hey people, i just want to get an opinion on a couple of things.

First off- i know my car has a coolant seal thats failed. I fixed it using a radweld type product, but i thought the radweld failed again the other day. Turns out that the bottom rad hose had a split in it. I replaced it. Im still getting a low coolant warning every 3/4 journeys, but im not getting any water coming out of the overflow. I also notice if i open the filler cap with the car cold, there seems to be quite a strong vacuum inside the cooling system? (have to tug the cap off with quite some conviction sometimes)

What could be causing this? I cant see any other water leaks anywhere, and if there was a leak, surely i wouldnt have the vacuum in the cooling system?


Also, im getting a funny noise from the back of the car...it doesnt happen often, but id just like to check it out. It ONLY happens when its wet, when turning out of a t junction at a right angle when pulling away. I can pull away as slow as i like, but sometimes as i turn, i get this feeling that i originally thought was wheelspin (a tiny little bit) but now having thought about it, i can pull out real slow and still sometimes get it; and i also noticed the other day that sometimes my diff seems to lose its limited slip effect on some surfaces every now and then! The feeling im describing is like a light grinding noise accompanied by some vibrations. Any ideas?

Cheers peoople.

 

As you already know, a bad coolant seal will cause loss of coolant. Coolant passes thru the seal, enters the engine, and is burned. This will cause your engine to run hotter, potentially causing more damage. A bad seal will eventually require a rebuild. No way around it. It is also possible that you have another leak somewhere. Put the front end on jack stands, remove the belly pan, and start the car ( in neutral ). Check for leaks.

Don't know what that other "niggle" might be.

 

yeah i know what you mean adam, ive actually got another engine in my garage ready built to drop in.

I think the radweld i did is holding out, otherwise i wouldnt get that vacuum in the cooling system would i? What i was thinking is that coolant is being forced into the overflow and not being sucked back in when the coolant cools and contracts, hence why i get a vacuum (its trying to suck it back but there is a blockages somewhere)

I think i do have a leak somewhere else possibly...its just finding the bugger!

 

Is the 'radweld' a type of "stop-leak" coolant additive? I thought I saw where those can cause problems with the FD heater core. Not sure if that would have anything to do with your current issues though.

 

bob whats a niggle?

 

nig·gle ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ngl)
intr.v. nig·gled, nig·gling, nig·gles
To be preoccupied with trifles or petty details.
To find fault constantly and trivially

anyone have any ideas on my diff issue?

 

Regarding the vacuum in the cooling system when cold - it could be an indication your pressure cap isn't working right and pulling coolant back in from the overflow bottle when it cools down.

 

AST cap is 2 months old...

 

Man that's "ENGLISH" for nit-picking.
Bob if your block weld is holding you may have just not gotten all the air out of your system and even though your not pushing you recoverey tank to over flow your not getting rid of the air and pulling back coolant just yet. The rear end thing sounds like clutch paks (limited slip) may be failing need proper lube additive (not positive for our cars) so I probably shouldn't comment on the rear end, but on the Chevy's with limited slip they have an additive to aide the clutch packs in grabbing. Yours may be going away (deteriorating) and they may be grabbing too much when turning and acting more like a spool type rearend. Any way hope a tiny bit of this was of some use. Jack

 

sorry dude, i dont understand what your saying about the diff...

Are you saying it needs an overhaul? if so, can i get new clutch packs and install them or do i just need a new diff? It works fine most of the time, just every now and then the LSD effect seems to come and go....

 

SOrry about that Bob. I shouldn't have said anything about the diff other than pull the cover and take a look. I'm not familliar with the Diff's on our car and was bassing my diagnosis on a chevy LSD and if there not the same thn what i said doesn't matter. If it is the same and has clutch packs then they are not performing like they should. I've never heard anyone on here mention any kind of special addative to be added to the diff lube to aid the clutch pack (if that's how the LSD works in our car) so I'd atleast look inside to see if anything is amiss. Jack

 

Am I the only one that tried reading his post with an english accent?





Sorry I got nothing to contribute

Actually I do

My FD was also losing coolant as it turned out my filler neck cap was failing/leaking. Maybe you should change yours?