Mike and others: today i made a new jumper out of 12 gauge wire and 20 amp fuses, then topped off my coolant reservoir. i started the car and drove it around for a bit and it does not seem to operate any differently than before. i got the engine nice and warm and it's performance is unchanged. i then brought the car into my local shop to have the cooling system pressure-checked. they said it held pressure perfectly and the 'radiator cap' works fine also, so i do not appear to have any cooling system leaks. i just checked my engine oil - i changed my oil two weeks ago and it seems to be of a normal tint and i do not smell anything odd in it. i know my thermostat is working because my coolant lines to the radiator were hot last night when the overheating happened. also, when i replaced my alternator two weeks ago, i checked out the water pump pulley. i remember it turned easily, but it didn't spin like a tire. there was more resistance, however it was not difficult to move and it didn't vary in ease of turning as you turned it like a bad bearing might feel. how 'stiff' of a turn should the water pump be? should it spin if you put your hand on it and throw it like the wheel of fortune (like a tire)? or should it spin relatively easily as you turn it with your hand on it? i will have to check it out again tomorrow after the fact. Thanks for the help so far - Andy In a message dated 9/11/01 11:12:32 PM Central Daylight Time, mike.griese@xxxx writes: > Andy - It is possible you did some damage to your engine. > Did your engine sound any different when you inspected the car? > When a car overheats to this extent, it is likely because the > waterpump failed or the thermostat failed closed. Check your > oil for possible coolant contamination. This would indicate a > warped head or blown head gasket. You should also get ahold of > a coolant system pressure tester. This will help you locate the > leak. It won't tell you anything about the waterpump or the > thermostat. You can check the thermostat by removing it and > dropping it into a pan of boiling water to see if it opens > when it gets hot. About the only way to check the pump is to > determine if the belt is still tight and that the pulley is > still turning. Remove the belt and try to spin the pulley. > If it moves freely, your pump is probably OK. > > Soma576@xxxx 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 VIN#11596 Fargo, ND 58102 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]