Leaking coolant - that will teach me!

[SuperMono]

After posting that my V6 Freebie does appear to use a very small amount of coolant (via the cracks in the expansion bottle) I know have an actual drip drip leak.

Small amount of coolant is dripping off the engine from behind the oil filter onto the underbody skid/tray/guard. That is the R/H side of the engine and I didn't think there was much there to do with cooling. Seemed to only start once the thermostat is open, might be just hose related and I have pulled the guard off now to climb under/around to have a look.

Bah....Humbug.....

[Seahorse]

After posting that my V6 Freebie does appear to use a very small amount of coolant (via the cracks in the expansion bottle) I know have an actual drip drip leak.

Small amount of coolant is dripping off the engine from behind the oil filter onto the underbody skid/tray/guard. That is the R/H side of the engine and I didn't think there was much there to do with cooling. Seemed to only start once the thermostat is open, might be just hose related and I have pulled the guard off now to climb under/around to have a look.

Bah....Humbug.....

Look on the bright side. It is leaking on the outside of the engine :D.

If I were you, I would also replace the expansion bottle ASAP and fit it with a new cap.

[SuperMono]

Look on the bright side. It is leaking on the outside of the engine :D.

If I were you, I would also replace the expansion bottle ASAP and fit it with a new cap.

Well yes and no to being the bright side.

The drip drip is not coming from the expansion bottle, the line of dripping coolant is running down the rear of the casting behind the oil filter (if that makes any sense) from some point above that refuses to be visible to me.
I will try and post some images to explain my pain better.
Much poking and prodding aided by a touch and mirror has not helped so far, I can follow the coolant up until it vanishes behind the maze of brackets and castings related to the serpentine belt.

No sign above of any coolant and no hoses in likely locations, so I think it is one of those things where the actual path the fluid takes is not the shortest available, just like finding a leak in the roof of your house.
Or coolant is weeping out from the edge of the head gasket?

Just about due for change of belt so I might just keep topping it up until that happens and the engine comes out.

Regarding the expansion bottle, the last new one only lasted about 1 month before the first cracks appeared; every Freebie I have looked at has a crazed/cracked expansion bottle.
The amount of loss through the bottle is pretty small, just a bit of vapour I think.


Read my other exciting post about the 'exciting black wire'.

[101RRS]

Regarding the expansion bottle, the last new one only lasted about 1 month before the first cracks appeared; every Freebie I have looked at has a crazed/cracked expansion bottle.
The amount of loss through the bottle is pretty small, just a bit of vapour I think.

I do not actually think the cracks (more like crazing in perspex) that appear around the top of the expansion bottle are actually an issue - my first bottle lasted 200,000km with crazing before I replaced it as a precaution.

The new bottle started getting the crazing after a few weeks and has been in for 2 years and 50,000km now. The system remains pressurised and no fluid or steam comes out of it.

I think it is something we have to live with - but be aware of.

Cheers

Garry

[SuperMono]

Looking at the RAVE drawings of the engine and cooling system the only things that could leak I can see above where the drip appears are the cylinder heads and the water pump.
So I am guessing it is the pump weeping to the outside world on an intermittent basis. This might reflect that I am only using Grover the Green Landrover on an intermittent basis now. Instead of driving daily it might be every 2nd week or so.

Yesterday we went up to my parents place in Taggerty (in the fire area near Eildon). I topped up the expansion bottle from stone cold before we left and I had to add about 1 litre (when cool) to bring the level back up to normal after the trip up.
I have just checked at stone cold this morning (after about 200km of travel) and the level is exactly where it was up in Taggerty, so no water loss on the way home.

Perhaps punishment from lack of attention.