Ok so earlier today my car with 185k on it was just running at idle whole purpose was to keep battery from dying with radio up at the job site. Good thing I caught it when I did, and I smelt antifreeze looked over had steam coming outta hood so I shut her off. Pour bout a gallon or so of water back in but what was happening was the coolant was coming outta the cap on the overflow. Just ba cap? Or something different? And advice or help is appreciated thanks

 

Check the fan fuse. Hook a test wire direct from the battery to the fan and make sure the fan runs.

Refill with 50-50, and let it idle, and watch the temp and the fan. Fan should start at just less than 3/4 gage, and drive temp down to around 1/2 then shut off.

If you getting overflow before that, you may have defective head gasket.

 

How long would it take a semi experienced person to change out head gasket on these?

 

So I take it your coolant or oil looks like a milkshake

If you have "everything" you need, it'll take you all day.

 

It doesn't quite look like a milkshake yet but oil doesn't look like it ain't been changed in 5k looks like it it's only been in for 2k. But from what I understand it wasn't actually overheating because the temp gauge wasn't even half way, but I don't understand why it was coming outta the overflow as steam. Unless the cap wasn't releasing pressure because I had removed the cap and had only takin half off and was releasing pressure as expected but left it like that for 30 min and was still releasing pressure, seems to me like to much pressure. But I'm not sure and I ain't got whole lotta money to just dump in it. But oil don't look like its mixed with coolant, I'm just tryin to figure it out.

 

I've had my SC2 "overheat" in my driveway at idle spewing coolant out the reservoir cap with the temp gauge nowhere near the red. Turned out to be a leak/crack at the side tank of the radiator.

 

Well I do know that there's a decent sized dent or invention in bottom of radiator but previous owner said he never had problem like this, and I'm sure he wouldn't lie considering he gave the car to me. But I'm goin to run a coolant pressure test on it tomorrow granite I have time and don't work all day, which should tell me, show me, where its leaking at

 

Well it turns out all I needed was a new cap in overflow. Had buddy test it didn't hold any pressure so replaced it. I had ended up as well changing thermostat and water pump which was leaking pretty good only took 4 hours all works good