Coolant all over on a dakota

[1966 dart wagon]

I had posted some info over here:
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3391388&posted=1#post3391388

Bought this truck, need a radiator, bought a new one, leaked...defective, replaced it with another still same problem, seems unlikely but hey got any ideas???

i only drove the truck around a lil with the new radiator. got plates for it and went driving more last night.

In the middle of driving it, it was warmed up and everything i started smelling antifreeze. very very light smell though so i kept driving got home and popped the hood ANTIFREEZE was all over the front of the engine and setteling in the bottom of the radiator tank(were the core meets the tank) all over the fan and battery, and top of hood.

Ok either i have had 2 defective radiators or something GOD DAMMIT i just wanna drive it

It did the same thing with the last one, new hoses clamps are tight, i double checked them, water pump is not leaking out the wheep hole and thermostat is dry. the upper hose gets hot, the cap never seems to get hot, i can always touch it, but it does it warm. The radiator has plastic end tanks...junk

Drove the truck to work today, temp guage got to about 5/8s stayed there for a while, heater never worked, stop added coolant to overflow tank, coolant all over engine btw, rad cap was still cold. heater worked fine after i added more coolant, got to work fine.

THOUGHTS???

Also noticed it makes a weird clunking noise sometimes when turning right, the noise comes from the RH side to middle. Does it in 4wd or 2. 4wd does work as does 2. it will do it when i go to give it some gas in 4wd sounds like its binding, and it was slippery out(not binding) but sounds like it almost.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/1966dartwagon/DSCF0102.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/1966dartwagon/DSCF0103.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/1966dartwagon/DSCF0108.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/1966dartwagon/DSCF0111.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/1966dartwagon/DSCF0114.jpg

Oh and before i put the 2nd radiator in, i let it warm up and watched it, waited outside till it was up to temp, heater was fine, i powerwashed it off first to see were new antifreeze was, nothing, all clean, hit the road later and antifreeze all over. I even ran it with the cap off to try and get any air out of the system

[dds78910]

They make a dye to make leaks easier to find and you can pressureize the system to help find the leak.

[minigts]

Maybe the pump has a crack in it. That may explain the coolant everywhere when you drive it, but not when it's idling. Just a thought. I don't think you'd get two broken radiators, especially new ones.

[rich tideswell]

+1 on bad water pump..... possibly torn open by pass hose as well

[WLKivett]

+1 on a leak in the bypass hose, I had that problem myself. I changed the water pump thinking that was the problem and in doing so made the leak in the hose bigger.... but I least I found the leak.:banghead:

[JDAWG]

I would guess water pump, I would do a water pump and put a new bypass hose on it at the same time.

[1966 dart wagon]

stupid me, forgot about the bypass hose, pretty easy to miss though, its all hidden by the waterpump alt and ac compressor

i was thinking of using the dye, but hell all that would do is spray dye all over my engine, didnt want that

i'll check that


tonight i was driving heated up decent, heater was luke warm, then while waiting for taco hell, the heater got cold, ice cold and temp was normally warming up, got on the road and drove, still heating up, but cold heater, finally pulled off(up a slight hill if that matters) then assuming the thermostate opened up the temp droped to 1/4 from 3/4 and good heater all the way home

[clocktowersniper]

Yup, Replace pump, Case solved. If its leaking from the pump and getting on the pump shaft or fan, It will spray everywhere. Also check the fan clutch too.

[black86glhs]

Beg, borrow or steal a pressure tester and over pressurize the system by at least 5 psi....10 is better. Look at it then. Also, new rad cap? If not, look there. It is possible to get a couple of bad radiators in a row if they are the same company. If they don't know of an issue with them, they can make several hundred or thousand that are defective.

[1966 dart wagon]

the radiator is the same company as the first one.

I dont know anyone with a pressure tester, bummer since that would help so much, tonight i'll probably go pick up some of that dye stuff run it though the system and see if i can find anything, but probably just end up replacing the waterpump, bypass hose, thermostate and heaterhoses to rule everything out, cause im tired of driving it and having to pull over to add antifreeze in negative degree weather freakin sucks

[Captain Chaos]

I agree its probably the bypass hose, if it starts pissing out towards the fan then gets slung everywhere.

[86Shelby]

im tired of driving it and having to pull over to add antifreeze in negative degree weather freakin sucks

I'd rather refill the coolant in that weather than swap the pump out in the cold.:thumb:

[iangoround]

Last I knew, most Autozone stores had radiator cap/cooling system pressure testers in their loan-a-tool inventory.

[Mopar318]

Is that Moss Green Pearl Coat? hehe.

[Captain Chaos]

Is that Moss Green Pearl Coat? hehe.

Aren't all 93-96 Dakotas green? lol

[Mopar318]

Aren't all 93-96 Dakotas green? lol

I have never seen another Moss Green Pearl truck on the road like mine. Usually they are forest green.

[Captain Chaos]

I have never seen another Moss Green Pearl truck on the road like mine. Usually they are forest green.

