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[Webby the Bear]

Hi guys, hope you're well.

I finally got round to fitting my exhaust yesterday. She sounds really nice. Bit bassier and little bit louder but it's a nice exhaust note

Anyways, whilst refitting the downpipe I noticed fresh red coolant droplets on the bell housing. As this car had a top end rebuild a few months back I'm praying it's not the HG..... Car never over heats and in fact runs slightly too cool (thermostat job for the warm weather) and also no mayo in the oil.

So, my question is.... after checking HBV and trying to get my hand behind the heads to feel for wetness is there anything else I should be checking?



Cheers.

[Gaffers]

check the helter-skelter pipe and the coolant bridge.  they are quite fragile when old and worn.  I have had one split on me quite dramatically whilst on route for an MOT

[Webby the Bear]

Thanks mate.

That's a good point.... the coolant bridge (that's where the ECT sensor screws in to, right?) I think I may have reused the metal washers as they didn't have any and I was impatient! lol

Sorry mate (I've got a headcold at the mo lol) whats the helter skelter pipe?

 

[chrisgixer]

Associated rubber pipe work off the coolant transfer pipe/hbv.

Coolant runs though the v of the engine so anywhere in that circuit can leak. Ultimate test is to remove plenum/inlet/plastic wedge and pressure test the system, see where it leaks from.

But before doing do test the hbv with ac on AND off. As it depends which "chamber" on the hbv fails.

[chrisgixer]

Also consider coir plugs on the heads if nothing else found.

[Webby the Bear]

Cheers Chris... so basically follow the drivers' side top radiator hose backwards to the HBV and beyond

Yeah, I was going to say I need to pressure test it but I'm not in school for a week so cant ''borrow'' theirs 

Thanks for the info, i'll check it all out 

[chrisgixer]

Rad>Top hose>coolant transfer pipe>stat>block>water pump>oil cooler/heads>coolant bridge/coolant transfer pipe>load of gubbins round the back incl hbv>matrix etc

Anywhere there really.

[Webby the Bear]

AWESOME!!! Cheers for that info mate 

[cd 2.2]

hbv's have a tendency to drip coolant when they fail ... mine was leaking for a long time (since way before I owned it), It's left a rusty/orangey stain  down the drivers side of the gearbox and the back of the engine! If it's failed and has been like it for a long time then the hbv may have allot of lime scale build up on it around the hole that it leaks from

[Webby the Bear]

I've managed to source a pressure tester 

Any idea what I should pump it up to to see if it holds pressure? I'm thinking no more than like 17psi....... what do you think?

[Webby the Bear]

...and one last thing (sorry)..... if there was a HG failure will the pressure tester send bubbles up in to the expansion tank?

[chrisgixer]

I've managed to source a pressure tester 

Any idea what I should pump it up to to see if it holds pressure? I'm thinking no more than like 17psi....... what do you think?

Numerous ways to "apply pressure" rather than "test the pressure" although its good you have one.
Fit a push bike valve in the bottle cap and pump up with a push bike pump.
Block one end of the throttle body coolant pipes, pump up the other end with a foot pump. Air line van work, but be carefull not to over pressurise. As you say 15 to, iirc, 20 psi is fine.
Or even, seal your mouth round the bottle neck and blow. Needs an assistant to look for the leak though. Unless your eyes are in stalks.

Re HG. No. Pressure comes from the combustion chamber in order to pressurise the cooling system. You'll be doing the opposite, so it would leak water into the combustion chamber/past the gasket externally, while pressure testing.

[Webby the Bear]

haha cheers chris. yeah don't fancy blowing in to it. I get major head rush from blowin up balloons haha cheers mate

if I cant source the leak ill get a block tester or something cheap like that

[cd 2.2]

Just a thought on this ... Is there a water jacketed egr valve on the back of the block on the v6's like there is on the 2.2 and 2.0??? I only ask as it just popped into my mind that my 2.2 had a gasket on that item as part of the head rebuild! I guess if you have a similar thing it could be leaking??? ... just a long shot

[Gaffers]

Not on the V6s