Manta Gte/e Thermostadt Mystery

[Mrbus]

Hello people thanks for looking!

My manta B GTE/E seems to be overheating on my gauge but i dont 100% think it is.

The gauge rises really quickly to get to the red. [5 mins appx]

I replaced the thermostadt but cant seem to get it watertight putting it back together

I have been supplied with a few paper gaskets as they are called, but everytime i stick water in it it just seems to leak.

Im beginning to think i have dropped some kind of rubber washer so im looking under my car for something that may not exist or my new part has something missing

Its sending me nuts, please help!!!

Its a 2 litre SE engine i think

[cam.in.head]

if memory serves me right the gte housing 'lid' is similar to pre 83 carb stuff. ie paper gasket & thermostat locates in recess. so if leaking its either too thin a gasket ,cracked casing or warped. try the faces together without therm or gasket in place to check for perfect fit.flat suface & wet dry paper to correct!

[midasmesh]

It happend to me on my GTE, temp gauge would go up to red quickly to say it was very hot when in fact it wasn't.

Turned out to be the voltage regulator on the back of the dashboard ( its a 3 pinned gold block).

It also made the fuel gauge go up and down and not read properly.

[maher the hermit]

there is supposed to be a rubber washer that sits round the outside edge of the themostate which sits in a recess in the housing so my memory serves me right???? been a long time since i had one apart so could be proved wrong?

[Mrbus]

there is supposed to be a rubber washer that sits round the outside edge of the themostate which sits in a recess in the housing so my memory serves me right???? been a long time since i had one apart so could be proved wrong?

Looks like there must be a rubber washer somewhere then. Would of fought that a new 1 would be included with the new thermostadt

Thanks for the info

[keith1200]

Following on from the 'first class advice' given above, paper gaskets can be a pain if the area hasn't be cleaned properly, etc, etc.

Maybe you should try 'insant gasket' or something similar. Its a type of silicon glue! not a tidy result as with the paper gasket option BUT it will cure the leak. I would follow the advice given above first tho.

GL

keith

ps you'll probably know this! checking your thermo! (put thermostat in bowel/pot then pour hot water from kettle into bowel/pot, submerging thermo)if its ok you'll see the thermo opening 'slightly'.

Edited February 22, 2010 by keith1200

[Mrbus]

Would the casing warp by any chance if it had got really hot? Thus causing an obvious leak!

Been informed i could use 2 paper gaskets.

[1900SR]

Are you sure the thermostat is correctly seated? First time I changed mine it dropped out of place as I reassembled it so the housing wouldn't close up properly. I used Blue Hylomar on the gaskets, not sure if it was a good idea but it doesn't leak.

As an aside, my GT/E also shows to be overheating on the gauge. It's not the voltage reg (new one fitted and fuel gauge sot on). I'm pretty certain the car isn't overheating as it runs fine (no pinking), and the hoses are not getting over pressurised nor too hot to touch. I think the sender is at fault. I've not managed to get the stat to open on it yet (new stat fitted), but remember reading a post from Opel2000 that the GT/E rarely gets hot enough to open the stat.

Edited February 23, 2010 by 1900SR

[Mrbus]

Would the casing warp by any chance if it had got really hot? Thus causing an obvious leak!

Been informed i could use 2 paper gaskets.

Ok sorted the leak. Used 2 gaskets. Still not sorted my gauge problem so will try what someone said above this. Some sort of 3 pin plug behind dash

I have noticed when it is hot that the bottom pipe from rad is still cold but the top 1 is.

Is my water pump kaputt?

Ok sorted the leak. Used 2 gaskets. Still not sorted my gauge problem so will try what someone said above this. Some sort of 3 pin plug behind dash

I have noticed when it is hot that the bottom pipe from rad is still cold but the top 1 is.

Is my water pump kaputt?

Oh yeah & i dont think my fuel gauge is working now. Have to wait till payday to see

All was defo working until i had my fuel pump replaced

[1900SR]

If your bottom pipe is cold it's a sign the stat isn't opening. You could try running it without the stat, but my guess is the gauge will still read hot, but you'll actually be running colder than you should.

[mantadoc]

If it was mine, which it isn't, I would do this, which I would not recommend to anyone.

1) I would have used cereal box for the gasket, you get a large sheet of the material on each side of a cereal box covered with amusing pictures and writing

2) I wouldn't worry about the rubber ring that goes around the edge. Not enough stuff goes past the sides to matter

3) I would make sure it is the right thermostat. GTE ones have a large flat washer on the other end to the mounting flange. As the stat opens in the mounting ring the washer closes off a passage way behind. Withoug this kind of stat they don't circulate properly

3.5) If the stat doesn't have a hole in the mounting ring I would drill one about 4 / 5 mm alleviates airlocks behind it when filling.