Guy I used to work with had a 4cylinder one and there was a V-6 one sitting at a dive shop at the time.

[1966 dart wagon]

alright found out my part time job(parts person) will let me use a pressure tester then just clean it up and put it back in the box since thats what everyone else uses:eyebrows::lol:

So i'll know tomorrow for sure, hell if its not the water pump i'll have saved 42bucks since i was just going to rip everything apart wp, thermostat, heater hoses, bypass hose and do them all and be done

but its looking like it must be the bypass hose

[rich tideswell]

alright found out my part time job(parts person) will let me use a pressure tester then just clean it up and put it back in the box since thats what everyone else uses:eyebrows::lol:


Autozone does have the pressure tester in their tool loaner program. Sounds like you have it under control, but just and FYI for future refference.

[clocktowersniper]

Harbor Freight also sells them cheap.

[WickedShelby88]

Let us know what you find out. That bypass hose let go on me on my way to work one day. My vehicle was an 84, though, so it was a lot easier to find at the time. 318 RC. Its in a similar location. Usually if its the weep hole at the pump it will still drain down after you shut it off. If you do need to get a W/P those darn fan clutches can be a pain to get off the thread part of the pump hub cause it uses one big nut and doesn't come off in the older conventional manner.

[1966 dart wagon]

pressurized the coolant system, it was leaking out of the water pump front seal bad too. So i put a water pump in it, thermostat, bypass hose and heater hoses for the hell of it. The fan clutch was easy, i have a belt tool or something, I wrapped it around the pulley, then put a crescent wrench on the big nut.

Works great, heater is awesome

[Mopar318]

I was going to say replace the timing cover gasket, and the chain while you are at it. Thats next to go.

[1966 dart wagon]

I was going to say replace the timing cover gasket, and the chain while you are at it. Thats next to go.

is that somewhat common in the magnum motors?

god cant imagine how much work that is, but on that note i was about there doing the waterpump.

BTW anyone know the book time(flat rate) on doing a water pump, thermostat, and heater hoses on my truck, just interesting to know, a radiator is 1 hr, i took that out to do the water pump to make it easier, that is an hour and having done it twice i can easily do it in under an hour.

[clocktowersniper]

Damn I'm good. I'm glad you got going. Theres not much to those trucks. Most is simple to fix.

[minigts]

pressurized the coolant system, it was leaking out of the water pump front seal bad too. So i put a water pump in it, thermostat, bypass hose and heater hoses for the hell of it. The fan clutch was easy, i have a belt tool or something, I wrapped it around the pulley, then put a crescent wrench on the big nut.

Works great, heater is awesome

Yay!! Glad you got it squared away. Heat is such a nice thing. That is the one thing I just LOVE about my car is that I could cook an egg in the car once the heater gets going. MMMMMM....egg.....now I'm hungry.

[Mopar318]

is that somewhat common in the magnum motors?

god cant imagine how much work that is, but on that note i was about there doing the waterpump.

BTW anyone know the book time(flat rate) on doing a water pump, thermostat, and heater hoses on my truck, just interesting to know, a radiator is 1 hr, i took that out to do the water pump to make it easier, that is an hour and having done it twice i can easily do it in under an hour.

The timing chain will stretch over time and you will get alot of chain slap. There is no tensior on the V8's. The seals on the timing cover corode after a while and you can start pissing coolant out of the cover, or worse...into the oil. Its routine maintanence on the timing chain. I think its like 80k mile intervals.

If your not having any issues with chain noise, or leaking coolant than I would just leave it be. Mine had 155k miles on it when I replaced the timing chain and it looks to be a stock unit. Replace with a mopar double roller when you do it, Its alot quiter. Timing chain is simple, you really cant mess it up. Took me probally 5-6 hours out in the freezing cold to do it when I was in college. I also replaced all the intake gaskets.

[Captain Chaos]

How many miles on the truck? I bought mine with 190k and didn't replace the chain until around 215k. Looked like this though:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn262/Dragracinglife/Dakota%20Pics/P6100220.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn262/Dragracinglife/Dakota%20Pics/P6100221.jpg

[Mopar318]

How many miles on the truck? I bought mine with 190k and didn't replace the chain until around 215k. Looked like this though:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn262/Dragracinglife/Dakota%20Pics/P6100220.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn262/Dragracinglife/Dakota%20Pics/P6100221.jpg

Damn, I thought mine was bad. How did that thing sound when you let off the gas?

[Captain Chaos]

You could hear it randomly hitting the cover. The oil deflector that goes between the gears was beat to death. It was almost a tooth off.

[WickedShelby88]

Hmm... After seeing that I should probably replace the chain in my 3.3. 188k and it is probably wore out.

[1966 dart wagon]

dam thats one worn out chain :confused:

[black86glhs]

Hmm... After seeing that I should probably replace the chain in my 3.3. 188k and it is probably wore out.Do it now while you still can without pulling the heads.:thumb: