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Mystery coolant leak

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sparkydave

sparkydave

Jedi Knight
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[fingers crossed] Someday all the car's little quirks will take a break for a while, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Well, I've got a funny coolant leak which apparently gets coolant onto the exhaust header as it cools off, and makes a nice source of smoke when I start the car. I'm leaning towards leaky hoses around the intake manifold, but I haven't been able to catch it in the act because I can't see any leaks when it's hot. Just to confirm; does a 1500 intake manifold have the coolant passage limited to the channel under the carburetor mount? There are no gaskets or sources of coolant leaks on it other than the hose nipples?
 
Not from the manifold, no. You have a hose connection from the t-stat at one end and to the heater box or valve (I forget which) at the other. The water pump hard line runs underneath the exhaust, IIRC. When I refreshed my engine I replaced that on e with a SS item from (I think) Spitbits.
 
I'd bet its one of the two hose clamps/hoses attached to the intake manifold. If not, try the heater hoses.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just to confirm; does a 1500 intake manifold have the coolant passage limited to the channel under the carburetor mount? There are no gaskets or sources of coolant leaks on it other than the hose nipples?

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct. When I was examining mine recently while I had it out, it seemed that the coolant pipe was continuous all the way through and probably steel, not cast aluminum, so the idea that it's leaking from anywhere but the hose fittings on either end is improbable to me.
 
Well, I'm hoping it's just a hose connection that's a little loose. I didn't think there was a leak in the intake manifold, but something is certainly making the exhaust pipe wet. Thanks much for the info.
 
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