Up early, cleanup, disconnect, stow, hitch up the Jeep and we are out of town. The climb up Highway 59 out of Hurricane is steep. We've been up this stretch a couple of times with the Jeep, but failed to realize the degree of climb for the first few miles. STEEP, STEEP,STEEP. I told Judy had I realized how steep, I would have had her drive the Jeep and hitched it back up farther on. But, we made it, or so it seemed... Farther on, about 24 miles, we had continued to climb some and finally started down a grade after going through Colorado City. All of a sudden the engine temperature started to climb...fast. Whats up? A good place to pull over quickly and start checking things out.
I had just flushed and changed the coolant a couple of months back and have been watching the coolant level with no real issues, but now you could see coolant had run all down the underneath of the bus. The lower radiator hose (my first suspect) was intact and the coolant had not really come from there, but I could tell from the feel, there was no pressure in the system. No need to wait to remove the radiator cap. No fluid, over flow tank over full. More cooling time and I started to add water from a 3 gallon jug we carried. Took all of it and more. My biggest fear was a blown head gasket ($$$$$$$$$$$$$ down time $$$$$$$$$$$$$). Put the cap back on and tried running up and down a side road. Pushing some fluid back out the over flow. Not looking good, but no BIG bubbles blowing out so not certain what it could be. With Judy driving the Jeep, we traveled back up the road only a half mile into the small town of Hillsdale and there was an automotive shop and we stopped by.
Yes, they could check the engine. Did a CO2 exhaust check which was clear for a leaking head gasket (whew!!!) Pressure tested the coolant system...OK, more whew!!! The only remaining thing, the radiator cap. Yes that simple and I had not changed it when flushing the system 2 months back. Hit a Car Quest next door $6 (plus $26 for 2 gallons of antifreeze) and we were off again!
Talk about a scare! So down the road and we are sitting for the night in Page, AZ just off Lake Powell as originally planned. No more problem, ran cool the whole way, hills or no. I'll drop the pure water and refill the radiator tonight, but no problem running the rest of the way today. NOT THE ADVENTURE WE WERE LOOKING FOR!
AND A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR OUR GRANDDAUGHTER EMMA!!! HUGS GIRL!
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