[66ChevellePost]

Back again with another issue.
I have been fighting a coolant leak issue.
Take a look a these photos and tell me if you think my expansion tank is cracked or is it a factory seam.
The area you are looking at is around the bottom hose connection.


http://s103.photobucket.com/user/66ChevellePost/story

Thanks,
Kenny

 

[zetecDon]

Moved to "General Technical Chat".

 

[FocusKnot]

Most of those look like the marks left from the injection molding process. There is one that I am not sure about.

Is the system building pressure at all? If it is, then the reservoir is probably not cracked as it would leak badly.

BTW: You can clean the gunk from the inside with some ice and water. Just swish it around and let the ice scrub the inside.

 

[torpedan]

Back again with another issue.
I have been fighting a coolant leak issue.
Take a look a these photos and tell me if you think my expansion tank is cracked or is it a factory seam.
The area you are looking at is around the bottom hose connection.

How quickly is the car losing cooling? Is the car leaving a puddle or it the coolant just disappearing when you use the car?

 

[amc49]

All of that is mold line where the complicated mold sections all meet to form the shape needed.

You will see any leak there or not looking. The tanks flex as they are used, you will see shear fractures very close to each other or the seams (white solid lines) where the dividers leave behind air bubbles in the plastic will leak or the main weld around the perimeter. I resealed a small leak in one perimeter weld once many years ago and I got lucky and it resealed, still running the part now.

I just cleaned another tank by soaking in gas for a couple days and then water mixed with aquarium gravel shook up hard to scrub it, it looks new again and was MUCH dirtier than yours picced there, was actually purple and solid. Now back to white plastic only.

 

[66ChevellePost]

amc69 and FocusKnot,

I think you guys are right they are just mold lines. I wanted to make sure from you experienced guys. I have some acquarium gravel, will try to clean it as you suggest amc69.

Thanks,
Kenny

 

[amc49]

Shake it hard. The gravel WILL all come back out, just keep turning the tank all over till it does.

 

[66ChevellePost]

Well, my problem was operator error I guess. I ended up replacing all the old factory squeeze clamps on the passenger side of the engine with the scew type. My inlet pipes on the water pump was threaded. So I used a little teflon tape to seal them. I cleaned my coolant reservoir cap as suggested with aquarium gravel. I inspected the tank carefully for cracks. I then noticed that the coolant reservoir cap rubber seal/gasket was not seated down flat at the top of the cap but was actually a little cockeyed to where it wouldn't have made a good seal. So I seated it back into place. I filled with antifreeze and have been driving it for the 2 days now with no leaks.

Thanks All,
Kenny

 

[felixthecat]

Great to hear, you got it figured out,