Whew, my first "problem" on the tech board... how great(?) is that? Anyways, it's like this - Whenever either a)The car is started after running a while or b)you really get on the gas, there is a distinct coolant smell, especially when the blower (heater, def., etc.) is on. I'm not leaking anywhere that I can see (the level remains full), and my engine runs at a steady, quarter/quarter and a half temperature. I'm thinking it may be the heater core...? Any thoughts, suggestions, etc., would be much appreciated. Thanx.

 

'87 2.8 Auto FBird, by the way.

 

Sounds like the makings of a new heater core in your future.....

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ASE Mechanic/Machinist/Smog Tech

1999 NBM Trans Am
1986 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up
1981 corvette
1995 Kawi ZX6R
and 2 POS commuters...

R.I.P. #3
"He can see air"

 

Definite heater core in your near future. Do yourself a favor and replace it before it starts leaking into your passenger side floor board like mine did. Once that happens you'll be heater-less anyway and you kinda need that with winter upon us.

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1986 Trans AM
355 TPI
4 Wheel Disc Brakes
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.77's....oh joy) :P
6" rods, approx. 9.7:1 Compression, Stock TPI (soon to be ported), 24#/hr LTI injectors (cleaned and flowmatched by Cruizin Performance), Hedman Shorty Headers, 3" exhaust with 80 series flowmaster, SBC 993 heads completely redone and modified for 1.6 RR, 1.52 RR (for now), Comp Cams XE262-14 TPI Cam, Holley AFPR, TPIS airfoil, MSD wires, MSD 6-AL Ignition, Hypertech 53,000 volt coil.

Track times to come.

 

And nothing worse than laying in the coolant when replacing it..


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ASE Mechanic/Machinist/Smog Tech

1999 NBM Trans Am
1986 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up
1981 corvette
1995 Kawi ZX6R
and 2 POS commuters...

R.I.P. #3
"He can see air"

 

Another vote for the heater core here. I once had one dying and coolant vapors would come out every vent. Except I didn't know what was going on, so I just drove around like nothing was going on. Lemme tell ya though, coolant vapors will fog up a windshield something terrible. heh. And when it finally DID decide to completly break, it did so at a very busy intersection while I was in the left turn lane sitting in front of a light that just changed red.

Nothing's quite as horrible as the feeling you get when you see a puddle of coolant on your floor, smoke coming out all your vents, and the little temperature gauge slowly rising.

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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

Excellent, thanks alot, guys, it's much appreciated. I'll get the work done ASAP.