I'm losing water but I'm not sure where from

I'm losing water but I'm not sure where from

Author
Discussion

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 27th April 2001
quotequote all
I appear to be leaking but cannot find it. I top up the filler over the front of the engine but it needs regular checking. 4.3 rover by the way. Look down the oil filler and check the dip stick but no white muck. Heater seems ok. Not misting up or anti-freeze smells. Anyone had the same and a solution? It runs fine but nedded a litre+ the other day when the gauge went into the red.

350matt

3,733 posts

278 months

Saturday 28th April 2001
quotequote all
I get the same thing, the only place I could find was the heater matrix hoses in the vee. A bottle of Radweld seems to have shut things up a bit but I still lose a bit. I have read on several other rover V8 sites that the last row of cylinder head bolts shouldn't be torqued to the same as the rest as they are a bit of a design flaw. So all the low bolts (the ones you can see with the rocker covers on, next to the exhausts) should only be torqued up to 20ftlb this apparently helps. Although I've yet to get round to it myself. Matt Edited by 350matt on Saturday 28th April 06:51

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 28th April 2001
quotequote all
Thanks. Look into that

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 4th May 2001
quotequote all
Thanks for that. Sorry for the delay in reply, work away from home alot. How do you make a pressure tester? No swap for some reason...:-) Edited by jmorgan on Friday 4th May 23:14

Mk1

97 posts

279 months

Saturday 5th May 2001
quotequote all
As another alternative until you construct this pressure cap you could run the engine until hot then switch off! Don't release the pressure allow to cool naturally. Once cooled (good few hours) remove the LT (low tension) leads and remove the plugs place some tissue over the plug holes or get another to watch if fluids are thrown out of the holes on cranking. Just an idea?

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Monday 7th May 2001
quotequote all
Blue Peter time :-). Genuine thanks though. Maybe a silly question but why not "fit" a shreader valve to a new cap and pump up. Understand that no pressure loss can be seen but leaks could be looked for, those visable of course.

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Monday 7th May 2001
quotequote all
Tissue over the holes. Is that looking foe head gasket probs?

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Tuesday 8th May 2001
quotequote all
What format is your diagram. I have a MAC and no windoze apps.

mk1

97 posts

279 months

Tuesday 8th May 2001
quotequote all
quote:
Tissue over the holes. Is that looking foe head gasket probs?
you got it! Or a crack/porous head. Did you try it?

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th May 2001
quotequote all
Scanned is fine. Quicktime will handle most though JPEG if poss. Thanks

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th May 2001
quotequote all
mk1, have not tried it yet as I am sorting my house for sale but when I do will let you know. Thanks

richa

534 posts

283 months

Sunday 13th May 2001
quotequote all
I had similar problems to what you are describing. After extensive testing, and although it showed absolutely no signs of it, it was the head gaskets. Just to clarify, the symptoms I was experiencing were loss of coolant, temp guage showing very high. Had to top up every time the car was used. No coolant under car when parked. Rich. '88 390SE (Not well at the moment)

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 19th May 2001
quotequote all
Sorry, click on my name and send me your address. Would rather not post mine. Delay in reply as I was working away from home (again)

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 19th May 2001
quotequote all
My water loss does not have high gauge readings, well until large air locks appear. My expansion tank does have 2 pipes to the water system (excluding the one that lets it out). Have to see where they go.

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 26th May 2001
quotequote all
ok jemorgan@btinternet.com

PetrolTed

34,424 posts

302 months

Saturday 26th May 2001
quotequote all
quote:
Doh. Pistonheads is not letting me into the members area to mail you.
Wedgie, you need to be logged in as a member to mail other members. It's just a bit of a safety net to stop the system being abused.

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Saturday 26th May 2001
quotequote all
Further investigation seems I may not be loosing much but getting an airlock in the swan neck pipe but the expansion tank is to the brim when cooled down. When it is hot water seems to be going out of the top pipe back to the radiator. Therefore I asume that the airlock is the displaced air from expansion tank also when idling the fan is on almost all the time but driving (air flow into the rad) it seems ok. There are several T pieces in the top pipe to the expansion tank going to various points, any other 400/430 like this?

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Monday 28th May 2001
quotequote all
Thanks got that. Working away again shortly but will try to build, house meve allowing and try the spark plug out etc. Unfortunatly sunny days have stopped my trying this. PS house move does not force sale.

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Monday 28th May 2001
quotequote all
Richa, now seems that I may have your symptoms, any soloution?

jmorgan

Original Poster:

36,010 posts

283 months

Monday 28th May 2001
quotequote all
May seem stupid but which way does the water pump turn. My 4.3 has been modified somewhat with the alternator on the right of the engine. Is this the bane.