All,
Here's a new one, and I'll beg the group's indulgence while I get to the
point...
I've been gone for a few weeks for my annual reserve duty, and when I return
my girlfriend points out that the TD's been leaking coolant. She'd put a
pan underneath the car to catch it, and was emptying it back into the
radiator daily. I had driven it over to her house the day before I reported
in, and left it there while I was gone. She reports that there was a "huge"
puddle under the car the next morning.
At about 1:30 this afternoon I top off the coolant, it takes almost a whole
gallon, which means that it lost almost a gallon the first night after I
parked it, (say over the 12 hours or so from the time I dropped it off and
when she got up to walk her dog). I put the pan back underneath the car and
the leak does seem pretty aggressive; when I check it again around dinner
time there's maybe a few pints in the pan.
After some inspection I determine that the leak is from the bottom of the
water pump, travelling down the motor mount plate on the right side on the
front of the engine and down the oil pan onto the ground. Since there's no
coolant on the back of the pully I assume that the bearing's aren't leaking
or that the carbon seal hasn't gone. I figure that the gasket has failed
and I need to replace it.
I still have to get it home, so I make sure that the radiator's topped off
and head out. It takes me about a half hour to get home during which the
engine temp gets to about 70deg. When I get home I put a pan under the
engine and get ready to order some new gaskets from Moss.
So here's the rub: Some four hours later I need to get something out of the
car and decide to check the pan. There's no coolant in it! I check the
radiator and it's still topped off. I check the right side of the engine
and there's no coolant conga line heading towards ground. I had to pinch
myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
I still plan on pulling off the water pump and replacing the gasket at the
very least, but has anybody on the list had a similar experience? If so,
what were you dealing with?
Still scratchin' my head,
Scott Allen
'52 TD
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