• From: Dursley, Glos
  • Registered: 27 Jul, 2010
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Puddle under my landy

I am new so forgive me if this a stoopid question default/tongue

I got my landy on Saturday (1982 2.25 petrol SWB) and have driven the beast around for the last couple of days. After a trip, water is coming out of the expansion tank 'overflow' pipe and making a smallish puddle on the floor. There are some tiny bubbles around the little pipe that comes out of the top of the rad to the expansion tank and it sounds like there is some pressure in there.

When cold I checked the levels and the rad is full and the expansion tank is about a third full. The temp gauge sticks around normal even at the end of journey, is this ok or could there be a problem lurking in the background?

Apologies also for any poor mechanical terminology default/hmm

I did a quick search of the forum but could not find any posts related to this, though I may be being blind

  • From: Auckland, NZ
  • Registered: 30 Mar, 2009
  • Posts: 73

Re: Puddle under my landy

Quackers wrote:

I am new so forgive me if this a stoopid question default/tongue

I got my landy on Saturday (1982 2.25 petrol SWB) and have driven the beast around for the last couple of days. After a trip, water is coming out of the expansion tank 'overflow' pipe and making a smallish puddle on the floor. There are some tiny bubbles around the little pipe that comes out of the top of the rad to the expansion tank and it sounds like there is some pressure in there.

When cold I checked the levels and the rad is full and the expansion tank is about a third full. The temp gauge sticks around normal even at the end of journey, is this ok or could there be a problem lurking in the background?

Apologies also for any poor mechanical terminology default/hmm

I did a quick search of the forum but could not find any posts related to this, though I may be being blind

Well radiator full is good and expansion 1/3 sounds all right.  A bit concerned at bubbles where pipe joins rad, should be dry, sounds like it could have a very small leak there, then running down outside of the pipe?  That pipe is the conduit between rad and expansion so should not leak.

Big J - My S3 - 1972 S3 LWB Hardtop, Holden 186 & LPG
Theo - Daughters - 1980 S3 SWB Hardtop, Holden 202 & RR diffs
Rodney - Sons - 1982 Stage 1 V8, becoming a convertible
"Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools!"
  • From: Weardale, County Durham
  • Registered: 4 Dec, 2008
  • Posts: 139

Re: Puddle under my landy

Where were the bubbles?  the system works by allowing the expansion of water in the rad as it warms to escape into the expansion tank, as it cools again the bulkof this water should be drawn back into the radiator.  When the system is hot there should be some pressure behind the radiator cap, this is spring loaded  - the pressure on the cap lifts against the spring and allows the valve to open allowing the water to escape into the tank.  There shouldn't really be any visible bubbles around the cap or the pipe as both are part of a sealed system.

you may need a new cap (fairly cheap) or be getting ready for a new radiator (rather more expensive, but still not too bad compared to most cars!)

  • From: Dursley, Glos
  • Registered: 27 Jul, 2010
  • Posts: 4

Re: Puddle under my landy

Thanks for the info guys,

On close inspection it seems that the water is coming from the expansion tank 'overflow' pipe (for want of a better word). The bubbles are coming from the fitting between the pipe to the expansion tank and the rad and there looks to be some corrosion, so I am preparing my self for a new rad but they seem to be pretty cheap as you say default/smile

Cheers for the warm welcome and the speedy response default/big_smile