LT1 coolant overflow, or leak?
 

i just replaced two heater hoses and flushed the radiator and cooling system of my 1970 LT1. i drove the car (kinda hard in 75 degrees) for about 20 minutes and parked it. it started LEAKING COOLANT from an area close to the passenger side fire wall...after 15 minutes it stopped dripping.

did i overfill the system?

i believe there's no expansion tank on this car. i checked the clamps to see if something was loose. all appears okay.

what happened? how does and LT1 discharge coolant, and, from where?

thanks for your help!

Re: LT1 coolant overflow, or leak? (adamschorr)
 

You are correct, there is no expansion tank on the LT-1. Ther is a small hose that is, or should be, attached to the extension section of the radiator filler cap. This is the over flow. If you have the origional radiator there is a fill line approximately 2" from the top. I think you just over filler the radiator. I have done the same thing with mine. The best thing to do is let it cool down, take a look at the level and take a few small trips. Keep an eye on the temp gauge and check the level again. You can also check your radiator cap. It should be a RC 15.
Good Luck,
Dean

Re: LT1 coolant overflow, or leak? (70 LT-1 Convert)
 

dean thanks for reply.
what concerns me is the fact the leak is NOT coming from anywhere near the radiator, or the cap/drain hose.
the leak is near the passenger fire-wall near the heater core. someone mentioned possible cracking of heater-core nipples upon removal of old hoses. not sure how bad that is if true, and what correct repair will involve.
any suggestions?

Re: LT1 coolant overflow, or leak? (adamschorr)
 

You should be able to find the source of the leak and fix it. If you are lucky, it could be something as simple as a clamp not tight enough. It could be a split hose or as you mentioned, a broken connection at the firewall. The coolant heats up after you shut the engine off; Engine remains hot but the fan stops working and the waterpump stops circulating coolant so it heats up. You will often blow an old radiator hose after you shut the engine off. (I remember doing this several times as a teen). So if you have a very small leak it is very possible that it will only show up after you shut the engine off and coolant superheats. But the small leak that you have will not go away on its own, so you should try to track it down and correct it. MJ