Rookie Radiator Question

[82Blue]

I recently bought an 81 Spider and it was running hot at idle. The radiator was fixed as it was 70% blocked. This returned the temperature to normal. Now every time I bring the car to a stop in the garage it dumps a small amount of coolant. Just a small puddle. And it's done this now about 10 times. I"m wondering if something needs adjusting here. Thanks!

[kilrwail]

Where is the coolant coming out? The drain plug, temperature sensor fitting, cap, overflow hose or bottle, hose connections? How full is the overflow bottle? We need more information.

[manoa matt]

If you are unsure of the age of the radiator and coolant hoses then you should replace those. The recommended interval is every 4 years. The radiator cap should also be considered.

You'll need to determine when and where the leaks and subsequent puddle are coming from. Inspect all the areas around hose connections. The radiator seams and at the water pump.

If you notice the puddle only occurs several hours after you park the car then crawl under and look at the water pump. When the rubber seals start to go bad the pump will "weep" after the system cools down and pressure is reduced. Your water pump will start to make noise as the coolant washes away the grease in the shaft bearings. Time for a new water pump.

If you notice the puddle when the the car is still hot, then the fluid is getting pushed out somewhere while its under pressure ( hose connection, radiator seam, overflow bottle, radiator cap, water pump to engine gasket, hose "T" at top front of engine) If this is the case then you need to find and fix it fast as the leak could get worse and dump massive amounts of fluid while the system is under pressure.

There are also some small diameter coolant hoses that go to a pre-heater on top of the intake phlenum, check those too.

Since the car is new to you, consider replacing some items like the timing belt and tensioner, coolant hoses, misc rubber hoses in the engine bay, the rubber brake lines, and check suspension components like ball joints, tie rod ends, and wheel bearings. A decent manual will help a lot, the Brooklands version is very good.

[azygoustoyou]

Hi Matt,
Does the tensioner go bad after awhile? Why replace it if it seems to work?

[manoa matt]

Anything goes bad after a while. That bearing is pretty robust and is greased and sealed for life at the factory. When you get the "T" belt off, spin the bearing. Does it spin smoothly, or sound like gravel? If it spins smoothly and kind of slow then the grease is in there and providing some resistance. (A new bearing will hardly spin since the tolerances are still tight and its packed full of grease) It it spins smoothly and very fast then there is probably not a lot of grease in there. If you see any signs of a rust colored powder around the bearing then it does not have any grease and might lock up.

I've had success injecting grease into the bearing behind the plastic dust shield with a needle fitting for the grease gun. Do this only if the bearing feels good but lacks lubrication. Add too much and it will fling out all over everything.

You have to remember that bearing is spinning at the same RPM as the motor, sometimes at 5000, 6000, 7000? rpm's depending upon how you drive. Aside from some internal interference in the engine, or a rock or stick getting caught in the "T" belt, that bearing is the one thing that could fail and really wreck your engine, and often gets overlooked when replacing the "T" belt.

[82Blue]

Thanks for all the ideas! The car happens to be undergoing a major tuneup right now, so I will ask them to look into these potential issues as the source. Really appreciate it.