4) If I can keep my hand on the top hose when the car is running it probably isn't over heating

5) If the top hose feels tight and hard and really hot it's boiling

6) If the top hose feels tight and not hot might be pressurising / airlock / failed head gasket

And I generally fill my cooling system like this:

a) Raise front of car higher than heater

OR

a ) 1)drain system,

2) put all parts together / hoses in place

3) remove rad cap and heater top hose at heater

4) pour anti freeze in rad

5) put garden hose on heater matrix

6) turn on tap

7) fit rad cap as expensive anti-freeze over flows

8) hold disconnected heater hose high

9) when water comes out of heater hose, pull garden hose off heater and fit heater hose losing as little water as possible.

BUT I WOULD NEVER LET THE MANTA GAUGES BE ANYTHING MORE THAN A HINT TO LOOK AT SOMETHING UNLESS VERIFIED WITH A THERMOMETER OF SOME KIND OR OTHER TEST

ALSO NEVER OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP OR COOLING SYSTEM ON A HOT ENGINE

[garymanc]

why did you replace the thermostat in the 1st place.. was there other signs off overheating other than the gauge.

and you now say your fuel gauge is knackered

sounds like it was just false readings due to voltage regulator

hopefully will be ok when you bleed system up as per mantadoc instructions and replace voltage regulator

think there is some brand new on ebay at the moment

BUT I WOULD NEVER LET THE MANTA GAUGES BE ANYTHING MORE THAN A HINT TO LOOK AT SOMETHING UNLESS VERIFIED WITH A THERMOMETER OF SOME KIND OR OTHER TEST

learned that to my cost as well as many others have done

[Mrbus]

Nevermind. I now have a water pump to sort out as it went on me trying to get to work this morning. Fought i just ran out of petrol until i noticed a lot of water coming out the pump housing.

Am i right in thinking that it just comes straight out undoing about 6-7 13mm bolts, no cambelt or tensioners as its chain driven yes?

[manta400john]

Nevermind. I now have a water pump to sort out as it went on me trying to get to work this morning. Fought i just ran out of petrol until i noticed a lot of water coming out the pump housing.

Am i right in thinking that it just comes straight out undoing about 6-7 13mm bolts, no cambelt or tensioners as its chain driven yes?

Do you have a Haynes manual?

[Mrbus]

OK, Ive just fitted my pump but now it seems the engine is running too slow.

Will this be caused by me needing a voltage regulator? It was running slightly too fast before the water pump give up

If it is, any suggestions to bump up the revs for a few days just until my regulator arrives to save me getting the bus to work!

[mantadoc]

Water pump and regulator won't make any difference to your idle speed. In face, especially not the regulater. Ever.

Water pump only possibly could if fouling or defective / wrong but even then so unlikely you won't get anyone seriously considering it might.

As you were working around the front of the engine have you had, either deliberately or accidentally the vacuum hose off or moved the dizzy?

If a GTE maybe introduced some air leaks into the inlet tract? Far more likely. Of course if you have boiled it you might have other issues now.

[Mrbus]

Water pump and regulator won't make any difference to your idle speed. In face, especially not the regulater. Ever.

Water pump only possibly could if fouling or defective / wrong but even then so unlikely you won't get anyone seriously considering it might.

As you were working around the front of the engine have you had, either deliberately or accidentally the vacuum hose off or moved the dizzy?

If a GTE maybe introduced some air leaks into the inlet tract? Far more likely. Of course if you have boiled it you might have other issues now.

I need to change the regulator anyway. I bought it as my temp gauge goes redhot & fuel not registering. It says on ebay that it sorts out engine speed aswell. As mine was running slightly fast i guessed that would be the reason.

Mine is a GTE & i did double check everything before i started it. I will triple check in daylight. Im guessing it is some kind of air leak coz its running as if the airflow meter is doing nothing now

If i did manage to boil it surely the head gasket would of went........ Or would it?

[mantadoc]

It says on ebay that it sorts out engine speed aswell. As mine was running slightly fast i guessed that would be the reason.

Sounds optomistic / magic to me as a Manta will run perfectly happily without a dashboard......... Plus all the reg does is sit between live and earth give an output to the gauges.

I would still check rubber hoses between air flow meter / auxuliary air valve and plenum.

Bodge way to raise the idle temporarily would be pedal stop screw (can do sitting in car) or tighten cable a click on the throttle. I wouldn't recommend these as options