[94cobra69ss396]

I had an issue with the Explorer about a month ago where the radiator was leaking from a tube. Actually it was an issue ever since I did the V8 conversion but it has gotten worse over time. It got to the point that it leaked all the time. The truck never ran hot, it was just leaking.

So I ordered a new radiator and when it came in I installed it. I added coolant and started it up in the driveway to warm it up. While it was idling I noticed the temp gauge went a little higher than it normally runs so I grabbed my IR thermometer gun to check the temp. It was at 210 and it has a 195 thermostat in it. I felt the upper hose and it was warm which meant the thermostat was open but the truck just kept getting hotter. By the time I shut the truck off it had climbed to 240.

I then got under the truck to feel the bottom hose and just as I did it blew off. As soon as the hot coolant hit me I rolled out of the way but it was too late. I ended up going to urgent care and ended up with 2nd degree burns on my arms. This was about 3 weeks ago now.

Here's some progressive pictures of my arms over the first week. Luckily it didn't hurt and has healed fairly well. It's left a couple of scares but chicks dig scares so it's okay.






My wife made me wait a few days before she let me go back out to figure out why it got hot. I figured something had to have plugged either the radiator outlet or the water pump inlet but both were clear. So I filled it back up with just water and started it up again. Once again it started getting hot. This time it got up to 230 but I let it cool down for about 10 minutes before I looked at it. I put a towel over the cap and opened it so it would push fluid into the overflow tank. However, only air came out. Once the pressure was gone I removed the cap and started adding water. It took 2 gallons of water to fill the radiator (the system only holds 4).

Once I filled it up I started it back up and it stopped getting hot. For some reason the was an air pocket in the system that was keeping the water from flowing. That's the first time I've ever had that happen. I spoke to Phil about it and he said he's had that issue a lot. On some vehicles he even had to fill the system through the heater hose because of it.

The moral of this story is be careful. Working on cars can be hazardous and luckily for me I only burned my arms.

[Vettezuki]

Damn son, if that didn't hurt you were either all hoped up on adrenalin, or you're numb. . . .

I've had the "air pocket" problem a couple times. I just fill the reservoir and then from the radiator while the car is running until the rad is full. This seems to be a bullet proof way.


Working on cars can kill you or maim you for life if you aren't careful. Fortunately if you follow safety precautions, cough, it's pretty safe other than getting scratched up.

[blackax]

Ouch!!!

I havent had the air pocket problem in the past. But I know a of few friends who have.

[94cobra69ss396]

It hurt when the water hit me and I pulled my shirt off because it was soaked with hot coolant. I took a shower right after it happened and the burns stung while I drove to urgent care but as soon as they wrapped them it didn't hurt anymore. The doctor told me that I would feel the pain the following day and prescribed me Motrin with Codeine but I didn't hurt so I never had to take anything. I even played in my Monday night basketball game a little over a week later. I just made sure the wraps didn't come off.

My wife kept teasing me about because she says when I get cold I lay on the couch and wine but I get 2nd degree burns and I act like nothing happened. I guess it's from burning myself welding or something because it really didn't hurt after.

[Vettezuki]

You can definitely build tolerance and even some barriers to heat. There's a guy who does deep fry Japan where I go for work sometimes and he can put his hand in the boiling oil to handle the Tempura. Never seen anything like it. He works very fast, obviously has some extra tough skin, and then a thin coat of oil to protect for short term I guess, but it looks crazy and I'd never try it in a million years.

[94cobra69ss396]

I saw a thing on Mythbusters where they tested something like that. I don't remember what they dipped their hands in but the trick was dipping their hand in water first and the steam from the water heating up protected their hands.

[blackax]

Originally Posted by 94cobra69ss396

I saw a thing on Mythbusters where they tested something like that. I don't remember what they dipped their hands in but the trick was dipping their hand in water first and the steam from the water heating up protected their hands.

It was lead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOCAd2QhGg

[Shaolin Crane]

I have had both those happen many times. It's pretty common for me to pull parts out of the the parts washer that are 250* plus, I don't even really feel it anymore, but we've been down that road before...

I don't think i've ever worked on a Infiniti that didn't have major air bubble issues, the foxes never, trucks of mine are pretty common though.

[94cobra69ss396]

This is the first time I've ever had that happen. It didn't have a problem with an air pocket when I originally put the V8 in so I find it strange that it did it now. However, I learned my lesson with it.

[enkeivette]

I got some 2nd degree burns from an oven a few months ago, nothing like yours, maybe 3-4 inches. Scars are still there, but more red than deformed tissue now. I think after a year or so you wont be able to see much of anything.

I also jacked up my neon on my non-level street back in the day. Soft asphault plus bank of the street equals teeter teeter topple over, crush the jack, puncture my gas tank and almost smash my leg. Since that day I always have at least one backup before I get under a car.