R. Button
03-06-2011, 07:40 PM
Out driving around the area and got caught in a long line of stop and go traffic. Noticed my water temps were climbing! I'm thinking the worse... only 35,000 miles on my "new engine" and the head gasket is toast knowing I have a new water pump on and thermostat. So I fire up the heater which drops the temp back down some, I keep the engine rev'd up till I could get out in traffic and cool off the engine.
I limp home thinking this really is not nice... I'm busy with work and studies. I JUST do not have time for a tear down. I have some NAPA test strips which I check the ph of the water for exhaust gases... nope it comes back ok... hummm... no noticeable leaks. So I head over to my neighbor Harbor Freight store where they just happen to have on sale a radiator tester kit.
Hook it up to the radiator, pump it up to 16# and wait. Neighbor noticed the garage door open so came over to ask about filling his tires. Fixed him up then check the pressure and it's at 10# AND at my feet is a puddle of greenish antifreeze ... what's... up ...in the passenger front wheel well the upper radiator hose was just loose enough to leak under pressure! Loosened it up pushed it back on the pipe and clamped it down. Pressure now holds at 16# for as long as I need.
Am back to being a happy traveler... and ready to go hit the roads again tomorrow!
Motto: Always check the simple stuff no matter how small before you start worrying about the big stuff!
I limp home thinking this really is not nice... I'm busy with work and studies. I JUST do not have time for a tear down. I have some NAPA test strips which I check the ph of the water for exhaust gases... nope it comes back ok... hummm... no noticeable leaks. So I head over to my neighbor Harbor Freight store where they just happen to have on sale a radiator tester kit.
Hook it up to the radiator, pump it up to 16# and wait. Neighbor noticed the garage door open so came over to ask about filling his tires. Fixed him up then check the pressure and it's at 10# AND at my feet is a puddle of greenish antifreeze ... what's... up ...in the passenger front wheel well the upper radiator hose was just loose enough to leak under pressure! Loosened it up pushed it back on the pipe and clamped it down. Pressure now holds at 16# for as long as I need.
Am back to being a happy traveler... and ready to go hit the roads again tomorrow!
Motto: Always check the simple stuff no matter how small before you start worrying about the big stuff!