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Cooling system self bleed

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by Mirek, Jul 26, 2021.

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  1. Mirek

    Mirek Formula 3
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    #1 Mirek, Jul 26, 2021
    I just had some radiator work done on the 456M. I pulled out of the shop and started a long road trip, right after I left the temp gauge ran high (215) while in BAD traffic on my way up to Nor’Cal. Once on the road it cooled down and ran fine at speed for the next 300 miles and nothing leaked when I parked it or anything.

    My tech (a very reputable one) told me that it must be air in the system and that it would self bleed in time.

    How does that get accomplished (self bleeding) ?

    Thanks guys !
     
  2. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 tazandjan, Jul 26, 2021
    The system needs to be bled unless the tech used a pressure filler, which most good ones do. Sounds like yours did not if he thinks it has air in the system. Here is the bleed valve and procedure, which you can do yourself or beat him up and have him do it. Tell him to get a pressure filler.


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  3. Mirek

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    #3 Mirek, Jul 26, 2021
    Taz, thank you for the informative and hilarious response. Will do (both).
     
  4. Mirek

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    #4 Mirek, Jul 27, 2021
    So I should just turn nut (#1) to release any air ?
    Should I do this with the engine running and when it is at temp or when cold ?

    My tech opened up figure 3 (to release air I presumed) while the car was hot which I would be afraid to do.

    Thanks for any/all direction. I once had a hose pop from on me at full running temperature (sever burns on thighs) so I am VERY wary of messing with coolant EVER as a result.
     
  5. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 tazandjan, Jul 27, 2021
    Since you already missed the cold bleed part while filling (sounds like your tech did), you are ready to do the hot bleed. Be very careful, as you learned in the past with a hot coolant bath, and be ready to shut her off when you get steady coolant and no air. A towel or two will catch the coolant that does escape.

    Lots of other things can cause overtemps, including bad water temperature sensors and weak fans.
     
  6. Mirek

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    #6 Mirek, Jul 27, 2021
    Copy that and thanks for those additional leads, this is the third cooling “issue” in short time.
    I will do the hot bleed and report back.
     
  7. Mirek

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    #7 Mirek, Jul 28, 2021
    Oddly, the problem is no longer present. Took the car for a first drive since I last posted (and concluded the 350 mile road trip) and everything ran at a normal temp.

    There must be something to this “self bleed” system but I cannot for the life of me imagine how it might work.
     
  8. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 tazandjan, Jul 28, 2021
    Who knows? Normal Ferrari workings. Water temp is not normally a problem on the road, only in stop and go traffic with less airflow.
     
  9. Mirek

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    #9 Mirek, Jul 28, 2021
    They most definitely need to be run. That is most apparent.
     
  10. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 fatbillybob, Jul 29, 2021
    Well our cooling systems are not exactly known for their robustness. They work fine if all components are good but there is no headroom. In traffic is the most taxing. 215 is not bad under high ambient temps but we all like to be around 200. Gauges are also ...well...ferrari gauges. If things are doing well now in same traffic same ambient then you may indeed had air in system. But these cars are old. The cooling systems have several parts and anyone of them can and do loose efficiency.

    Air in system will self bleed as coolant gets moving and expands with heat , part of its travel is to the reservoir tank. That's where the air ends up. In 40 years of wrenching ferraris I have never needed a pressure filling device. In fact I do not know what one is. Filling and running the motor bring up temp increas pressure and volume in the system and you can hot bleed air at the bleed screw. You don't need anything more than that. A little air that will self bleed is not an issue unlike a little air left in a brake line.
     
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  11. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #11 tazandjan, Jul 30, 2021
    FBB- All the techs I have used have a pressure filler. No problems with fill, air in system, etc. So I like that.
     
  12. Mirek

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    #12 Mirek, Jul 30, 2021
    So the air bleeds to the reservoir tank and does not get back into circulation ? How does it escape from the RT ?
     
  13. Salami

    Salami Karting

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    #13 Salami, Jul 31, 2021
    When coolant becomes hot it loses its ability to hold air, so it becomes anaerobic. Then when it cools it absorbs air. So any small pockets of air do get absorbed over time and end up in the filler tank through the process of absorbing and then expelling air.
     

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