Leaking antifreeze

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ram250098

ram250098

69 Barracuda
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
870
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Location
Cookstown Ontario Canada
Just need to see my mind straight here. I noticed sometimes I have a leak under the car near the oil pan, after driving the car for awhile then parking it. I thought it was a oil leak given where it is under the car. I looked at the engine and did not see any leaks. Last time I noticed it I pulled the car ahead and found it to be coolant.
Ok I first thought frost plug, when the car gets hot and pressure builds it leaks...sounds right...but shouldn't it leak all the time. When the car is cool nothing at all.
If it is a plug I guess there are some behind the bell housing? {4 spped car} That seems to be the only place that would leave the puddle by the oil pan.
I figured with heat they would expand and leak when cool.
AL
 
I would get a big sheet of paper and set it under the car. run the car for a bit then see where the drops are. could be a freeze plug or something easier (hopefully).
 
AFTER I installed my 360,I noticed anti-freeze on the ground.Turns out the plug at the back of d.side cylinder head had a pinhole.I thought about pulling the motor,then realised I could just pull the steering column and go through there!Well it worked,took about 15 mins.(just put the column in)Here,s a pic. of the plug.Good luck with yours,if it,s at the back of motor?You might as well pull and do all!
 
Pics.

re and re of 66 Dart 012.jpg


re and re of 66 Dart 013.jpg
 
your cooling system is under around 15 psi when it is hot makes since that it leaks when its hot as opposed to when its stone cold how much water are we talking about on the floor
 
check your frost plugs on the back, have been seeing alot of them leaking lately. check the corners of the intake also, the gaskets sometimes swell & shrink with temp changes & may leak.
 
The plugs on the motor look perfect.
1qwikScamp It drips for maybe 2 minutes then stops, and leaves a spot about 6 to 12 inches around.
Thanks Petty I have a hunk of cardboard under it now to see if any leaks while cold, I will run it and see exactly where it is comming from.
Thanks
AL
 
al i will throw another possible cause at you. i have a head gasket leak that leaks a little on the outside only of the engine. i can see it actually leave a little dried stain on the side of the block. only happens when hot then stopps when cold. if you can tell what side it is coming from look along the block near where the heads mate to it. you will see the dried stain there if it is doing it....
 
Well not having a hoist I got under the car the best I could, It seems to be leaking down behind the starter I can't see up past that. I see the antifreeze dripping down the front driverside of the oil pan. Is there a frost plug there? I see the one just to the left of the starter. Or could the coolant be leaking from behind the bell housing, would it follow that path? I have not seeen the back of an A body block so I don't know.
Thanks
AL
 
ram250098 said:
Well not having a hoist I got under the car the best I could, It seems to be leaking down behind the starter I can't see up past that. I see the antifreeze dripping down the front driverside of the oil pan. Is there a frost plug there? I see the one just to the left of the starter. Or could the coolant be leaking from behind the bell housing, would it follow that path? I have not seeen the back of an A body block so I don't know.
Thanks
AL
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a bodie block? is it a small block big block or slant 6
 
Sorry it is a 340, I can't see anthing leaking up top, but it is dripping down behind the starter, without a hoist it is to hard to see up there.
AL
 
yep there is a freeze plug behind the starter and its probably the culprit. they look fine on the outside but you can poke your finger through them if rusted away on the inside.
I bought a one owner 67 in 04. He had added one bottle of barsleak per year for 9 years. Chunks of that stuff had set up in the back end of the block.
He put on a weak system cap ( 7 lbs. ) and rarely had to add water but aways had a few drops appear in the garage after his short weekly drive to the golf course.
I drove it over 2800 miles comming home and never needed to add water.
I discovered this leak to be sooo small that the water evaporated when engine was running.
 
I just had the same issue with my 318. After parking the car I would have coolant under the car. I assumed it was a expansion plug as well and checked al them and they were dry. It was the header bolt on drivers side in the back. I'm not sure if which one it was so I just put rtv on both of them and no more leaks. Just like Mullimax suggested. Be ready to lose coolant to the ground when you pull out the bolts.
 
