Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 08:43 am, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
Hi everyone
I just spent a couple of hours yesterday evening draining, flushing, draining again & then refilling my radiator as per all the instructions & advice garnered from this site and others. It was the first time I had done it myself, and I even picked up a couple of car ramps in the afternoon to make the job a little easier for myself.
Now that the new coolant is in, and correctly mixed, I have a couple of concerns which I'd appreciate some feedback on:
- The top radiator hose is no longer solid when I go to squeeze it.
Even after running the car for a while, going for a short 10 min drive, the hose is (despite being hot) still squeezable. Before I flushed the old coolant it was solid. I take this to mean that there is obviously still air in the system, yet every time I go to top up with coolant/water via the top of the thermostat housing or top tank, they both overflow (even when pouring slowly.)
Is this normal, if not how can I bleed more air out?
Secondly, I have now located a leak in the cooling system that could well be the root cause for all my coolant loss/overheating warnings I have been getting over the last 12 months. Although it appears to be dripping from the bottom of the engine (see photo) I realise the leak may be further up. I think I can safely rule out that is not just the small bit of coolant that I may have spilled whilst filling up via the top of the thermostat.
What am I looking at here? Where is the leak most likely located?
You can also see from the photo there have been previous leaks as well when I was using Toyota red coolant. This was to my knowledge from a leaking top hose where it goes into the block - I think the housing has corroded a little. I will clean this up this afternoon once the car has cooled down.
(P.S. Don't give me flak for using Nulon green coolant. Toyota were closed when I went to get some, Repco were open. I have also done all the reading on the forum about green vs. red, and I am more than satisfied that I did a multiple, good flushes - used a Nulon flush as well.)
Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 02:21 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
Thanks, guys. I am going to take the car back to the guys who replaced the water pump as part of the 200,000km service in June 2007, and see what they have to say.
I'm still keen to hear from anyone else who has had this issue in the past, what they had to do, and if there is anything I can do in the meantime to minimise the leak.
Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 07:47 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
Thanks for that, Stuart. Unfortunately I never have the time to take on tasks of that size, and lack the mechanical experience, but always like to know the theory behind jobs like this.
Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 08:15 pm, by: Dave Rose(Sand_groper)
there is a drain hole at the front of the pump so any water that gets passed the seal will not get to the bearing. so maybe the seal has had it. Or it could be coming higher up and getting down the back of timing chest
Monday, February 08, 2010 - 06:29 am, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
^ Funnily enough, I did do that about 2 weeks ago - the radiator guy said it was holding it's pressure fine. However the engine wasn't running, and from what I have now observed after flushing, is that the leak only happens when the engine is running.
Monday, February 08, 2010 - 06:47 am, by: Paul Tubero(Paul_turbo)
i would have to agree with either a themostat gasket? or last result pump? did it leak befor the coolant was put in? silly question mate but how can it be the pump if it only leaked after cooant put in? as someone said...is that rust? also check any hoses that maybe leaking as water travells mate start at the highest point down to the lowest point paul
Friday, February 12, 2010 - 10:43 pm, by: Mario Lentini(Lexus94)
Mark I would be looking at the plate at the front driver side of the block , They will leak and drip down the front or along the sump . Just making sure this is a V8 were talk about . If so get under the car and have a look in that area and you should be able to see a small plate just above the sump , on yours it would be behind the Alternator i think , there are to two 12mm nuts that hold in on.
Monday, February 15, 2010 - 02:48 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
Mario - thanks for that. I did find a mention of that by Peter Nitsche I think in another post, and printed it out for reference. From memory it is the inspection cover for the water galley in the engine block. I will certainly point that out to the mechanic I am taking the car to in a couple of weeks.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 01:52 pm, by: Mark Donovan(Mark_donovan)
In conclusion this was a result of a failed water pump which was installed mid-2007. The red 'resin' was in fact old coolant that had all the qualities of tree sap apparently. New water pump now installed, everything cleaned up, new cambelt installed, everything running tight once again
Don Bagnall Moderator New Zealand SLK 230 Kompressor
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