Coolant in VOD

[Rich]

....I'm officially a pressure test evangelist. This really is a must any time you open up the coolant system.

Good call, David! Couldn't agree more.

Glad you got some peace of mind from the test and the fix now that the summer driving season is there.

Note to all owners, as a bonus a good pressure test kit also includes a rad cap test adapter. Knowing that the radiator (or coolant header tank) cap can hold 15PSI is also a must - the cap gaskets/seals don't last forever.

[bfloyd]

I still have my "loaner" pressure tester from Autozone from when I rebuilt the car last summer. The deposit I paid is essentially the purchase price.

[DavidProehl]

Good call, David! Couldn't agree more.

Glad you got some peace of mind from the test and the fix now that the summer driving season is there.

Note to all owners, as a bonus a good pressure test kit also includes a rad cap test adapter. Knowing that the radiator (or coolant header tank) cap can hold 15PSI is also a must - the cap gaskets/seals don't last forever.

Ah, I saw the two sided adapter, that is what it is for! Makes sense.

It was great seeing you in the Eurofest video! Looked like an amazing time. Maybe I'll get there in 5 years....

[David T]

Pressure testing is a very good test but after repeated heat-cool cycles the hoses "creep" and the clamps loosen and must be retightened unless you used silicone hoses. The hoses under the intake manifold can't easily be retightened, that's why it's worth the extra cost to use the silicon hoses.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Pressure testing is a very good test but after repeated heat-cool cycles the hoses "creep" and the clamps loosen and must be retightened unless you used silicone hoses. The hoses under the intake manifold can't easily be retightened, that's why it's worth the extra cost to use the silicon hoses.

We've been using only silicone hoses and non-slotted clamps at the rear of the pump since the mid-eighties because they don't pack down or need re-tightening over time like normal rubber hoses do. This is where a small investment in a quality hose and clamp combo will pay big dividends. Conventional hoses will usually pack down and leak after a few years. Personally I would always opt for silicone in this application but you can probably get away with re-tightening them every few years if you enjoy pulling the intake manifold to do so!
Rob

[kings1527]

I re-seated the hoses, and put the loaner AutoZone pressure tester on it. While my freshly tightened hoses held like champs, there were 3 other areas on the car where coolant started dripping out. Now everything is tightened up, and seemingly no leaks. I'm letting it sit overnight at 15 psi. I never noticed any leaks like I was seeing, so the car must operate far below 15 psi, but it is good to have these fixed.

I feel a little foolish for never putting a pressure tester on the car before now. I'm officially a pressure test evangelist. This really is a must any time you open up the coolant system.

That might be one of those things to just go ahead and purchase to have at home. I picked up a great, used Snap On pressure tester of eBay for much cheaper than you'd think (maybe $100 or so) and it's hard to believe how often you break it out. Kind of like when you first get an air compressor. It's just so convenient when you want to rule out a leak or if you have a leak going and want to pinpoint real quickly where it's coming from. A real key piece of equipment.

[DavidProehl]

I was losing about 1.5 psi in a 24 hour period so I decided to pull the y pipe even though the seals were less than 5 years old. Looks like one of them went bad:
20160608_201412.jpg

Pressure testing again tonight. If all is well tomorrow I can finally reassemble!

[kings1527]

I was losing about 1.5 psi in a 24 hour period so I decided to pull the y pipe even though the seals were less than 5 years old. Looks like one of them went bad:
20160608_201412.jpg

Pressure testing again tonight. If all is well tomorrow I can finally reassemble!

That seal obviously doesn't look good but losing 1.5 psi/24 hours isn't bad at all. Usually you'll see something come up with a couple minutes. And it's different pressure testing with a cold system. When things heat up, the hoses will swell just a bit and close off anything that isn't 100% tight.

[sdg3205]

I think i heard 15 psi for 30 minutes is a good indication of system pressure health.

[fnzen]

from the pics it looks like you are running pure antifreeze you may want to "water down" the % too

definitely recommend that you take them off now that you are in there as there is alot of deposits around the edges and thats not right