M38 Overheating

[redrad]

While driving Jeep last Sunday, it overheated to the point of steam coming out of radiator cap relief. I shut it down, and after it cooled off I removed radiator cap to add coolant, looking down into the radiator I cannot see the tubes because of some sort of baffle. My problem may be a stuck closed thermostat, so i will remove and test, but also i need to flush all the crud in the cooling system. the real question is how to know when radiator is full if you cannot see top of the tubes. I will attempt to attach pic from my album.

http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules/gall ... .thumb.jpg

Well that did not work out very well

[keats]

from the manual.


Fill the cooling system with water, or antifreeze solu- tion, of sufficient strength to protect the system against the lowest anticipated temperature, to a level approxi- mately 1 inch below the bottom of the filler neck.

[redrad]

Thanks for the info, Gary

[redrad]

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[OKCM38CDN]

IMO time for a good flush...

[Mike_B]

If it were mine I'd pull the radiator and turn it upside down and flush it backwards with the garden hose. If you put it on top of a 5-gallon bucket you can catch the junk and see how bad it is. Don't pressurize the radiator, just let the water run free. so you don't split a seam.

You can also run water down the thermostat hole and back flush the block as well.

Mike B

[redrad]

Next warm day I am pulling thermostat and flushing engine and radiator,
Thanks as always for the tips

[JBJeep]

Lord knows, I'm no mechanic...but with every restoration I have done, cleaning/flushing/repairing or replacing the radiator is one of the first things done.
If you don't know the service history of a car and you plan on driving it, it just makes sense.