Coolant smell

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RustyRatRod

I was born on a Monday. Not last Monday.
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Ok so I have pretty much rebuilt the cooling system in this 64 Valiant, 170 slant, 3 on the tree. Water pump, thermostat, upper and lower hoses, heater hoses, heater core and radiator. Flushed the hound out of the engine. The radiator was the last thing I replaced the day before I drove the car on its maiden voyage to work. It's "around" a 20 mile trip, round trip.

So here is the deal. When I first start it, I smell coolant. Didn't do it before the radiator swap. Now, when I did the swap, I got coolant all over God's creation. This is a 3 row radiator and the fan was sucking coolant out of the core and blowing it all over the engine after I got it running. The coolant was trapped in the core and not leaking from the radiator. It has zero leaks. Holds pressure good. It has the cold line, a line about a third the way up, the half way line and the hot line. It goes to the line a third the way up and stays there. No coolant on the ground. No coolant inside the car. No oil in the radiator. No coolant in the oil. But I can smell it. The smell is not coming from the exhaust. It's coming from under the hood. The smell goes away shortly after being started but always returns when I re-start. Then goes away I guess as it gets temperature on it. I've only driven it the "about" 20 mile round trip one time. Could this still be residual coolant residue coming off the radiator? Running regular green coolant.

And yes, I have checked it with the infra red temp gun. It confirms the car is running cool as a cucumber, in the fridge.
 
Yes. It smells for a while.

Drive on the highway at speed and let her get warm while the air blows all the old coolant out of the cracks and crevices.

Just drive her.
 
Ok so I have pretty much rebuilt the cooling system in this 64 Valiant, 170 slant, 3 on the tree. Water pump, thermostat, upper and lower hoses, heater hoses, heater core and radiator. Flushed the hound out of the engine. The radiator was the last thing I replaced the day before I drove the car on its maiden voyage to work. It's "around" a 20 mile trip, round trip.

So here is the deal. When I first start it, I smell coolant. Didn't do it before the radiator swap. Now, when I did the swap, I got coolant all over God's creation. This is a 3 row radiator and the fan was sucking coolant out of the core and blowing it all over the engine after I got it running. The coolant was trapped in the core and not leaking from the radiator. It has zero leaks. Holds pressure good. It has the cold line, a line about a third the way up, the half way line and the hot line. It goes to the line a third the way up and stays there. No coolant on the ground. No coolant inside the car. No oil in the radiator. No coolant in the oil. But I can smell it. The smell is not coming from the exhaust. It's coming from under the hood. The smell goes away shortly after being started but always returns when I re-start. Then goes away I guess as it gets temperature on it. I've only driven it the "about" 20 mile round trip one time. Could this still be residual coolant residue coming off the radiator? Running regular green coolant.

And yes, I have checked it with the infra red temp gun. It confirms the car is running cool as a cucumber, in the fridge.

you already knew the answer...... sounds like it might be time for a good cleaning under the hood
 
Im betting the smell will go away after a few runs

On a separate note did you update the overflow to a closed cooling system? The closed system keeps the radiator full at all times.

Run any coolant recovery bottle the fits in available space and a Stant 10231 cap. Great upgrade to the old mopar system for less the $20
 
Did you use screw clamps or spring clamps? Some can drip a drop or two until heat expansion.
 
Just for the heck of it, drag your finger over the inside of the windshield and then taste your finger. It may be that the heater system pulled in some air-born coolant and deposited a thin layer on the windshield. It will continue to smell every time the defroster warms it up.... until you wash it off. On mine, I had to eventually clean out the heater box too.
 
Rinse the engine compartment with water
 
I always pour a gallon or two of water around the engine compartment after major cooling system work and then go drive the car around.
 
I always pour a gallon or two of water around the engine compartment after major cooling system work and then go drive the car around.

I did......probably several gallons with the garden hose. I think though that it is leftover that's gotten caught in the radiator core.
 
Just for the heck of it, drag your finger over the inside of the windshield and
then taste your finger.
^^^^^^^^ will continue to smell every time the defroster warms it up.... until you wash it off. On mine, I had to eventually clean out the heater box too.
Hell might as well drink a qt. or so while ur at it !! LoL--------NOT !!
 
Any time I could smell it, it almost always 99% was the heater core or one of the heater hoses with a leak that was shooting trough the firewall.
 
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Any time I could smell it, it almost always 99% was the heater core or one of the heater hoses with a leak that was shooting trough the firewall.
If so dos it not always leak a puddle on the floor!! Loss of coolant from rad? I guess I could be a very small pin hole and make the smell.
 
Possible heater core. I have had bad right out of the box. Might also be coolant soaked foam in the heater box. My 84 D-100 needs a core. I can smell coolant, but no visible leaks, and passes pressure test. Probably just a little core "seepage". But I would drive yours a little more, before getting too involved.
 
The smell should burn off or stop once you hose off the engine area......but. If it persist. Then the heater core is stopped up or leaking. Run the heater and see if you smell it or notice it won’t heat properly
 
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