Overheating...again!

[FoxFire227]

2014 LTX SE
MCX190 Turbo kit

Sled is 96% of the time on trail.
Every now and then, I get code "P0217" and the sled goes into limp mode.
Last night, the sled hit about 120* C / 240* F so I let it coll down and left it at a friend's overnight.
I rode it home this morning and the hottest it got was 86* C / 186* F.

I inverted the front of the sled, removed the rad cap and let it get to temp, at first coolant was overflowing from the rad cap location then it sucked in, then it started to spit coolant.

Am I in bad head gasket territory?
Machine runs amazing other than cooling.

 

[Mitch Desorcy]

Yes it sounds like a head gasket. What are you running for boost? I had that happen to my Viper when I ran too much boost without head shim and timing.

 

[grizztracks]

If the coolant hasn't been serviced it may be time. As the coolant ages it looses it's ability to dissipate heat. The coolant usually looks dark and the freeze point decreases past -40. Flush the system and replace coolant with a 50/50 blend.

I've found that the best way to refill the system is to top off the radiator and fill the overflow reservoir then run the engine and add to the radiator if it'll take more. Cap the radiator and run it up to operating temperature then shut it down and let it cool. Once cold refill radiator and reservoir and repeat a heat cycle. Several heat cycles may be needed before the overflow reservoir level becomes stable.

Usually a bad head gasket will push coolant to the reservoir and overflow it.

 

[FoxFire227]

Quick update:
- Performed a combustion dye test and dye stayed the same color (phew) so for now, i'm going to rule head gasket out.
- Put the sled up on a snowbank and ran it through 3 heat cycles, it did burp.
- Ran it in the garage yesterday, at idle (with garage doors opened ) fan kicked on at 90*C and engine didn't get warmer than 92*C. Keep in mind, I did not put it under load and it wasn't receiving any cooler air.

So, ill get it put back together today and run it later on and see if burping it did any help.

If not, Ill start looking at water pump.

 

[FoxFire227]

Final update (hopefully)
Ran sled for the last 2 days, it seems the burping did a lot.
When under load down trail, it was consistently running 71-73* Fahrenheit. Obviously at idle, it was increasing but nothing out of the norm. Fingers crossed this continues.

Thanks for the input.