[Shayne1973]

Can anyone tell me if these two problems are related? Got a misfire and the van is a little jerky while driving. The radiator first ran dry about 8 months ago. Refilled it, have flushed the radiator two months ago and then last week, it ran dry again. Is it reasonable to suspect that I have a bad valve or cylinder causing the engine to overheat and therefore the rad fluid is running out? No fluid ends up in the reserve and the radiator is definitely not leaking.

 

[slcsoundguy]

Greetings, my best guess would be that you have a head gasket blown letting radiator fluid into the cylinder. Your description of runs rough and no leaks in the cooling system lead me to believe this. There is a test for exhaust gases in your cooling system. Not sure if one of the local parts distributors would have the tester for you to use or test it for you. Good luck let us know what you find.

 

[guyonearth]

It's very possible you have a cracked head or blown cylinder head gasket. Does the exhaust smell like coolant when you start the engine? Is there a puff of steam in the exhaust sometimes when you restart after the vehicle sits a while? These are dead giveaways.