Bubbling noises

lmmr74 · 03-09-2012, 04:34 PM

Hello,

I own a 89 Turbo (no AC) and i just recently fixed a BHG, the head was machined, new bolts, used the correct torque (75 lbs), etc.
I am experiencing the following: when i turn the heater on, i hear a bubbling noise behind the dashboard and it gets stronger as i increase the revs...it looks like compression from the engine is still passing to the coolant system. Can this mean that i have a BHG again ?!? Or its the heater core?

Thanks for any help!

cre · 03-09-2012, 07:02 PM

One way or another you have gas in the cooling system.... Whether it's exhaust gases or just atmospheric is not something you can just determine from the bubbling. The easiest way to determine if it's combustion gases is to test the pH of the coolant. Most car parts shops here sell (or can order) pH test kits... it's a simple tester consisting of either litmus paper or a sample vial and pill.

Sure you could have a blown head gasket, or you may just have trapped air in which case topping the radiator off manually and over filling the reservoir will help it purge on its own. This could also be indicative of a small leak.

What type of HG did you use? Was any pitting of the block properly addressed? Was the block inspected for warping?

Awyman18 · 03-09-2012, 08:28 PM

yea on the bright side, when i did my hg when i would turn my car on i would hear bubbling behind the dash, but this was just air and it doesnt do this anymore, so dont freak out just yet lol

FRISBEE · 03-13-2012, 03:00 AM

Its not more like water running when making turns?? have you had your windshield replaced? it just may be a water leak or trapped water in the cowl.
check to make sure the drain passages aren't plugged at the cowl area.

lmmr74 · 03-13-2012, 10:54 AM

I used an original HG bought from Toyota. A compression test was done and eveything was fine...
I forgot to mention (don't know if it is related), but the car is a litle hard to star when hot and ocassionaly i can smell a bit of gas inside on the drivers side.

Thks and regards

cre · 03-13-2012, 03:47 PM

It's not uncommon for a compression test to show a tiny leak in the HG. If the system doesn't burp the gas out normally after a couple full heat and cool down cycles you may want to burp it manually and see if the gurgle returns. If it does, inspect for leaks, test the pH of the coolant (to test for the presence of caustic combustion gasses), pressure test the radiator cap.

03-09-2012, 04:34 PM	#1
lmmr74 Stock Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Portugal Posts: 21	Bubbling noises Hello, I own a 89 Turbo (no AC) and i just recently fixed a BHG, the head was machined, new bolts, used the correct torque (75 lbs), etc. I am experiencing the following: when i turn the heater on, i hear a bubbling noise behind the dashboard and it gets stronger as i increase the revs...it looks like compression from the engine is still passing to the coolant system. Can this mean that i have a BHG again ?!? Or its the heater core? Thanks for any help!

03-09-2012, 07:02 PM	#2
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	One way or another you have gas in the cooling system.... Whether it's exhaust gases or just atmospheric is not something you can just determine from the bubbling. The easiest way to determine if it's combustion gases is to test the pH of the coolant. Most car parts shops here sell (or can order) pH test kits... it's a simple tester consisting of either litmus paper or a sample vial and pill. Sure you could have a blown head gasket, or you may just have trapped air in which case topping the radiator off manually and over filling the reservoir will help it purge on its own. This could also be indicative of a small leak. What type of HG did you use? Was any pitting of the block properly addressed? Was the block inspected for warping? __________________ If something breaks or you need to contact a member of the administration please post HERE. Unless it's a private or administration matter please post it on the forum. It benefits no one else if car related questions aren't posted for future users and takes away from the time I'm able to spend helping on the rest of the forum. If you're so inclined I'm always more than happy to accept tips via PayPal. Tip Jar --->

03-13-2012, 03:00 AM	#4
FRISBEE Intake Join Date: May 2010 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 49	Its not more like water running when making turns?? have you had your windshield replaced? it just may be a water leak or trapped water in the cowl. check to make sure the drain passages aren't plugged at the cowl area. __________________ 1991 Toyota Supra 580rwhp617TQ 11.80@117MPH Under Construction 1992 Honda Prelude 400Hp ??TQ 14.0@ 114MPH Time for Update 2007 Cadilliac Escalade daily Knowledge Is Power...................

03-13-2012, 03:47 PM	#6
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	It's not uncommon for a compression test to show a tiny leak in the HG. If the system doesn't burp the gas out normally after a couple full heat and cool down cycles you may want to burp it manually and see if the gurgle returns. If it does, inspect for leaks, test the pH of the coolant (to test for the presence of caustic combustion gasses), pressure test the radiator cap. __________________ If something breaks or you need to contact a member of the administration please post HERE. Unless it's a private or administration matter please post it on the forum. It benefits no one else if car related questions aren't posted for future users and takes away from the time I'm able to spend helping on the rest of the forum. If you're so inclined I'm always more than happy to accept tips via PayPal. Tip Jar --->

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03-09-2012, 08:28 PM	#3
Awyman18 3" Exhaust Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: columbus Posts: 151	yea on the bright side, when i did my hg when i would turn my car on i would hear bubbling behind the dash, but this was just air and it doesnt do this anymore, so dont freak out just yet lol

03-13-2012, 10:54 AM	#5
lmmr74 Stock Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Portugal Posts: 21	I used an original HG bought from Toyota. A compression test was done and eveything was fine... I forgot to mention (don't know if it is related), but the car is a litle hard to star when hot and ocassionaly i can smell a bit of gas inside on the drivers side. Thks and regards