coolant leakage (*%#*!!)

[Kerry Griffith]

Thanks for the input, Phil. I was beginning to despair for lack of 
responses. The radiator fan operates as it should. I'll have to go back 
in the archives for the 80-amp fusible link, unless you can refresh my 
memory as to how (and if) one with quite limited skills would check the 
link.

The gents who work on my car replaced the cap on the tank when I 
brought it in for this symptom initially. They work on enough cars of 
this vintage that I suspect they'd catch the link, but since evolution 
suggests that mankind may indeed be descended from monkey lads, I 
wouldn't bet the subdivision.

As for "hot enough" the car has only become sufficiently heated for 
coolant to escape when driving from 4000' to 7000' in elevation at 
75-80ish mph on the Interstate when the ambient temperature was 100F at 
4000' and over 90F at 7000'. I've done that twice now; the remainder of 
the driving has been around town where the thermal load is insufficient 
to cause coolant loss. Gauges don't indicate anything inappropriate for 
the thermal load.  Sorry I wasn't specific enough previously.


Best regards,
Kerry

On Sunday, July 17, 2005, at 04:25 PM, Phil Rose wrote:

> At 2:02 PM -0600 7/17/05, Kerry Griffith wrote:
>> Cracked threads or tank is my hope and my assumption. If anyone can 
>> explain a different cause of this symptom (other than a loose cap), 
>> I'd like to know.
>
> Your previous post was about leakage when your car "gets hot enough", 
> so I've gotta ask the obvious:  is the radiator fan working properly 
> at that point (i.e., at stage-3 speed)?  Is the 80-amp fusible link 
> intact?
>
> Phil
> -- 
>
> Phil Rose
> Rochester, NY
> mailto:pjrose at frontiernet.net
>