Bugger ..Very slight rad weep .. what to do
Discussion
Just because I was looking around the other day, I noticed the bottom corner of the rad looked damp (I know.. I should stop trying to find problems!!)… so I poked in a long tie-wrap thru the grill and got a sample… tasted it and for sure it was coolant.. bugger!… but no drips on the floor or anything… just looks to wet the rad corner a bit.. not even enough to form a drip on the rad.. just a slight darker area….
My rad has been in and out 5 times already… 3 times trying to mend the old one.. then once for a re-core when we gave up on the old one and their skills to mend it!… and again when the bleed screw stripped… so I’ve no problems pulling it out and the associated nightmare of bleeding once back… But the question is, would you bother?
I’ve monitored also what happens… get the car warm and its okay.. Use it all day and not a sign… get it to full pressure and 90 deg with fans on… no problem.. .let it cool for 4 hours, it’s still okay… it’s in the 5th hour that it appears to open a small hole or something.. and leak a bit out.. then when it’s cold it must re-seal as I’ve had my pressure tester on it when fully cold.. and can’t push any out at all!!....
The problem I see, is that I get the thing out and they can’t find any leak on it……
The joy’s.. maybe I’ll just keep an eye on it and see how it goes… if it stays the same no problem.. if it starts to get worst then it needs something doing…
The joys !!
My rad has been in and out 5 times already… 3 times trying to mend the old one.. then once for a re-core when we gave up on the old one and their skills to mend it!… and again when the bleed screw stripped… so I’ve no problems pulling it out and the associated nightmare of bleeding once back… But the question is, would you bother?
I’ve monitored also what happens… get the car warm and its okay.. Use it all day and not a sign… get it to full pressure and 90 deg with fans on… no problem.. .let it cool for 4 hours, it’s still okay… it’s in the 5th hour that it appears to open a small hole or something.. and leak a bit out.. then when it’s cold it must re-seal as I’ve had my pressure tester on it when fully cold.. and can’t push any out at all!!....
The problem I see, is that I get the thing out and they can’t find any leak on it……
The joy’s.. maybe I’ll just keep an eye on it and see how it goes… if it stays the same no problem.. if it starts to get worst then it needs something doing…
The joys !!
I had an identical problem with my rad, a trickle of coolant to the lower nearside. It seemed to get worse while layed up over winter but on a run mysteriously dissapeared. Odd hoses seem to be a little slack and I thought for a while it could be the source of the leak. To make sure I took it to the local friendly Rad repairer who said initially "that looks OK I am sure we can patch it up" he put it in his tank and pressure tested it, he said it was leaking rather badly from about 5 tubes with very little air pressure, so needed a recore.
Although I have never experienced a problem when running apart from:
http://bertram-hill.co.uk/GriffithCoolingSystemPro...
But that was due to the overflow pipes blocking completely.
With the leaks, the system could never have been pressurising correctly although I had not noticed, perhaps the cooling safety factor was masking it and if I had been belting round a track on a hot day then problems may have arisen.
Although I have never experienced a problem when running apart from:
http://bertram-hill.co.uk/GriffithCoolingSystemPro...
But that was due to the overflow pipes blocking completely.
With the leaks, the system could never have been pressurising correctly although I had not noticed, perhaps the cooling safety factor was masking it and if I had been belting round a track on a hot day then problems may have arisen.
TVR Beaver said:
Just because I was looking around the other day, I noticed the bottom corner of the rad looked damp (I know.. I should stop trying to find problems!!)… so I poked in a long tie-wrap thru the grill and got a sample… tasted it and for sure it was coolant.. bugger!… but no drips on the floor or anything… just looks to wet the rad corner a bit.. not even enough to form a drip on the rad.. just a slight darker area….
My rad has been in and out 5 times already… 3 times trying to mend the old one.. then once for a re-core when we gave up on the old one and their skills to mend it!… and again when the bleed screw stripped… so I’ve no problems pulling it out and the associated nightmare of bleeding once back… But the question is, would you bother?
I’ve monitored also what happens… get the car warm and its okay.. Use it all day and not a sign… get it to full pressure and 90 deg with fans on… no problem.. .let it cool for 4 hours, it’s still okay… it’s in the 5th hour that it appears to open a small hole or something.. and leak a bit out.. then when it’s cold it must re-seal as I’ve had my pressure tester on it when fully cold.. and can’t push any out at all!!....
The problem I see, is that I get the thing out and they can’t find any leak on it……
The joy’s.. maybe I’ll just keep an eye on it and see how it goes… if it stays the same no problem.. if it starts to get worst then it needs something doing…
The joys !!
Just fixed (hopefully!) a similar leak on my rad - it was coming from the blanking plug just below the top hose connection (near side) - think its might for a temp. sensor when the rad is in a land rover / range rover? It was spraying out under pressure but when i checked (visually) once everything had cooled down the coolant had evaporated so wasn't obvious...might be worth checking. Incidentally - Local supplier provided an 'up-graded' plug which was better than the one that came with the car.My rad has been in and out 5 times already… 3 times trying to mend the old one.. then once for a re-core when we gave up on the old one and their skills to mend it!… and again when the bleed screw stripped… so I’ve no problems pulling it out and the associated nightmare of bleeding once back… But the question is, would you bother?
I’ve monitored also what happens… get the car warm and its okay.. Use it all day and not a sign… get it to full pressure and 90 deg with fans on… no problem.. .let it cool for 4 hours, it’s still okay… it’s in the 5th hour that it appears to open a small hole or something.. and leak a bit out.. then when it’s cold it must re-seal as I’ve had my pressure tester on it when fully cold.. and can’t push any out at all!!....
The problem I see, is that I get the thing out and they can’t find any leak on it……
The joy’s.. maybe I’ll just keep an eye on it and see how it goes… if it stays the same no problem.. if it starts to get worst then it needs something doing…
The joys !!
Well I had it re-cored about 3-4K miles ago and it's been fine since... the core is like new but obviously this bit is not 100%... Before I had it re-cored it was giving the odd drip on the floor of the garage.. this is nothing like that... only one bottom corner of the rad looking damp.... it holds pressure in the system no problem...
My concern is that we won't be able to find the thing it's that small..
My concern is that we won't be able to find the thing it's that small..
I think that the Griff rad mountings are different to the Chimaera, but I had an intermitent leak on mine when I bought it and the mountings for the rad were too tight according to Dan Taylor, causing it to damage the new looking rad by tension/flex. He opened up the mountings holes for the new rad and job done.
No.. It's not that.. it fit's nice in it's rubber lower mounts and lay's flat on the bobbin mounts without twist... so flex is not harming it... It's also earthed so no static issues...
I guess it's just been like this since I had it re-cored... may be a bit of paint sealing the hole or something... It's not a high pressure problem.. more when it all shrinks back (or indeed in the shrinking back process) it opens a very small hole / gap?....
Strange things...
I guess it's just been like this since I had it re-cored... may be a bit of paint sealing the hole or something... It's not a high pressure problem.. more when it all shrinks back (or indeed in the shrinking back process) it opens a very small hole / gap?....
Strange things...
ESDavey said:
Mr Beaver, you know the answer .... get it sorted otherwise you will NEVER feel 100%
Indeed I know you are right... but may be a bit of the 'other stuff' in the system could cure a lot of ill's?.. or may be just mask them????OK.. next time we get a week of rain forcast...
spend said:
Have you spoken to the guys who re-cored your rad, they may well fix it under warranty. If they can't spot the leak in the tank under pressure then they may well visually beef up any weak brazes?
No.. rubbish company.. would probably do it myself.. get air in it at 1.5 bar.. and then try find it with water and washing up liquid... then with a small pen blow torch... run the solder in...
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff