Radiator / Coolant Leaks

Well, at least you know it's not the water pump, since a fresh rebuild, right?

AA wrote:

Well, at least you know it's not the water pump, since a fresh rebuild, right?

Bill put a better used one on, but who knows.

There's no such thing as a "better", used Water Pump. It's a complete crap-shoot....

It's like putting on a used rubber and hoping it holds fluid....

EDIT: The only thing over on that side is the Water Pump, and maybe the Tensioner elbow. There aren't any hoses or anything like that on that side.

Abaddon wrote:

There's no such thing as a "better", used Water Pump. It's a complete crap-shoot....

It's like putting on a used rubber and hoping it holds fluid....

EDIT: The only thing over on that side is the Water Pump, and maybe the Tensioner elbow. There aren't any hoses or anything like that on that side.

LOL  o dear...   


Hopefully it was one's own and not someone else's..   


Any suggestions to check this out without lifting or getting under the car? Would a mirror do anything?
The top of the bay looks perfectly dry. I cant see any signs of leakage. The only spot I see it is from under the car on the pass side slow dripping on the sway bar.

Well, you could always rent a Coolant Pressure Tester and see if you can make it leak.

I suppose you could get one of those extendable mirrors and have a look at the front of the engine with it (and a flashlight of course). It certainly wouldn't hurt.

Abaddon wrote:

Well, you could always rent a Coolant Pressure Tester and see if you can make it leak.

I suppose you could get one of those extendable mirrors and have a look at the front of the engine with it (and a flashlight of course). It certainly wouldn't hurt.

I was reading about the pressure test last night. Said to pump 15psi through the radiator and look for where the coolant springs from.

Does that sound right? 15psi?

Could be the hoses going to the heater core if you say its dripping on the sway bar. check where it connects right behind the alternator/above PS reservoir.

charlieRobinson wrote:

I was reading about the pressure test last night. Said to pump 15psi through the radiator and look for where the coolant springs from.

Does that sound right? 15psi?

Yes. The Rad Cap is designed to bleed off anything above 16psi. So, technically, the system should hold 15psi, yes.

Or check where Mr. Riviera just posted....forgot about those.

There IS the large return radiator hose connecting radiator to engine on the lower left side. Could be cracked and spraying?

Mr.Riviera wrote:

Could be the hoses going to the heater core if you say its dripping on the sway bar. check where it connects right behind the alternator/above PS reservoir.

This is what I am hoping for.

Thanks, homie.

AA wrote:

There IS the large return radiator hose connecting radiator to engine on the lower left side. Could be cracked and spraying?

It's an uber slow drip. i bet its about an ounce every 24 hours, i'm losing.

Tireman says they will do a free diagnostic test to find the leak.

I was shocked when i heard 'free'.   

Quote :

I was shocked when i heard 'free'.

I'm not. You get what you pay for. I wouldn't allow "tireman" diagnose cooling troubles, let alone pay him for it.

They're going to do the same thing you'd could do: get under the car and look for a leak. Then they'll offer a price to fix in about an hour or two. While it's already on the lift, you'll be tempted. Tireman wins a sale!

Most likely the elbow, in my experience. Those elbows SUCK. Of course it could be a heater hose or the water pump.

There is also an O-ring seal on the back of the alternator bracket for the other heater hose, but that doesn't usually start leaking all by itself.

The elbows almost always break when the LIM is removed. Bill must have replaced it with the rebuild.

AA wrote:

The elbows almost always break when the LIM is removed

Which is the exact reason I bought the Aluminum ones. I took it apart probably 5 times when I was trying to straighten out my S/C cluster-f$ck. Not one leak. Love it. Same goes for that O-Ring deekster mentioned. As dry and flat as it appeared, it's not leaking   

dudes, it's not the elbows. I (personally   )replaced them 2 winters ago with aluminiums and they were reused and they are just fine. Not a sign of moisture around them.

It's coming from the back somewhere.

It's at tireman getting that free pressure test diagnostic work done. Should have results any minute now.


Any more guesses?

AA wrote:

Quote :

I was shocked when i heard 'free'.

I'm not. You get what you pay for. I wouldn't allow "tireman" diagnose cooling troubles, let alone pay him for it.

They're going to do the same thing you'd could do: get under the car and look for a leak. Then they'll offer a price to fix in about an hour or two. While it's already on the lift, you'll be tempted. Tireman wins a sale!

My business has a good relationship with them. Everyone takes their cars there for anything and theyve always done good work and everyone is happy with them. Ive only been there for a tire balance, but have heard no complaints.

I would easily pay them to fix it cause im at work grinding and i can throw some money at them to diagnose and fix it today.   $$$

Any the issue was..........

Spoiler:

Ha! Gotta love that

Abaddon wrote:

Ha! Gotta love that

Bill dude built the engine but a 3rd party shop pulled it and reinstalled it.
They sucked. As soon as i picked the car up, i popped the hood and started it..
both hood struts were down, found a few zip ties just laying around the bay, found a sensor on the radiator unplugged. And now this.
Makes me question the integrity of the job, but Bill gave me his guarantee.
Wouldnt be happy if I ever had to take it back up to him tho for something stupid, because that drive isnt much fun.

It's really easy to forget something like that. When I put my engine back in, I either forgot to tighten the AC mount bolts, or they worked loose over a period of 2-3 weeks, then... squeak, squeak...

Glad you figured this out! (we have a shop next door to work that we use as well. They are super nice and don't charge us much. Good business relationship changes everything.)

I have 1996 Riv Supercharged and coming out of intake manifold is a small plastice bypass pipe. It leaks and have put silicone around it with rubber o rings that it comes with, but after time it starts to leak again. Is there any permanent fix to this, like threading the intake manifold and putting a pipe nipple with rubber hose . . . has anyone encountered this problem and found a solution? Thanks!

Common problem on our motors. Its a coolant elbow and they fail every so often. Best best is to get a aftermarket aluminum one.

http://shop.zzperformance.com/store/p/1127-Aluminum-Coolant-Elbows.aspx

so i had a coolant leak which seemed to come from right under the radiator cap, i was suggested that it might just be a bad cap so i went to the dealer and got a new one, nope coolant still leaking so about a week ago i had got the whole radiator replaced. so new cap + new radiator it lasted perfectly fine and dry for 6 days then same exact same leak started again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAiOgLjiIsc



video might not be the best but i dont understand what is causing this?? did not appear to be coming from the hose it was leaking directly from under the cap

mechanic was supposed to do pressue test today but since its fathers day ill just postpone to another time

any input thanks

check for exhaust in the coolant.