I had a similar experience with a '64 Olds. The water pump bearing got
sloppy and started to trash the seal. Coolant would drip into the back side
of the pulley and make this strange pattern on battery, firewall, hood, etc.
Drove me nuts until I tried rocking the water pump pulley and noticed the
sloppy bearings.
Or.....It could be coolant escaping from the oil dipstick. ;-)
gk
________________________________________________________________________
Gary E. Klim - Somewhere In Connecticut mailto:garyklim@snet.net
http://pages.cthome.net/garyklim/ mailto:gklim@harman.com
________________________________________________________________________
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dakota-truck@buffnet4.buffnet.net
> [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@buffnet4.buffnet.net]On Behalf Of Robert
> Trottmann
> Sent: Thursday, October 15, 1998 4:00 PM
> To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
> Subject: DML: Psychotic Radiator
>
>
> Long, but I need help!!! After getting my rad. flushed and 180
> thermostat installed, I noticed my rad fluid in the res. was empty, so I
> called the dealership, they said it was normal, just filling in the
> nooks and crannies etc, and I could bring it in and they'd top it off.
> I filled it myself. Noticed it was low again, filled it again, asked
> the DML, got responces of "normal" unless it happens more.
> Well, it is happening more. But there's more now. I noticed a smell
> the day before I left for NC. Looked under the hood. There is rad.
> fluid on the bottom of hood, side of battery, top of plastic "skid plate
> thing", but the fan and belt are both DRY. I filled it before leaving
> for NC. Avg. speed over 80, only one, yes, one, stop for gas, one
> traffic jam. I drove for over 360 miles w/o stopping or slowing below
> 60. Res. was just as full when I got to NC. I thought, problem is
> over.
> Took a 10 mile trip today on a tire errand, smelled the smell again.
> Yes, res. is half empty, fluid on underside of hood, battery, and top of
> "skid plate thing." There is NO fluid on the ground after I park.
> Final wierd thing: when it decides to leak, (I can find NO cause at all,
> seems completely random), when I park, there is very slight steam/smoke
> whatever coming out of the hole where the hood latch is. In front of
> the rad, behind condensor, I think.
> Truck runs fine, acceleration is normal, leaking is NOT connected to
> hard acceleration or highway driving, it has happened after all highway
> trips, or all city trips, w/ and w/o hard (redline) acceleration. I can
> find NO source for this leak, but the bottom of the radiator, behind the
> fan, is wet.
> PLEASE HELP!!! Again, sorry about the legnth, I just figured all the
> wierd details were necessary.
> Thanks,
> Robert
> No, I didn't drop a carriage bolt into my radiator.
> --
> Mailto:rotrottmann@davidson.edu
> http://www.davidson.edu/personal/rotrottmann/default.htm
> Davidson, NC
> 95 Sport 318 Auto 2WD
> ICQ 19665525
>
>
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