The header bolts are dry.Thanks guy's, by the way I have asked around to no avail, who sells these low pressure caps....every place I have tried just sells the 17lbs caps, "cause that is what is oem", man I get sick of hearing that LOL
AL
 
ram250098 said:
The header bolts are dry.Thanks guy's, by the way I have asked around to no avail, who sells these low pressure caps....every place I have tried just sells the 17lbs caps, "cause that is what is oem", man I get sick of hearing that LOL
AL
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I got a 7lb at Advance. Be aware! They have been raising their prices lately if I shop around (autozone) they are usually 10% to 90% cheaper!
ie voltage regulator dart = advance $62.00, Autozone = $22.00!
Good Luck!
 
I managed to get a bit better look at the drip, it is on the drivers side between the flywheel and the block, it drips down on the corner of the oil pan, so I am guessing it is a frost plug?
AL
 
RedFish said:
yep there is a freeze plug behind the starter and its probably the culprit. they look fine on the outside but you can poke your finger through them if rusted away on the inside.
I bought a one owner 67 in 04. He had added one bottle of barsleak per year for 9 years. Chunks of that stuff had set up in the back end of the block.
He put on a weak system cap ( 7 lbs. ) and rarely had to add water but aways had a few drops appear in the garage after his short weekly drive to the golf course.
I drove it over 2800 miles comming home and never needed to add water.
I discovered this leak to be sooo small that the water evaporated when engine was running.
Click to expand...
Hey Redfish,
I am noticing the same on my 64 273. The plug at the starter, is it behind starter on outside or does the tranny need to be dropped?
 
ram250098 said:
I managed to get a bit better look at the drip, it is on the drivers side between the flywheel and the block, it drips down on the corner of the oil pan, so I am guessing it is a frost plug?
AL
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Hey ram250098, What's the status of leak? Did you have to drop tranny or was the plug acessable from removal of starter? Please advise. Was looking at your thread this past week in horror and it started happening to my 64 about the same time!!!!
:angry7:
 
Sorry to inform you,but your gonna have to drop your tranny and pull the flywheel to get at the rear frost plugs.What ever you do,don,t put stop leak in.It will just blockup your cooling system and prolong the proper fix.My 2 cents.
 
pettybludart said:
Sorry to inform you,but your gonna have to drop your tranny and pull the flywheel to get at the rear frost plugs.What ever you do,don,t put stop leak in.It will just blockup your cooling system and prolong the proper fix.My 2 cents.
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Damn! I had already called or local tranny shop works on classics alot. $250-$300.00! Now everyone on the site should know why I don't buy lottery tickets!
I don't even know why they sell stop leak, I couldn't do that to my car!
Sorry, didn't mean to take over the thread. I was needing info and wondering how everything turned out!!!
 
64dart170 said:
Hey ram250098, What's the status of leak? Did you have to drop tranny or was the plug acessable from removal of starter? Please advise. Was looking at your thread this past week in horror and it started happening to my 64 about the same time!!!!
:angry7:
Click to expand...
I have not done anything with it yet, I can not afford to take it in yet, it will have to wait.
AL
 
ram250098 said:
I have not done anything with it yet, I can not afford to take it in yet, it will have to wait.
AL
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That's cool ram250098, I was just curious. My Car "Baby" just took control of the car tent and the other problem child (her car) left with my wife on a birthday test drive! Mine started developing same problem so just kinda fishing. I can't afford shop now either but it's our main ride unless her car decides to stay running for a change!
SO...........I have decided to go ahead and pull starter in hopes of replacing rear lower plug. Here's my thoughts... The shop is busy and wants me to call back Wed. "Bride of Frankenstein" just was brought back to life so I hope it's good for at least 2 days. I was told the lower ones in the back usually go before the back flywheel jobs. We already replaced the one on pass side a year ago. The leak has been comming off the rear bolt head on the drivers side oil pan so long it has a 1/4" stalagtite of dried antifreeze hanging on it, and running down the dust cover of torque converter on the outside.
I have been taking step by step pics to start a thread and post, but am on hold for "starter" wrench. Once I get the starter off I'll post pics and let you see what I come up with. I even started looking around under there and someone had put one of the rubber washer with nut style plugs on front of drivers side too close to motor mount to press one? Jezz it's always something!!! Good Luck!:-D
Oh, almost forgot, my friend up the street set me up with plugs etc so I might as well look back there!
 
I wish the leaking plugs were behind the starter, that is not a problem I can do that in my garage, I think the culprit is on the back of ther block, which involves removing the tranny...Can't do that in my garage LOL
AL
 
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