924Board.org

[skemcin]

The car is in storage and I went to do its weekly start up and after letting run for 5 to 10 minutes I began to see a little smoke coming from the (when looking at the engine) right side below the upper radiator hose. I wasn't able to pinpoint where (yet) but I immediately shut the engine off. I smell radiator fluid but I see no leak or drips on the floor - even after a day. The fluid was already topped off (repaired for winter). It was flushed a few years ago.

This (amatuer guess) seems like it might be the actual radiator - something internal maybe?

What other information would help (if any) to give a better diagnosis?

On a side note, I will not be pulling the car out of storage (and therefore doing any work) until I get back from Ireland in March. I just want to get an idea of what to budget for when the time comes.

Thanks in advance.
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

[ideola]

Get a cooling system pressure tester. You can either buy one, or some stores may have a tool loaner program. That is the "safest" way to identify where coolant is escaping.

Don't assume that the leak is where you saw the steam. There could be a pinhole leak that is shooting hot coolant under pressure, so sometimes, visual indications can be misleading. A cold pressure test will often help you find the source of the leak much more easily, since you're not having to peer through steaming coolant.

Could be a pinhole leak in the rad, a broken seam or weld on the rad, a pinhole leak in either the upper hose or one of the return lines from the coolant reservoir. Could be a leak or crack in the reservoir. Could even be a bad radiator cap (they do need to be replaced periodically). More remote, but it's possible it could be the water pump or thermostat housing. Again, a cold pressure test will be the best way to isolate the problem.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[968rz]

ideola is on the right track I think. AutoZone loans tools and should have the tester. Rads can leak at the hose neck and tank seams. Also try replacing the hose clamp, they do go bad over time and no matter how much you crank it still leaks.
_________________
Rick
79 924 coupe Petrol Blue 3spd auto (wife's DD)
93 968 coupe Amazon Green 4spd Tip (my DD)

[skemcin]

awesome - thanks for the detailed reply - it helps alot. I planned on doing the upper and lower hoses this spring but following this advice will tell me if there is anything else to cover while I'm there - seems pretty straight forward.
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

[leadfoot]

try and find the telltale sign of white chalky marking of dried coolant.
Could also be your water pump as this is designed to weep out a hole in the bottom when it's in need of replacement.

Most leaks you can't see are at the back of the head with that pesky coolant flange... took me ages to find my thermo time switch had a crack down the casing and was opening up under heat/pressure.

Try to feel under the hoses for wetness as they always pool on the underside and visual inspections are often best done from underneath the car.
Stu
_________________
1981 ROW 924 Turbo -
carbon fiber GT mish mash
LS1 conversion in progress...

[skemcin]

I'm gonna try to find the time this weekend to get to this, but just a couple "whats worth doing while you're there" questions.

• If its a bad hose . . .
  
• If its a bad radiator . . .
  
• If its a bad water pump . . .
  
• If its a combination of any of these . . .
  

Thanks, just trying to prepare myself - need to figure out how much stuff to put on e-bay this weekend.


On a side note - I smell a theme for a new sticky . . . whats worth doing while you're there . . . hasn't that been asked often enough on a variety of subjects - i.e. a list for each: drop tranny, replace shocks, replace timing belt?
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

[ideola]

If it's the water pump or a hose: I would plan to do an entire cooling system refresh, which would include the following:

• New or rebuilt water pump & gasket
  
• New thermostat
  
• New expansion tank cap
  
• Cooling system flush using Prestone flush or similar
  
• All new coolant plus a bottle of water wetter
  
• Replace ALL hoses: upper rad, lower rad, exp tank to rad, crossover pipe to heater control valve, heater control valve to block, block to heater core, water pump-to-tstat housing, tstat housing to upper tube, and there might be one or two other ones I'm forgetting
  
• Heater control valve

This might sound like overkill, but I did this on SONIC06 and just returned from a 4200+ mile road trip to Texas with absolutely NO cooling system issues. The peace of mind is worth it, IMO. Also, bear in mind, if it turns out that one hose is leaking, then the others won't be far behind. In my experience, when you replace one weak hose, the normal operating pressure starts working on the next weakest hose, and it will fail next. There's nothing more frustrating than replacing all your coolant, driving for a week, and then having to do it all over again.

This approach is called preventive maintenance for a reason

If it's the rad, it's really up to you if you want to do the hoses and water pump. But at a minimum, I would strongly advise replacing the t-stat, expansion tank cap, and a complete system flush and refill.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[skemcin]

Thanks - thats exactly what I'm looking for. Its not the overkill or thoroughness of the job - I'm fine with that. Its more the cost of (yes short term) that migth limit me. So, roughly (as I will price all this out but I'm still new to finding the best place/deal) how much is the most complete job, $200, $500, more?
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

[ideola]

Off the top of my head, complete job with smart shopping, not including rad will be somewhere in the $300 range. Start with AutoHauzAz.com for pricing stuff out. What would be helpful would be to have a complete parts list on hand, call them, and then ask them for their best price. For comparison shopping, you can also try ebsracing.com. Call their toll free number and ask for Troy Chapman or Don Weaver. And don't be afraid to let them know your shopping and you're looking for a package deal. EBS has been good about giving me modest package discounts when I place a sizable order and ask for it.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[skemcin]

[ideola]

Sorry, typo
http://www.autohausaz.com/
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

[skemcin]

thanks


so much for that exemplary record of accurate and helpful information.


lol
_________________
924.org (no time to complete)
9249206346 - 89k – new shifter bushings, belts, running well.
9249206347 - 8k – waiting its resurrection, no power at the fuel pump and fuse #7 blows w/power

[Vince Ponz]

I am suggesting that you boil out the rad since you are doing this area. I have a thermostat on the turbo that keeps the car cool all the time. Never more than 1/4 off the stop. It will move slightly if at idle for a long time. And that is here in sunny Florida.
_________________
"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock

[skemcin]

[Vince Ponz]

There are companies that deal in boiling out rads. Many cars blow head gaskets and oil gets in the rad. Look in the yellow pages or your directory for an address of such a company. It is not expensive. If it leaks they can repair that too.

Good luck.
_________________
"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock