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Got a leak


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Posted

Everytime I go out for a blast recently, and then put the car in the garage the header tank loses a lot of water.  

When I went for a rolling road day, I was on the rollers and water leaked from somewhere underneath the carbs maybe a little further forward.  Cant find the leak yet, just wondered if this was a common fault and if there was a general place this leak could spring from or if it could be anywhere?

Cheers

Posted

What engine?

Posted

If your inlet has water going through it, I'd suspect one of the hoses. I don't recall there being anywhere else down there that would leak, except for the head gasket............

If you hadn't witnessed water actually leaking, I'd say that there is a possibility that you have an airlock working it's way out. Have you made any modifications, or any changes to the cooling circuit recently?

Posted

No mods to it at all, I hoping it is an airlock as head gasket is expensive right?? (how much?)  

Is the best way to check the head gasket by seeing if when you undo the cap for the oil, and if it is creamy then the head gasket is on its way out?

Cheers

Posted

That can indicate a blown head gasget or it could just be normal condensation in the engine.

Also look/listen for;

Engine seems to overheat (boiling coolant) but the temperature is normal (combustion pressurising the cooling system)

Signs of water (maybe creamy white deposites) on the sump end of the dipstick.

Unusual sounds (chuffing or "squeaking") from around the head gasget seal (combustion pressure escaping to the atmosthere)

Loss of performance.

Wet (watery) plugs.

Petrol smell in coolant header tank.

Unusually high water consumption.

Unusually high levels of condensation from exhauat.

One or two cylinders have low compression when tested.

HTH

Chaz.

Posted

Assume you have checked the condition of all of the water hoses and that the hose clips are properly tightened?  

What sort of plumbing layout do you have?  Heres a reference

Posted

If you were on a rolling road and it was leaking water surely the "mechanic" would have done a pressure test to either prove or disprove whether the gasket was gone, cos he would never get it running right in a month of Sundays with a blown head gasket  :0

Posted

Well it was running at 170.1BHP with this leak at the rollers so, surely the head gasket can't be going, no loss of power seems evident.

It must simply be an airlock like blatman says or a problem with the coolant plumbing, I hope........................

Posted

If you've not managed to find an obvious leak, and it does'nt do it while in the garage, ie only at higher revs, then I'd put money on the water pump having gone. The timing belt tends to throw it down the inlet side.

I spent days trying to identify the same thing. Whip of the timing belt cover,(if you have it on), and have a butchers.

Other leaky point is where the main inlet spigot enters the  block, they tend to rot off ;)

Best of luck.

Brian.

Posted

I will give it a go at the weekend, I think you may have hit the nail on the head.

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers Guys

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