magic coolant leak. why?!?!?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 632
Likes: 0
From: Harrisburg, PA 86 Vert w/ 89 wheels
magic coolant leak. why?!?!?
So, my car has some tapping when i use 87 octane. tapping? knocking? i don't know, it's some kind of sound that gets made when i give it too much gas.
I recently had my cylinder heads, head gaskets, valve seals etc... replaced. Everything should be tight, i figure.
Heck, maybe it's running well enough to use a lower octane fuel, I figure.
So I drop down from 92 to 89.
Some tapping at first, but it seemed to go away.
I drop down to 87.
Now it's tapping for certain. Okay, lesson learned. I'll stick with 92.
But that's where it got weird. I had coolant loss while I was on the 87 octane. I was freaking, thinking the head work was poorly done.
I switched back to 92 at the next fill up, and since then, no tapping, and no coolant loss.
WTF I say, WTF?
So on the one hand, I don't understand why my car doesn't take 87 octane. I know it's designed for it, I've had the air pump replaced, all of that head work, and the lower half is nearly brand new as well. New distributor cap and rotor, new wires and plugs. What am I missing here?
And for the other....
Coolant loss? What happened?
I'd love a guiding hand, if anyone has my answer.
I recently had my cylinder heads, head gaskets, valve seals etc... replaced. Everything should be tight, i figure.
Heck, maybe it's running well enough to use a lower octane fuel, I figure.
So I drop down from 92 to 89.
Some tapping at first, but it seemed to go away.
I drop down to 87.
Now it's tapping for certain. Okay, lesson learned. I'll stick with 92.
But that's where it got weird. I had coolant loss while I was on the 87 octane. I was freaking, thinking the head work was poorly done.
I switched back to 92 at the next fill up, and since then, no tapping, and no coolant loss.
WTF I say, WTF?
So on the one hand, I don't understand why my car doesn't take 87 octane. I know it's designed for it, I've had the air pump replaced, all of that head work, and the lower half is nearly brand new as well. New distributor cap and rotor, new wires and plugs. What am I missing here?
And for the other....
Coolant loss? What happened?
I'd love a guiding hand, if anyone has my answer.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
From: Morgantown WV
I've had the same problem. Thought I was crazy. Only thing I will say though is that I've noticed when running the lower octane that after it is shut off it drips water out. Never noticed it as it doesn't go crazy but does act like it has a mind of it's own and just drips the water out the bottom. Thought I had a radiator leak at first but finally came to the conclusion it only does it on low octane gas or occasionally other times when it feels like it. It's not overheating either as I've had a custom chip burned that keeps the engine nice and cool. Mystery to me but it acts like it's got a leak but only once in awhile. Been that way for the past 3 years I've owned it and have come to the conclusion that it's not broke but might be possessed. Never have been able to figure out where the water is coming from and it definitely doesn't do it all the time.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 4,931
Likes: 3
From: Fort Lauderdale FL
My 87 owners manual states for me to use premium fuel in my Vette. I dropped it to 87 octane and it starts pinging bad. I will have to bring it back up to premium again in order for it to run better. If people say the cars are designed to run at lower octane.. then why would the owners manual state different otherwise?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 36
From: Santa Cruz CA
My 87
I am on my third motor in my 87 as I modify them or blow them up, they have all done this, it drives me nuts. little drips off the k member/frame rail thingy. Our best gas out here is 91 and I use it but no matter how many times I search and how many hoses I swap or motors I change or go through the radiator and cooling system its always still there. Drip drip drip. Ten years now. No clue yet where its coming from and I have changed every single part of the cooling system except the heater core.
