Some funny smell from 225 (coolant)

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SlantedMark4

SlantedMark4

'74 Valiant 225 /6
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2022
Messages
111
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Location
Switzerland
Hey guys, it's me again. First of all, thank you all very much for helping me out for the past few months. It wouldn't have been possible to me to bring back my '74 to the road without this forum and it's members.
Anyways, my Valiant is on the road and it looks like another problem appeared. This now may sound weird, I know, but I am pretty new to old cars and common problems and finding a solution to them.
When I go for a drive, let's say to work and back home (around 30 miles) with it, it starts to smell after warm coolant. The smell comes from the engine (obviously), but when I'm getting closer to it, it seems like it's coming from the all mighty head gasket. It was quite bad the first time, but I risked it and took her out of the garage and it isn't quite bad since. The temperature's good and there's no white smoke coming from the exhaust.
What I have found out is the clamp on the coolant hose on the bottom of the radiator was loose, so I tightened it, but the car still is consuming or loosing coolant (about a quarter of a liter on a one hour jurney that's missing in the overflow tank). How likely is it to be the head gasket and what "risks" do I have to face if it is the gasket when I have to replace it (like valves, adjusting them, other parts)? Are there any other "common" parts on a /6 to tend to leak?
The water pump and thermostat housing are new, the radiator is revised by experts and there's new fresh coolant filled in. The engine oil and tranny oil are looking good, same as the oil filling and coolant caps. The thing is, the valve cover and head are quite oily...
 
Have you CLOSELY inspected under the heater box for wetness? Sometimes it will leak from the heater core and run under the carpet and you actually have to peel the carpet back in order to detect the leak.
 
Could be the water pump seal leaking. Most pumps have a weep hole so that if the seal leaks, coolant exits via the weep hole before it can get into the bearing. Check for wetness in that area.
 
Losing that much I would think you could SEE it. I would also try letting it set a bit, while warm, and then pulling the plugs and see if they are wet. Does it miss any on start up? Also look at the tailpipe for excessive moisture, and see if you can smell it back there.
 
check the rubber seal in your radiator cap, check rest of your hose clamps and check under carpet on passenger side front floor board!
 
67Dart273 said:
Losing that much I would think you could SEE it. I would also try letting it set a bit, while warm, and then pulling the plugs and see if they are wet. Does it miss any on start up? Also look at the tailpipe for excessive moisture, and see if you can smell it back there.
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I've sniffed the exhaust already and didn't think it was smelling different. I have filled up the overfill tank over a week ago and it has not lost any coolant so far...
 
Sounds like you just did a bunch of cooling system work? Any chance the system is just clearing out some left over air trapped in the system?
 
Do you see anything on the ground after it parked for a while? You just have to look all over from up top and underneath until you find the leak.
 
ive had some cars that couldnt keep full, let it be at a quart or 2 low and it stay right there for years but fill it to the rim it lose a quart or 2 every few days!
 
Have you done the inspections I and others have outlined? I love it when everyone goes to the trouble to give advice and then we never know if it was followed. People's time cannot be given back.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Have you CLOSELY inspected under the heater box for wetness? Sometimes it will leak from the heater core and run under the carpet and you actually have to peel the carpet back in order to detect the leak.
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I'm gonna check when I take my car out of the garage! Thanks for your message!
 
TF360 said:
Do you see anything on the ground after it parked for a while? You just have to look all over from up top and underneath until you find the leak.
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There's only some oil on the ground when it's parked...
 
dirty white boy said:
ive had some cars that couldnt keep full, let it be at a quart or 2 low and it stay right there for years but fill it to the rim it lose a quart or 2 every few days!
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Sounds strange but I will check out if it is the same case here. The funny thing is, my first cruise in it was about 300km and it never went below min.
 
dirty white boy said:
ive had some cars that couldnt keep full, let it be at a quart or 2 low and it stay right there for years but fill it to the rim it lose a quart or 2 every few days!
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THat's because Mopars without overflow tanks aren't supposed to be filled to the "rim".
 
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pressure tester2.jpg
 
RustyRatRod said:
He can probably rent one at a local parts store and get his dough back when he returns it.
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Yep, he's from Switzerland though. I don't know how they do things over there. :lol: It sounds like it's using it according to his first post but who knows. A pressure tester is the first test to do.
 
toolmanmike said:
Yep, he's from Switzerland though. I don't know how they do things over there. :lol: It sounds like it's using it according to his first post but who knows. A pressure tester is the first test to do.
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Uh oh. I missed that. Thanks. Hopefully there's something similar over there.
 
Never jump to the conclusion "bad head gasket". Many unscrupulous mechanics will purposely put that thought in a customer's head, without a full investigation, then the customer runs with it. A co-worker asked me about losing coolant in his Chevy truck w/ LS engine, after a mechanic gave that "head gasket" speech. I asked if he smelled coolant in the cab in winter. Yes, he did. I suggested "leaking heater core". Instead of checking that, he started searching for another truck to swap the engine, then ended selling his truck. He was an engineer (but EE). A gomer shop tried that on my sister in 1970's with her 1967 Mustang straight-six on a long drive. I told her to keep driving (17 then, but knew a little) and found a busy shop further down which found a pinhole leak in a heater hose (so tiny the spray was evaporating and not leaving a noticeable liquid) and fixed it for $5.
 
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