Hi,

I been the proud owner of a FD for a couple of months now. I maust admit I ve yet to drive in anger to much apart for a blast down the lanes by me to keep everything moving once or twice a week.

I have no evedence of a rebuild, but I did have a specalist do a compression check on it before purchase and he said it was a strong engine (high 7's).

Now, Ive just noticed somthing odd. When I take the cap off of the water tank(centre one), the water is there to start with but if you keep watching it after 30 seconds or so it drains away back into the engine.

Ive checked this a couple of times, just incase im seeing things.

I dont think the level in the expansion tank is moving, it isnt moving a lot if it is?

Should I be worried??

Any help would be appriciated

Daniel

 

What you describe seems perfectly nomal too me....for any engine. If you want you can add a little at the filler neck, but it probably won't take much and isn't critical.

When the engine is started and left running, coolant heats up. As it does, it expands and some coolant travels into the expansion/overflow tank. Shut the engine off and everything starts to cool and contract. As that happens a natural vacuum occurrs that pulls that coolant back out of the expansion/overflow tank and into the engine's cooling system. My speculation is that since the expansion/overflow tank is kept filled roughly half way with coolant, some of that vacuum remains at the cap once stasis is reached. When you open the cap and release that vacuum a little coolant is able drop down the filler neck.