Pinto loosing water

[The Dingles]

I have just purchased my first Westfield after many years of waiting. It has a Pinto engine. I have one niggle with the car that I might be fretting about without cause. I wondered if you or any other club member could advise me please?

I'm no mechanic, so could be off the mark with my thinking, but here goes.

This car seems to want to expell water from the header tank everytime I stop the engine, (the engine being hot).

If I top up the header tank to about half full when cold, it dumps about 2 litres of water through a small overflow pipe situated on the neck of the header tank, just below the cap, at the moment the engine is swithed off.

After this, I dont think  the system looses any more water, it seems to find a happy level but this means the header tank is now empty.  I am paranoid about this as I am used to seeing water in the header tank. The car does not overheat, running at about 85 degrees unless in traffic, when the temperature climbs rapidly. But I drove it back from Northumberland without any overheating problems.

I have read an article on the web about fitting a cortina overflow tank, but dont fully understand the technicalities of doing this.

Am I worrying about nothing? or have any others experienced similar problems?

HELP PLEASE!

ps hope to see the other Cannock WSCC members at the next meeting.

regards

Mike

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Most likely an airlock which, in my experience with my Pinto(s), is quite hard to cure. It can be done by releasing the air from the highest point in the system, and that might be a hose union, and raising the expansion tank either by removing it or by raising the rear of the car. I used a third option and that was to put a hose in the neck of the tank and blow down it while an assistant did the releasing of air. There's much information in the archives but the search facility is, well, quirky, to say the least. Good Luck!

[Hammy]

Wierd to say the least!!  2 litres is 3.5 pints or over half the cooling system- are you sure ?  

I'd like to see the header tank arrangement got a pick ?

[BuGsBuNnY]

When in traffic, does the fan kick in? Can is stop the temps from rising?

I would check the water pump, bleed the system, fan and sensors.

[yellow peril]

I would agree that it is an air lock, had the same problem with my Pinto.

There should be a rubber cap on the side of your water pump. Remove this and fill the system very slowly until water comes out of the side of the water pump. Refit the cap and continue to fill slowly. I also squeeze the lower hoses a few times whilst filling to dispel any trapped air.

Mine tended to be worse when driven hard and I found leaving it at tick over for a few minutes before switching off helped too.

Now that I have got rid of all the air I do not have a problem.

Pain in the a**e but with a little patience you will get there.

Jeremy

[stevalical]

Hi Mike, sorry to hear of your troubles.  I can honestly say I'd never experienced this symptom but then again  the temperature was always ok so I never checked under the bonnet.  As I mentioned when you picked the car up I did top up oil, water and tyre pressures but only because I knew you had a 200 mile drive home.

It doesnt sound serious, most likely, as these guys say, an airlock.  Only wish I'd known before you left, it wouldnt have taken us 10 mins to sort.

Happy blatting

Cheers

Steve

[The Dingles]

OK Thanks for the feedback. I will have a look and try the water lock theory first.

[markcoopers]

Like others have said, squeeze all the lower pipes to help force the water through, but a few other checks you could do to help...

When from cold as it warms up, check the pipes for heat, as the top radiator hose should be hot the return obviously colder. However does it have a heater fitted, as I would almost bet my >>>> that this is where the air is stuck.

Pinto's are tought old boat anchors, so no need to worry yet, but you could try a comparing if a gentle run vs balls out blat ellicets the same issue, you would not be the first to cavitate a waterpump and introduce gas into the system  (voice of experience).

Good luck