1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

David Coperfield's coolant

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 28, 2008 | 07:45 PM
  #1  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
David Coperfield's coolant

I have searches and read a few post but Neither I don't understand or the answer's not there. I am missing coolant, every week or so, I have to put in maybe a half gallon ,maybe less, I replaced my radiator cap, my heater core is not leaking, and there is no more antifreeze in the resovior than usual...
I am really hoping this is not an internall problem.... I have been dealing with it, but I would like to addreess the issue. I have an 85 gsl-se.. Help............
Reply
Old Mar 28, 2008 | 07:54 PM
  #2  
2Lucky2tha7's Avatar
Back at it again!!
Tenured Member: 20 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,324
Likes: 0
From: Western Colorado
internal.
combustion o-rings.
The end.
Reply
Old Mar 28, 2008 | 07:55 PM
  #3  
1983GSP's Avatar
just another joe
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
From: Pascagoula, MS
check the pickup tube on the resivoir and make sure its sealed to the cap. the tube is just a push in piece.
Reply
Old Mar 28, 2008 | 08:07 PM
  #4  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
2lucky ----NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 07:02 AM
  #5  
ukcodger's Avatar
Full Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: England
Mr Macawber's coolant is possibly leaking from the water pump gland?
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 08:24 AM
  #6  
bliffle's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
From: SF BayArea
Check under the waterpump shaft for leakage from the weephole. Waterpump may also be covered with white residue from evaporated coolant. The WP may be old and wornout or the vbelt may have been overtightened leading to bushing failure.
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 12:29 PM
  #7  
lovehate's Avatar
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: somewhere near seattle
im having the same problem, i just deemed it coolant seals.
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 12:39 PM
  #8  
lfd75's Avatar
Full Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 136
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver, BC Canada
most likely coolant seals
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 09:03 PM
  #9  
bliffle's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
From: SF BayArea
Before you tear your engine apart you ought to check two things:

1-Water pump

2-internal water seal that will yield to the "Temporary Water Seal Fix" pioneered by Paul Yaw.

Unless you've satisfied yourself about those two items you're letting yourself in for a lot of perhaps unnecessary work and expense/.
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2008 | 10:50 PM
  #10  
thafox's Avatar
nother rican witha rotary
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,034
Likes: 0
From: S.Otown
shouldnt it smoke tho if the internal o-ring's were gone?
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 01:35 AM
  #11  
Crit's Avatar
No distributor? No thanks
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 6
From: Outskirts of Road Atlanta
Check you overflow bottle, too. Because it hides behind the airbox, it could have a crack, usually at the molded V section where it slips into its bracket, and you'd never know. Pull the overflow neck out of it, fill it to the brim, and let it sit overnight. There are plenty of non-threatening reasons you might be missing coolant.
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 10:06 AM
  #12  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
bliffle please tell me more off this
2-internal water seal that will yield to the "Temporary Water Seal Fix" pioneered by Paul Yaw.

Very interested, whats bugging me is that my car those NOT smoke,,,,, should it not smoke if it's internal
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 10:30 AM
  #13  
speedracer_not's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 506
Likes: 2
From: alabamer
had the same missing coolant problem, it was the o-rings on the intake manifold. Fised it by sealing both sides of the manifold gasket with high temperature RTV silicone.

you can try pressure testing your radiator while the engine is stone cold.

