Dodged a Bullet, Maybe. Overheated badly.

[WorkinLonghorn]

Long story for anyone bored.

I spent a long hard day in the orchard and let off my 2 helpers and hit the freeway a happy camper.
I kept smelling an odd odor, sort of like the air that comes out of a tire, just a faint smell, nothing alarming. I though it must be some truck up ahead, but it never went away.
So a few miles later I come down the off ramp and just HAPPENED to check the temp gauge. Well heck, it looks like that wire coming off of the sending unit has shorted out or come loose again because the temp gauge is PEGGED to the right, way past the "HOT" zone. Then when I came to a complete stop I saw little wisps of steam coming out the side of the hood. So I headed to the service station about 100 feet away and shut off the engine. POOF!!!!!! the radiator seams let go and it looked like the gun-camera scenes from WWII when a steam engine locomotive is nailed my a fighter. HUGE cloud of steam enveloped the poor couple in the row next to me. It just kept billowing out until it was all boiled out I assume. This was fresh 50-50 green coolant. So I waited a little while (NOT long enough for sure) and took the jug of ice-water in the back and slowwwwwly poured it in with the engine restarted. I heard all kinds of "bad" sounds and it too boiled out immediately, surging out the fill hole. So eventually I got it to take enough water to limp it home a few blocks away.
It was the fan belt that somehow got off and I was running with no water pump or fan (for how long I don't know).
Today I found a local shop that re-soldered the seam and added a brace top to bottom for added support. This is a brass 4 row. He fixed up some other issues and pressure tested it. $45, 30 day warranty.
While we was working I got new belts and a new thermostat, $8 but they wanted $10+ for the gasket !!! So I got a $3 one from Auto Zone.

Anyway I got it all together and it APPEARS to run fine. No water in the oil (YET). There is a noise that sounds like a loose belt or a wet belt down by the timing cover and I suspect a loose timing chain (It makes the noise with no belts installed).

The test will come when I get it out with a big load on a hot day I suppose , but for now I am a happy custom camper once more (minus about $100). -BA