overheating and head warpage

So about 1/4 mile from home, my 5 month old water pump froze. Apparently
the flat circular piece spot welded to the fins broke off and got mangled by
the spinning fins and locked it up. Got both pieces out, fortunatly but im
worried about my cylinder head. My temp gauge went quickly into the red!!
would a 1/4 mile of overheating be enough to seriously warp or crack the
head?
I have no external evidence of anything like that happening but when i
drained my coolant from the radiator, there was some fine, dust like
particles suspended in the coolant, that looked fairly metallic like, maybe
it was jsut dirt and grime...not sure.

I havent removed it yet cuz im afarid of what ill find, plus ill be tempted
to do a valve job since ive gone that far but i really dont wanna spend the
money! =) 200, 000+ miles im sure it could use it but then whats next to
go, ya know?

Tim

 

i guess im jsut curious what i should look for without having to remove the
cylinder head, if there is anythign actually to see.

 

Unless you had ruptured hoses and were seriously blowing steam, I don't know
that I'd worry about it. I doubt that you "overheated" or did any damage.
I've driven on the track for 20 minutes straight with the needle in the red
(had a problem with the airdam, and later corrected it) with no issues.

If you feel that you got all the metal pieces out of the water pump opening
(and there are none floating around in the coolant passages of the engine,
give it a good flush, install a new pump, and drive on.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

 

Unless you had ruptured hoses and were seriously blowing steam, I don't know

Thats pretty much what I was thinking. Run it and if you see a problem worry
about fixing it then, but I think you will be OK.

 

I'll go along with what others are saying: run it and see. Two data points:

1. Wife was on highway with a 84 Civic CRX. Radiator burst, no breakdown
lane. Drove for a mile or so, got off, Honda dealer at exit. I was sure
when she called me that the engine was gone. Nope, they put a radiator in
it and it ran fine for the next 50,000 that we owned it.

2. I was on a highway in my Volvo 745 Turbo. Watched the temp needle creep
up. Here in MA one it is fashionable to crash into cars in the breakdown
lane, I had two teenagers in the car, so I kept going to the next exit. A
seam in the radiator had burst, I replaced the radiator and the car was
fine. I still own the car.

FWIW, I have instructed my wife and 16 year old daughter that if they break
down, and there is not a big shoulder to pull off onto, and the car is able
to move, to hobble it off the highway. Too many people have been killed
while sitting in the breakdown lane. The penalty in this state for such is
severe: I think they give you two slaps on the wrist instead of one.

-David

 

I don't think that happens much here in the Western part of the state. But
then again, most Bostonians and the like consider us to be part of CT or NY
anyway... ;-)