the heating hoses going into and from the firewall might be leaking too, pealing paint is a dead give away
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 12:55 PM
  #14  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
speedracer----
Could briefly describe exactly what you did... I will diffently try to see if thats the problem,, thanks
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 03:01 PM
  #15  
Crit's Avatar
No distributor? No thanks
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 6
From: Outskirts of Road Atlanta
You basically just remove carb by disconnecting fuel and throttle linkages, then the 4 nuts that hold it to the intake manifold. You then remove the 4 screws and 2 nuts that hold the manifold to the block. The o-rings go between the rotor housings and the intake manifold. If you don't want to go back, you can also pick up some 20mm freeze plugs to drive in and seal off the passage, so it'll never leak. Otherwise, you just need a new pair of o-rings and reinstall.
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 05:06 PM
  #16  
ForsakenRX7's Avatar
zoom zoom go boom
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 962
Likes: 1
From: Gainesville, Fl
I just pulled off my holley mani and found that some genious sealed those holes off with quarters and silicone sealent. Its probably the biggest wtf moment I've had in a while working on a car. But hey I just made 50 cents!
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2008 | 05:33 PM
  #17  
bliffle's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
From: SF BayArea
Originally Posted by borinquen7
bliffle please tell me more off this
2-internal water seal that will yield to the "Temporary Water Seal Fix" pioneered by Paul Yaw.

Very interested, whats bugging me is that my car those NOT smoke,,,,, should it not smoke if it's internal
Undo the radcap every morning and check that you get a "pfft" indicating that the system is sound.

If you have to add coolant every month you probably have a coolant leak.
Reply
Old Mar 31, 2008 | 08:35 PM
  #18  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
The process you guys are talking about to seal the o-rings, those that pertain to the gsl-se, If not please give a brief desciption, I have the day off tommorow and would like to get this fixed if possible...If thats my problem....

AND PLEASE someone put up a link to this write up on the o-ring fix, The links on the search are no good anymore......

Last edited by borinquen7; Mar 31, 2008 at 08:51 PM.
Reply
Old Mar 31, 2008 | 09:01 PM
  #19  
teddyrx2's Avatar
One Luv "Till The End"
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (33)
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 13,757
Likes: 0
From: san diego
1. check the over flow for leaks as menioned
2. check the little hole on the water pump for leaks as mentioned
3. check all your hoses as mentioned
4. check on top of the mani and under the mani for leaks as mentioned
5. check your radiator cap as mentioned and the surrounding area as mentioned
6.check your heater hoses on the driver side of the block
7.check the heater hoses running along side the passanger side of the car...
if in fact it's the o rings thats an easy fix... do a search it has been covered a thousand times...

if in fact it's none of these and you feel you have checked everything dealing with water then go internal...
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2008 | 12:25 AM
  #20  
bliffle's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
From: SF BayArea
Read this:

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/engine-o-ring-fix-269544/
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2008 | 11:48 AM
  #21  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
OK I just read thru the procedure, I will be doing it this weekend, I hope it works for me.... I'll let you all know... Just out of curiousity, what are the effects of not taken care of this problem..........
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2008 | 12:40 PM
  #22  
RX-7 Chris's Avatar
Rotary Freak
iTrader: (19)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,014
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs, CO
overheating the motor and that will kill the motor.
Reply
Old Apr 5, 2008 | 02:53 PM
  #23  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
Ok well I just came in from doing the o-ring fix as described here
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=269544
Hopefully it will, I did everything per inscructions, I feel confident that it will work
I HOPE.... I am not saying that it worked rite away, but I had very little to nothing white smoke, everyonce and a while, but I saw nothing as I was driving her around to help get all the block weld in its place,, I will update tommorow, let you all know...
Reply
Old Apr 5, 2008 | 07:45 PM
  #24  
bliffle's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 0
From: SF BayArea
So? Did it work?
Reply
Old Apr 5, 2008 | 09:46 PM
  #25  
borinquen7's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
From: Marlborough,Ma
Just wondering are there any secret tricks to be sure you have all the air out of the system, It seems everytime I flush my radiator on any car, I seem to always have air in the system................................... I do have the flush kit I bought at auto parts store....
Also I do not understand the cooling systems routing.... If tommorow when I drain and refill my radiator, those the car have to be at running temperature, so that the thermestat will open, allowing the water from the radiator to enter the engine thru the top radiator hose... From what I understand the anti-freeze stays in the radiator till the thermostat opens, and what ever water stays in the engine stays there till the TM opens again................
Hope I did not confuse anyone...
Thanks Peace
Cruz
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:37 PM.