Foam in my coolant

Minn-Tex Lee

Minn-Tex Lee

Senior Member
My overheating problem became obvious when I noticed foam coming out of my radiator.
I removed the spark plugs individually and observed foam each time.
I put in a bottle of Steel Seal to see if that would fix it.
I again removed the spark plugs one at a time, to prevent back pressure,
running 15 min each time. Foam each time.
Could I have 2 areas of blown gasket or something different?
Is it time for a new head gasket?
I have only 2200 miles on this rebuilt engine.
Thanks for any thoughts you may have .
Lee
 
NAPA sells a test kit to check if exhaust gases are present in the coolant.

Foam in the radiator is usually caused by compression leaking into the cooling system.

This can result from: 1) a blown head gasket, 2) a crack in the head, or 3) the head needs to be retorqued. I would start with retorquing the head and see if that fixes the problem. If not, you will need to pull the head and see if the head gasket is blown.

If you pull the head, have the head magna fluxed to see if the head is cracked. I would also have head checked to see if it is warped. Even after you pull the head, if the head gasket is not blown, you should have the head checked out. If you do not have have the head checked, and you put a warped head back on, the head will not seat properly and you will still have the initial problem.

Best of luck.
 
Had big time foaming after 15 mile trip. No over heating just much foaming. Stopped, cleaned up foam off windshield and paint. Added gallon of water. Finished 35 miles no issues. Next day drained combination of a couple of cheap antifreezes, water, and stop leak. Put 50/50 green name brand, no more issues. Agree with Charlie, cheap check.














c
 
Just an update.
I put in straight water prior to using Steel Seal.
My compression test was 60# in each cylinder
I re-torqued the head nuts. No change.
How could I prove or dis-prove cracked head without removing it.
Lee
 
If you have 60 on all four, I'm guessing your head gasket, and head as an assembly are fine. I hate to say this, but I'm wondering is you have a crack in your block.
 
When you retorqued the head how much movement was there in the head nuts?

After having the engine rebuilt did you check the torque after installing and running the engine.

Remove the fan belt and rev the engine to and look to see if you have any bubbles forming in the coolant.

The test kit for exhaust gases in coolant is relatively inexpensive, simple and works well.
 
I scribed a line on the head nut to the head and when I loosened the nut and re-tightened them there was no change.
Gene- Your thought on a cracked block would explain why foam occured with each cylinder plug removed.
How would I go about locating a crack?
Lee
 
The worst foaming problem I ever saw in an A was the water pump sucking air in around the shaft.15 minutes of driving and it would make a frappe in the radiator.I also saw it,to a lesser degree,on a water pump with an original grease fitting that they had left the cap off.I try to think simple first,before I even think about rip and tear.I just watched a man that tore into his engine because he was losing a little water.He had the head planed.Then he got after the machine shop that did the engine work because he said they must have done a lousy job on decking the block.So he hired another shop to check the flatness of the deck,they said it was dead on. As it turned out all that he needed was his radiator fixed.
 
You have over filled the radiator. Did it foam while you were hill climbing? Do not fill the radiator over the baffle. Try the same route after it has foamed without adding coolant and see if it happens again. Make sure the level in the radiator is above the pump level
 
Foaming coolant without over heating is a sign of water pump cavitation. A thermostat in the hose to the radiator will fix cavitation.
 
Another update:
I am using a pressure radiator, 4#. Would this negate sucking air from the water pump shaft?
I have never used a thermostat so would installing one really help?

This problem occurs at idle with the radiator cap off in about 4 minutes. Does this imply
a heat related problem or does it take that long for foam to get to the top?
I tried to run without a fan belt but could not get it off because the nut that holds the
generator ,when turned, caused the bolt to turn and I can't get a wrench on the
head of the bolt. Any thoughts here?
Lee
 
One more thought:
What if the bubbles in my coolant are not from outside air but from those created by the natural heating process?
This would give the exact symptoms I have. This would be possible if there were no water circulation.
Could I then have a non functioning water pump?
How would I test for that without removing it?
Thanks
Lee
 
There's a sniffer that can detect exhaust gases in the radiator. Find someone that has one and then pull the head and fix it.
 
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