Minor amount of coolant on passenger floorboards ('68 cuda, '94 360 mag)

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beezel

beezel

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Finally drove my Cuda to work today, and on the way home noticed a bit (like a tablespoon) of coolant dotting the passenger floorboards. Inspected the heater housing, couldn't find source. Heater core is fairly new reman, after the last one went (with the typical massive fogging, dumping coolant symptoms).

My temp gauge stays rock steady at 195F. It's been sitting for a while (in garage). Any ideas? Just a burp/hiccup?

I'm a nervous nelly, would hate to overheat in traffic while commuting!
 
Check the hose connections, if you are lucky there is leak that squirts inside! If not I think you know what the issue is! Best of luck!
 
It is leaking from somewhere. It wont fix itself. Any chance the new core was damaged during replacement?
 
beezel said:
Finally drove my Cuda to work today, and on the way home noticed a bit (like a tablespoon) of coolant dotting the passenger floorboards. Inspected the heater housing, couldn't find source. Heater core is fairly new reman, after the last one went (with the typical massive fogging, dumping coolant symptoms).

My temp gauge stays rock steady at 195F. It's been sitting for a while (in garage). Any ideas? Just a burp/hiccup?

I'm a nervous nelly, would hate to overheat in traffic while commuting!
Click to expand...
 
1969383S said:
Check the hose connections, if you are lucky there is leak that squirts inside! If not I think you know what the issue is! Best of luck!
Click to expand...
My 67 Barracuda did same thing. I very carefully loosened the clamp on heater hose and slid it up closer to firewall. So far so good...
 
magnumdart said:
It is leaking from somewhere. It wont fix itself. Any chance the new core was damaged during replacement?
Click to expand...
It was fine all last year and the year before, it's about 2 years old.

I noticed the small fluid after leaving for home, and there was no more on the ride home or at home, when I ran it in the driveway checking for leaks.

I was hoping someone would say "known to happen after winter" or something reassuring like that.

Dammit.
 
67mopr said:
My 67 Barracuda did same thing. I very carefully loosened the clamp on heater hose and slid it up closer to firewall. So far so good...
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I use the factory style clamps, so you never know!! 2 years and so far all is well! I hate the OP may have a core leak but pray it is more simple! Bypass will tell.
 
67mopr said:
My 67 Barracuda did same thing. I very carefully loosened the clamp on heater hose and slid it up closer to firewall. So far so good...
Click to expand...
I wasn't the one to do the replacement last time. Is it something that requires dash out in our cars, or can it all be done from underneath?
 
You can replace it without removing the dash. It is a job for the younger more flexible but easily do-able! Check the hose connection first!
 
1969383S said:
You can replace it without removing the dash. It is a job for the younger more flexible but easily do-able! Check the hose connection first!
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Awesome, thanks for the reply. I'm assuming the only host connections are at the firewall, and that that is the heater core itself. No hoses in the interior, right?
 
beezel said:
Awesome, thanks for the reply. I'm assuming the only host connections are at the firewall, and that that is the heater core itself. No hoses in the interior, right?
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Yes!
 
beezel said:
I was hoping someone would say "known to happen after winter" or something reassuring like that.

Dammit.
Click to expand...

Well sort of. :D
If new hoses were used and never retightened it is totally possible it's a loose (not tight enough) clamp.
New radiator hoses can do that also if not retightened after awhile.

Like was already mentioned check the hose clamps under the hood at the firewall.
If they squirt a bit of coolant it is pointed right inside and runs down.
 
Had mine blow at 100 on an 1/8 mile run in 87 that was fun! Completely fogged my windshield at speed never mind the hot spray everywhere! Bypassed but replaced in my restoration 2 years ago. Look for the simple before you dig into it.
 
TrailBeast said:
Well sort of. :D
If new hoses were used and never retightened it is totally possible it's a loose (not tight enough) clamp.
New radiator hoses can do that also if not retightened after awhile.

Like was already mentioned check the hose clamps under the hood at the firewall.
If they squirt a bit of coolant it is pointed right inside and runs down.
Click to expand...

Mine are actually clamped to what appears to be a plate inside the engine bay. I'm not really seeing how they could squirt into the interior. I think it was part of the rebuild kit after the first one went, because I do remember seeing them plug into the heatercore through the firewall. I'm going to have to look at it more closely. Just odd that so very little came out, and only once.

20160711_192452.jpg
 
beezel said:
Mine are actually clamped to what appears to be a plate inside the engine bay. I'm not really seeing how they could squirt into the interior. I think it was part of the rebuild kit after the first one went, because I do remember seeing them plug into the heatercore through the firewall. I'm going to have to look at it more closely. Just odd that so very little came out, and only once.

View attachment 1714950296
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That plate is just a "dust cover" of sorts held on by that one 5/16 sheet metal screw, and neither of those clamps look tight.
Maybe they were once, but when the rubber settles under the clamp it gets looser.
As a far as only a little bit, that makes perfect sense when you remember most materials expand when heated.
(Loose enough to leak when cold and just tight enough to not leak when hot)

Pull that screw and slide that cover up and you'll see what we are talking about.
The cover is open on the bottom not all the way around the core tubes.
 
TrailBeast said:
That plate is just a "dust cover" of sorts held on by that one 5/16 sheet metal screw, and neither of those clamps look tight.
Maybe they were once, but when the rubber settles under the clamp it gets looser.
As a far as only a little bit, that makes perfect sense when you remember most materials expand when heated.
(Loose enough to leak when cold and just tight enough to not leak when hot)
Click to expand...

Awesome. Thanks so much. I must have been missing the plate originally, because it was there after it came back from paint. I'll retorque those bitches and see if the problem goes away.

Good thing about having not put in my carpet yet - it's real obvious when there's a drop on the bare metal!
 
They look tight but confirm it with 5/16 nut driver or socket. See how close they are to the plate. If there is a leak it will shoot straight through the gasket behind that trim plate.
 
1969383S said:
See how close they are to the plate. If there is a leak it will shoot straight through the gasket behind that trim plate.
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I noticed that also, and was going to mention he might even see a little trace evidence of seepage below or under that plate.
 
TrailBeast said:
I noticed that also, and was going to mention he might even see a little trace evidence of seepage below or under that plate.
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As wide as the clamps are they should be sealing on the pipe ridges though, yes? Simple check though! Not like the factory style squeeze clamps.
 
1969383S said:
As wide as the clamps are they should be sealing on the pipe ridges though, yes? Simple check though! Not like the factory style squeeze clamps.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but it's still the first place to check in the chain of possibilities.
IMO the next check would be the bottom seam on the heater box where the two halves connect together.
 
TrailBeast said:
Maybe, but it's still the first place to check in the chain of possibilities.
IMO the next check would be the bottom seam on the heater box where the two halves connect together.
Click to expand...
FWIW, that plate isn't purely cosemetic/dust and does not slip off. The hoses are clamped onto it directly, and it has no cutouts/etc.

Hose clamps weren't as tight as they could be for sure, at least 1/2turn maybe full turn on one of them. I did check the box seam and looked up under the dash as well as I could with a flash light, no other signs. Just squirts on the floor.
 
beezel said:
FWIW, that plate isn't purely cosemetic/dust and does not slip off. The hoses are clamped onto it directly, and it has no cutouts/etc.

Hose clamps weren't as tight as they could be for sure, at least 1/2turn maybe full turn on one of them. I did check the box seam and looked up under the dash as well as I could with a flash light, no other signs. Just squirts on the floor.
Click to expand...

That just doesn't make any sense.
How did the tubes get through the firewall with a permanent plate fixed to them?
 
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