Transit 2.5 overheating (banana engine)

[dc1984]

Yet again I have been having more transport troubles, this time it's with my new recovery truck.

It's a 1996 non turbo engine.

Basically what happened was I was on the motorway sitting at 50mph and noticed the temp sitting slightly higher than it has been, came off the motorway and drove about 2 miles before the temp shot up to the red. I stopped the truck rite away and turned it off. The coolant bottle was leaking from the overflow, I loosened the cap and most of the content poured out of the top, topped the water up with bottled water and nursed it about 600yards to drop a car off.
Checked the truck again and now found the thermostat housing to be cracked almost in half.
I have very little mechanical knowledge so I was wondering if this could of been caused by a faulty thermostat causing the pressure to build up and cause the temp to rise and then the excessive heat causing the thermostat housing to crack?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

David

[meritlover]

i would doubt it was cracked with over heating. if it is, a cracked thermostat will only be the start of the damage..

Possibly (and hopefully) the water may have little or no antifreeze in it and its frozen where the stat housing is exposed and cracked. It's then drained all coolant and caused it to over heat. although if there was still water in it bubbling out then this is unlikely.

It's not going to have cracked with pressure as a hose would have let go first, or a heater matrix etc...

I would start hunting for a decent 2nd hand head and new gasket set.

But to test your theory, changing or at least testing your stat opens in boiling water and replacing the housing would be worth the effort before hand.

xxx

[dc1984]

Cheers mate. If it is the head i will just go for a whole new engine a think.

[turbojolt]

a 2nd hand engine could have even more problems! and you wouldnt know untill its all bolted in

[dc1984]

Fingers crossed its just needing a thermostat and housing or its goin to need put into a garage to get fixed then:(