How to find a leak???

[BigWheel]

Got some sort of coolant leak that I can't diagnose because I can't find the source. No puddles under the car. It's being burnt off by the engine (strong smell and steaming). I can't see an obvious leak from the HG nor hoses. Any ideas on how I can find/identify this leak? It doesn't leak sitting still so only dropping coolant while driving. Can't see anything with the car running and sitting still.

[25Horseplay]

Head gasket could be leaking between the water passage and cylinder.

[cab_5150]

you can use a pressure tester on the coolant resivor,
if the are no visable leaks, more then likly your burning the coolant, a break in the HG between cylinders is common.check the oil cap, if its milky under the oil cap the you got coolant in the oil, pull the engine oil dip stick, check to see if oil is milky in the pan.
just a few thoughts.

[BigWheel]

No milky residue in the oil anywhere. This is a new head and thinking that maybe the mechanic over tightened the bolts but I can't see anything nor get to the bolts without taking everything apart again. This seems to be the last remaining mechanical problem and trying not to break it all down again. The car is running great.

[GenevaDirt]

If you had a mechanic work on the head I would take it back before it is to late so maybe he will warranty his work.

[BigWheel]

If you had a mechanic work on the head I would take it back before it is to late so maybe he will warranty his work.

My only problem with that is that I've had to fix his last two repairs outside of the head. I've got to have a sit down with the owner.

[geezerstiva]

hey bigwheel... how bout those memphis tigers? :lol:

just noticed your location. no thread jack intended. i'd say definitely talk to the owner of the shop. if he wont fix it for free, i'd find another shop.

[ohsoslow]

if you think its leaking outside of the motor tell the shop to dye the coolant. you will have to run it around for a few miles then they will look at it with a black light. the dye will show up florescent purple.

if you think its leaking into the motor a combustion leak tester will find it pretty quickly.

[Sparky]

Blast them with your Q37 Illudium Space Modulator!, Marvin!

[BigWheel]

hey bigwheel... how bout those memphis tigers? :lol:

just noticed your location. no thread jack intended. i'd say definitely talk to the owner of the shop. if he wont fix it for free, i'd find another shop.

Yea, yea, yea!!! I love watching the Blazer's play but dang those Tigers are good. They've been on a 4 year streak haven't they? Come to the Atlanta meet this Sunday and we'll talk it out :p.

[GenevaDirt]

My only problem with that is that I've had to fix his last two repairs outside of the head. I've got to have a sit down with the owner.

For sure....I would have done that after the first time. No way I would have taken it back after the second time.

[geezerstiva]

would love too... but have no festivas capable of making the trip to atlanta. :lol:
the score on that game was no indication of how close that game was. we seem to be hitting freethrows well lately for a change!

[BigWheel]

For sure....I would have done that after the first time. No way I would have taken it back after the second time.

Well the problems with his first repairs were not caught until I just replaced the valve cover. It's not that I caught his mistakes and then took it back again for another kick in the butt. When I took the VC off recently I found that he had tightened the VC too tight causing an oil leak. I also found where he broke the air intake tube and put a bandaid on it, so to speak, rather than telling me about it. I fixed the oil leak myself and I will have a new intake tube this weekend. Now I'm finding this problem with the leak. So I'm not quite a stupid as I made it sound a few minutes ago

[GenevaDirt]

Well the problems with his first repairs were not caught until I just replaced the valve cover. It's not that I caught his mistakes and then took it back again for another kick in the butt. When I took the VC off recently I found that he had tightened the VC too tight causing an oil leak. I also found where he broke the air intake tube and put a bandaid on it, so to speak, rather than telling me about it. I fixed the oil leak myself and I will have a new intake tube this weekend. Now I'm finding this problem with the leak. So I'm not quite a stupid as I made it sound a few minutes ago

Did not mean it that way at all...lol. Some people have no other options, others just are to nice. Hope it all works out with his boss.

[88FestivaLX]

I had this same problem. I was sitting in traffic and smoke started coming out from under the hood. I had been putting coolant in it for about a week before. I could NOT find where it was coming from. I finally let it sit at the house and get good and hot and started looking. The little curved bypass hose had a TINY pinhole in it! So when I was driving it was coming out of the tiny hole on the bottom of the hose right onto the exhaust manifold. Just thought I would put that out there for something else you can check!