Possible coolant leak?

[jgm]

MsBianca,


I wasn't watching the forum this past spring so missed your posts in May.
Here is a picture of my coolant overflow bottle. You may not have one. They might not have been standard in 89 - 91? I think mine was added by a previous owner. So if no bottle when the pressure builds up the coolant is expelled. Maybe that's what you saw on your bumper? Add an overflow bottle like the one pictured and you can keep coolant in the system and air out.



Regarding the coolant to add- call the shop that topped off the last time and ask them what they added. There is diesel coolant with SCA (supplemental cooling additives) for diesel engines that's different from auto coolant. NAPA has a Heavy Duty Truck coolant for diesel engines that is pinkish in color but it's the glycol (green) mix not the extended use stuff. It turns green when it's mixed with green.


Think about getting a new radiator with 4 rows rather than just recoring your old stock 3. That's what a PO put in Small World. More cooling the better.


If it was me, I'd have a truck shop check the radiator and pressure test it before heading off on your trip. Even with Coachnet you could be towed a couple hundred miles from nowhere and spend your vacation trying to get back on the road. If it was a catastrophic failure it might mean engine damage to deal with away from home. Just saying

[MsBianca]

Once again, thanks for the thoughtful reply. I put a bottle of a4985 coolant and a bottle of diesel SCA in.

We took her on a drive of 2 half hour stints. And came home to check. The radiator itself is leaking. There was a small pool from the top of the radiator that went down. Based on the condition of the radiator, I’m going to cancel the trip.

This is because I’m also concerned about a front air leak too. It used to take all night but since I had a valve replaced, the front end drops now within minutes. This concerns me as even though I use primarily the retarder, it does spook me a bit.