The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Radiator Spotting

1962 Chevy with a 235... I have a new radiator with a 7# cap. I have a new thermostat with a new water pump and all new hoses. I flushed the engine out before replacing all components and filling with 50/50 antifreeze. The belt is tight and I do not over heat. Yet occasionally I will get a small amount of radiator fluid out of the radiator cap hose when I first drive it. I can hear a gurgling noise like a boiling sound then I get the fluid out. AFter that it is fine and it does not leak anymore and does not make a noise. It seems to only happen after it has sat for a while and completely cools down. Thanks
Tom

maybe it is to full...........

have a question for you, I sold my red 52 chevy truck about 19 months ago to a guy that lives in Tulsa..

I would like to try and get in touch with him, I remember his last name being Griffin and he worked at a rental type place..
he bought redryder from me ( see my website)

if you can be of any help, I would appreciate it.

welcome to the bolt

maybe yer filling it too full, should be 1/2-1" below the neck opening - the noise will likely be the water coming from the engine as the stat opens and the hot water meets cold

Bill

that was what I meant.... mine use to do that because I always thought it should be full and to the top.........not true as red stated

I just checked the fluid and I put a half a gallon in and it did not fill it. That was the second half since last weekend.
I check the compression and have 140+ on all cylinders.
I think I am losing fluid somewhere but there are no leaks, no overheating and no white smoke.

Joker can you give me a little more to go on with the guy. Tulsa is fairly big but I will help if I can.

I'd say there must be a leak someplace,no white smoke...hmmmm
How long running does it take to get low?I'd say head gasket,even though comp is good it still could be.Check the cooling systym with one of them cooling systym checkers,pull the plugs and listen in the cylinder's, you may not hear it with the coolant in you may have to drain it, but first check with the fluid in and look for external leak's.Let us know how it turn's out, a slow leak can be sometimes hard to find

Tulsa, that is all I remember, believe he worked at a rental place for equipment..

getting back to your truck, I am sure this may not be the problem but it wont hurt to check,,,,,,,,,,make sure you do have the radiator cap on tight..........seems strange that it would lose that much coolant and not show the temp heating up...

usually with fresh 50/50 coolant you can find the external leak real quick, either see it or smell it...

you have replaced and covered most ever thing it can be, unless the timing is off, I have never seen this happen myself but folks say it can...

make sure the radiator peacock is tight..

let us know when you find the problem..

OK I am having the same problem....I do not have a new radiator
but it has been up to now, working well. I do not overfill it and there is no white smoke. I replaced the freeze plugs and even installed and elect. fan to assist in cooling in this HOT Texas weather. I went out just about one hour ago and noticed the water in the radiator was way way low I put in a gallon and a quarter (to get me home) of water.
What should I do next?

HELP

Cliff549

do you have a fan shroud? if not, get one

and consider if maybe that electric fan is more of a hindrence than a help - with electric and stock both, you're more likely to be impedeing air flow than increasing it

Bill

Try a higher pressure radiator cap.

I sure hope you are keeping an eye on "signs of oil in the coolant" and "coolant in the oil".

Did you have this problem prior to replacing all the components?

How many "starts" or trips does it take for it to lose the half gallon?

What is the overflow doing? The pressure should be released through the overflow, not blowing at the cap. Try putting a catch can under the overflow hose so you can see what might be lost through that route.

I think a pressure test "cold" and "hot...warm" would be in order. Although, you mentioned it doesn't overheat, does the temp gauage flucuate or stay steady on whatever the normal running temp reading is?

It seems to me a "spotting on the radiator" wouldn't equate to a half gallon + in a week. Good luck.

I think I found the problem....I bent the tangs on the radiator cap inward to get a better seal on the cap. I think that may have been most of my problem. I went about 50 miles the other day and the level has stabilized. I went out on a short trip to a vintage car rally and it held fine.

there you go, ever thing is better when it is tight.

Do you have a coolant recovery tank if not it could be going out the over flow while your driving
Paul

Yes!

I made a make shift one out of a Fantastic plastic bottle. There was not anything it this last go round.
I think the needle nose plier job I did on the cap tangs did the trick. I bent them in and into the under side of the cap to make a tighter seal.

Hmmmmmm I might need to investigate this! thanks Bill.

Cliff59

How much? 14#?

Cliff59

Hey Tulsa,
I think that I am going tot do that this weekend and see If I can figure out the problem. I also will look into making the cap tighter.

Cliff59

Cliff - a stock 59 rad won't tolerate a 14# cap for long, and the stock engine doesn't need it .... 7# max

Bill

Just a follow up on the radiator
I just put 150 miles on the truck today. 90% highway and the rest in town. The radiator held just fine. I do have the 7# radiator cap. By the way I got 14 mpg and have not touched the carb or performed a tune up yet. I hope to increase the mpg when I do.
Is there anyone getting 20mpg with a 235?

one thing to check, drain the coolant down so you can see the tops of the core and shine a light in and see if the tubes are clear. when you flushed the engine you may have loosened something and plugged the core.

OK! this holiday I went ahead and just made the 7# cap tighter.
I also replaced the coolant and went to AutoZone and bought one of those "over-flow bottles" this may help!

Thanks "Tulsa" for letting me gain some insite on the radiator spotting thread!

Regards

Cliff59