Perplexed ! Losing Coolant
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
Perplexed ! Losing Coolant
I have an 84' with an 87' block which has 26K Miles on rebuild.A few months ago I started to have to add coolant about once a week.About a quart a week.There are no visual signs of coolant leaking anywhere.I put on a new cap..no better.Could it be going into the combustion chamber(s) some kind of way?
Really stumped.
Really stumped.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
You should get it pressure tested just to be sure its not a head gasket. Im in the same boat as you. I need to add coolant every week but I have no clue where its going. I got mine pressure tested and its fine.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
Originally Posted by rick lambert
Have you watched your tail pipes lately?
Think pressure testing would tell anything.?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
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From: The Top of Utah
Not really. You already know that it is losing water. Where ever the water is escaping, pressure will escape, too. The next question is, WHERE? If it isn't hitting the ground, there are only limited possibilities. I think if your heater core were leaking, you'd have noticed. Check your dipstick for signs of a milk shake forming in the oil pan. The auto parts stores sell a kit, that allows you to detect combustion gases in the coolant. It isn't evaporating, internally. It is coming out some where. Now you just have to find it.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Large Impressive Member
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by CAJUN C4
I have an 84' with an 87' block which has 26K Miles on rebuild.A few months ago I started to have to add coolant about once a week.About a quart a week.There are no visual signs of coolant leaking anywhere.I put on a new cap..no better.Could it be going into the combustion chamber(s) some kind of way?
Really stumped.
Really stumped.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Lisle makes a tester that will tell you if there is combustion gasses in the coolant.
Is the "oil heater" (for the lack of a better term) hooked up? these are coolant lines that run under the engine and back to the oil filter housing. There are any number of spots where a small leak can develop.
I don't know if the 1984 came with this feature, but the 87 did, and I wasn't sure if it transferred over or not.
Did you do a TPI upgrade? If so, there is a small line at the back of the intake. I donno if it's present on the xfire, but that's another thought.
I know the TPI can weap coolant out the intake gaskets, I donno if the xfire is so prone, but at the same time, all SBCs have some kinda issue with the intake gaskets leaking SOMETHING!
Check the plugs... that's an easy way to to determine if coolant is getting out.
Is the "oil heater" (for the lack of a better term) hooked up? these are coolant lines that run under the engine and back to the oil filter housing. There are any number of spots where a small leak can develop.
I don't know if the 1984 came with this feature, but the 87 did, and I wasn't sure if it transferred over or not.
Did you do a TPI upgrade? If so, there is a small line at the back of the intake. I donno if it's present on the xfire, but that's another thought.
I know the TPI can weap coolant out the intake gaskets, I donno if the xfire is so prone, but at the same time, all SBCs have some kinda issue with the intake gaskets leaking SOMETHING!
Check the plugs... that's an easy way to to determine if coolant is getting out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
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From: Metairie Louisiana
It took me months to finally find a slow leak I had. It was leaking from a hose that comes off the firewall resovior. It was an extremely small leak. I had to add coolant every few weeks when the light would come on. I finally found it by carefully inspecting the whole engine compartment near all parts of the colant system. I noticed a very faint orange color on the end of the hose. The shop it was in months prior to this did not tighten it down all the way. Problem solved.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by rickreeves1
It took me months to finally find a slow leak I had. It was leaking from a hose that comes off the firewall resovior. It was an extremely small leak. I had to add coolant every few weeks when the light would come on. I finally found it by carefully inspecting the whole engine compartment near all parts of the colant system. I noticed a very faint orange color on the end of the hose. The shop it was in months prior to this did not tighten it down all the way. Problem solved.
however, my surge tank DID leak... around the filler neck... damned thing.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
I don't know guys....I hate to pull the heads for nothing.I'll keep looking.Might put it up on a rack and go underneath it. I'll let you know.
BTW I might get someone behind me upon accelleration to check for white smoke. What do you think.Might only come out under heavy combustion loading?
BTW I might get someone behind me upon accelleration to check for white smoke. What do you think.Might only come out under heavy combustion loading?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
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From: Metairie Louisiana
Maybe try to run it without the thermostat for a while so it continuously flows. Check and double check all hoses, fittings, waterpump, gaskets, resoviors, clamps, etc.. Mine took weeks to go low and weeks to finally discover it. If it wasn't for a tiny colored spot that had an antifreezez smell to it I would have never noticed. Maybe clean around all coolant components first. Pop the hood and inspect it carefull after every drive and see if you can notice the smell of coolant anywhere. It would probably help if you could get it to run around 200 deg or so.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
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From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by CAJUN C4
I don't know guys....I hate to pull the heads for nothing.I'll keep looking.Might put it up on a rack and go underneath it. I'll let you know.
BTW I might get someone behind me upon accelleration to check for white smoke. What do you think.Might only come out under heavy combustion loading?
BTW I might get someone behind me upon accelleration to check for white smoke. What do you think.Might only come out under heavy combustion loading?
