperpartsofamerica.com/...arge_image.jpg
If the hose that you found collapsed is engine outlet/radiator inlet, the reservoir cap is not venting under vacuum when coolant cools down as overnight.

 

Actually, its the upper radiator hoses and the lower one returning to thermostat... Where do I get stiffener springs?

 

Radiator inlet hose collapses by being poor quality, material, construction. Collapses because it is weak as already got deformed from previous collapses, now prone to flattening and not bouncing back.
Radiator outlet hose collapse is dangerous when engine is running, as can shut-off flow under pump suction.
----> 66 72 Pontiac GTO Firebird Judge Lower Radiator Hose Spring | eBay

Any generic auto parts place should sell them in several sizes.

LandRover engineers goofed not implementing the stiffener coil at the pump inlet hoses. And worse now, if replacement hoses are weak garbage.

 

am i wrong or is the radiator caps job is to remover built up pressure, not vacuum.
if your hoses were collapsed then would have taken a vacuum to collapse them?
not pressure.
pressure would have expanded the hoses or blew one off? no.