surfmon

iTrader: (6)

No champange bubbles, no white smoke, no hard starting, runs like a dream.


Preview: Drained out most of the coolant when I was fixing the fire damage and never burped the system properly, so I would have to top it off after a couple drives to compensate for the air pockets. I'm pretty confident that the pockets are mostly gone now. Drove around for 15 minutes yesterday and pulled the filler cap off. Coolant was a couple splashes low so I poured some in. It slowly receeded back down to the same level. Repeat, same result, repeat, same result.

At this time I turn the car off and let it sit for a while. Come back out to see if purhaps the level had magiacally gone back up...........nope.

I check the overflow tank and it is 1 click higher than the last time I checked it.

I top off the filler neck again and it slowly receeds away. In the middle of the recession, I remove the AST cap. Coolant is to the brim in the AST and taking off that cap made the recession twice as fast.

Check the Overflow again and it is up another click. S

So naturally I replace the AST cap with another I had. Same symptoms....

Is this just as simple as a **** AST or a pinhole leak??
It always receeds to the level of the AST.

Gotta get inspected tomorrow, I'm pretty sure its the AST, just want confirmation

DaveW

If it always recedes to the AST level after driving w/o opening anything, you probably do have a pinhole in the line to the OF tank, and you are drawing back air rather than coolant.

However, the nipple on the filler neck to the AST is not all the way at the top. so if it's at that level every time, you could be drawing air back from a leak anywhere in the cooling system (any hose, o-rings, etc.) just enough to leave some air in the system.

Do you ever get a low-coolant light? If not, maybe you really don't have a problem. If it were serious, the coolant would continue to recede to the point of setting that off.

Dave

rlee429

iTrader: (25)

I had a similar problem with my coolant always going done and one day the overflow, well overflowed, it was due to the hose that is attached to the side of the AST wasn't on tight enough and was allow a very small leak and after putting a hose clamp on it, problem solved



Robb

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

only been driving around for a week or so. The coolant buzzer went off once after I rerouted the OF line. After the drive I noticed it wasn't sealed onto the AST(spraying out) so I clamped it. No visible leaks since then and no low coolant light.


Gonna replace AST and all associated lines this afternoon, hopefully that will fix the problem.



None of this started to happen until I messed with the OF line. I am wondering if that bugger is the culprit

DaveW

Maybe the line is pinched, preventing coolant from being sucked back in, but the positive cooling-system pressure forces the line open and allows the coolant to flow to the OF tank.

Dave

tphan

Alum or stock AST?

This is identical to mine when swap over to an used Petitt alum AST.

Do this:

Disconnect the rubber hose from AST to OF tank.
Fill the water neck
if coolant leak out of the AST then bad seal between AST & cap.

In my case the AST neck was corroded (hills & valleys) causing coolant to leak.

GL

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

thanks everyone.............gonna figure it out this afternoon hopefully

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

wells switched out the AST and that problem is gone

My question though........When I turn off the engine and remove the filler cap, coolant sprays out in normal fashion. After the car has cooled and I remove the cap. the coolant seems to have always receded to about 1 inch below the lip on the filler neck. Is this a normal level for it to cool to?? No visible leaks from the OF or anywhere else. My heater finally started blowing hot air so I think I'm getting rid of most of the air.

My system holds pressure overnight as I can hear it when I remove the cap the next day...

t

DaveW

Glad it's fixed!

Yes, that's a normal level if there's even the slightest amount of air left in the system, since the nipple that goes to the AST is not all the way to the top of the filler neck.

However, what do you mean by holds pressure and you can hear it the next day? There should be a slight vacuum, if anything, after the system has cooled more after being opened.

Dave

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

I mean when I take off the filler cap, I hear the pressure release

DaveW

That was my question - is it vacuum or pressure you hear releasing, or can't you tell? when you take off the cap does it lift away from the filler neck (pressure), or is it sucked down to the neck (vacuum)?

Dave

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

not sure exactly........will find out today

what would either or mean??

DaveW

A slight vacuum is normal - that's the resistance against coolant being sucked back. A slight pressure could have several causes, the most likely is that the coolant is warmer than when the cap was shut.

Neither one is a sign of a problem - it's just me being my usual **** self...

Dave

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

I'm pretty sure its vacuum......

thanks for the help

tphan

was the ast alum?

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

the new one is........