My camaro is leaking coolant on the pass side on the exhaust pipe, which is how I noticed it. Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? The leak isn't bad, maybe a drip every 2 or 3 seconds.

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86' IROC-Z
5.0L TPI
Stock(for now)

 

It could be the line coming in to the heather core leaking. Check the hose.

 

That is around where it is leaking. If I don't see leaking from either hose, how can I tell if it is the heater core or not? Won't it leak inside the car if it is the heater core?

 

Yeah, if it's the heater core leaking it will be inside the car. I should have phrased that better...I'm talking about the line that comes off the throttle body and then goes to the heater valve which goes to the heater core. It could be leaking anywhere from there on back. There is also a connection right near the passenger side in front of the a/c accumlator. Check around there too.

 

Or it could be a leak at the intake manifold/head joint, or at the head/block joint. It could also be a failing core plug at the rear of the head.

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Later,
Vader
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"Make Me Bad..."
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0
KaleCo Auto Parts

 

I just went through this same thing no more than 4 days ago... found coolant leaking down onto the floorboard on the outside, could NOT see anything though when I looked into the engine compartment. I friend of mine looked at it and said he thought it was the freeze plug on the back of the block on the passenger side. I called my mech and he said those rarely go bad, (the rear freeze plugs) and to check the hoses on the heater core first. I rubbed my fingers along the bottom of both hoses and sho' nuff, it was wet underneath the return line there at the heater core.

I pulled the hose off and about 1/2" into the hose I see these two big pieces of old hose stuck to the inside. I had to knock them off with a screwdriver. Turns out that 6 months ago when I replaced that hose, I had to cut the old one off. When I did, there were some pieces of the old hose stuck to the nipple of the heater core which you couldn't see, and I installed the new hose over the top of it.. it took six months, but it finally let go last week and it was a constant, steady drip. I was losing about a quart of coolant every 30 miles. Check it out, I hope that's what it is, because all you have to do is pull the heater core and clean up the connections. Good luck.

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Kevin Irving
85 Trans Am WS-6, 305 TPI, custom burned '86 PROM with '87 "165"ECM, Accel Supercoil & 8.8 Wires, MSD 6AL, Aluminum Driveshaft, TB Coolant Bypass, Ported Plenum, Modified MAF, Syclone Fuel Pump, JET Airfoil

15.556 @ 86.65mph, Nov 10, 2000.... I know it sucks.. but it will get better!

http://www.geocities.com/transam85tpi/

[This message has been edited by Kevin Irving (edited January 29, 2001).]

 

Well, if it isn't just a hose, then i'm takin it in, cause I don't have the time nor the skill to take out the heater core and put in a new one. I don't think it is the HC, because it is leaking in the engine compartment, in the area of the HC, and is dripping on the exhaust pipe. That is how I found the problem, cause I heard it hissing as it hit the pipe. Are the hoses that go to and from the HC the same length, size, price, type?

 

The line from the heater core to the radiator is 5/8", the other one is a bit smaller, maybe 1/2"? Check that hose, you could be saving yourself a MAJOR headache by pulling it off and seeing if something is in there keeping you from getting a good seal. Taking the heater core out isn't bad, just don't follow the Haynes manual, that book tells you to take apart just about the entire dash, which is major overkill. Check the tech articles section here for the directions for removing/replacing your heater core.



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Kevin Irving
85 Trans Am WS-6, 305 TPI, custom burned '86 PROM with '87 "165"ECM, Accel Supercoil & 8.8 Wires, MSD 6AL, Aluminum Driveshaft, TB Coolant Bypass, Ported Plenum, Modified MAF, Syclone Fuel Pump, JET Airfoil

15.556 @ 86.65mph, Nov 10, 2000.... I know it sucks.. but it will get better!

http://www.geocities.com/transam85tpi/

 

Yeah that was what I was going by, my Haynes manual. I was like, wtf! I'm not gonna take out my whole dash. Ok, i'll check them out. Thanx.

 

One of the guys in SC3GFB had his throttle body corrode away and leak. He found a replacement, and immediately bypassed the throttle body so it wouldn't happen again.