The thermostat is installed correctly. I have the Chilton repair manual. With the big spring in the block.

The thing is, I do hear a pinging noise near that area. I never knew it was from that.

We might be getting somewhere here, but I dont know where to go from here.

 

Well, yeah it's good you can hear that little thing rattling.

I didn't think it was possible to get the T-stat in backwards, but you CAN rotate it so the pin is in the wrong position. The gasket has a little cut-out for the pin, along with a couple little nubs that fit into recesses in the housing. Did you catch that when installing it?

 

I noticed that too, I installed it correctly, the Chilton has picture by picture instructions.

 

I am pretty much convinced that it is the waterpump. There is no blockage because when I manually squeeze the hoses, the coolant level at the radiator neck drops/rises.
For the upper radiator hose, the half that is closer to the block is hotter than the half that is closer to the radiator. Consequently, thats where the upper hose starts to curve up.

The radiator is warm and fluid was able to travel down because of gravity.

However, the lower radiator hose is cold, and the coolant cant not travel upward and cant make it to the thermostat. So the brand new thermostat wont open, but that doesnt matter, cause it isnt even pumping the fluid up. meaning weak waterpump.

The water pump has never been replaced. It has 120,000k on it. Family owned vehicle. Last time I drained/refilled the coolant was 30k miles ago.

I think my logic is right, I could be wrong. I hate to pay for diagnostics, I rather be able to give it to the mechanic and have it done.

Any opinions are welcomed

pat

 

I've been burned by the waterpump, but in a different way.

Changed the timing belt on my former '95 Integra, but the waterpump was fine so I didn't replace it. About a year later it started leaking...

I've never had a waterpump that stopped pumping. Only leaks & noise.

 

The only way that this is your water pump is if the pump impeller somehow got detached from the driveshaft. VERY VERY VERY unlikely. I have had t'stats that were bad from the factory as well as a car that would eat them up real quickly. If I were you, I'd completely remove the stat since all that will do is make the car take longer to warm up .... that'll put that concern to rest and if there's still a problem, you know that it's not from the stat since there isn't one anymore. Just one thing that came to mind. Is it possible that the pulley isn't attached to the pmp's drive shaft properly? Like the key pin is missing and the pulley is spinning on the shaft?

 

How can the key pin be missing? I just woke up.

 

If I take the t-stat out, and the problem persists. I can safely say that it is the water pump right?

 

Nope .... you can safely say that it is not the stat. There may still be a blockage in the rad or a pulley connection issue as mentioned ..... but I kinda doubt that. I can't see it being the pump due to no flow.

 

Thanks. I remember my obseration, there was pressure built up in the lower radiator hose (harder to squeeze) when warming up