so i replaced my headers and y pipe in my garage... car is working but only problem is i think i might have forgotten 2 reconnect an engine coolant hose after i took off my intake manifold. the car will get about 1.5 miles before it gets hot and i cant drive it around anymore. it leaks engine coolant but i cant find the leak. is there any way i can easily locate a gap in the coolant system like this? ive tried squeezing the radiator hose to find out where it comes out but i think there are valves that let it out only when the engine is hot. also to have a shop do it how much would i pay? ive come to ends with this project and am thinking about getting it professionally fixed up.

 

keep looking or bring it to a shop...pepboys will do a cooling sytem diag for around 30 bucks i believe.

 

I ran on a leak for 10 miles refilling my radiator every 2 or so. Eventually it showed itself by making a gigantic hole in the radiator (which shot 10 feet in the air and 15 feet in front of my car, so be careful)... I'd suggest running your car until its hot tho, parking, then opening the hood and listening for the hiss, then looking for the water drip and tracing it. Thats what I did. Lots of times. I may be completely crazy posting this but the fact you replaced the headers/y pipe makes it odd your having trouble finding the leak.

FILL IT WITH WATER THO! ..

 

The only coolant lines up top besides the heater hoses is the stupid coolant based cold idle cam that loops from the coolant tube, to the EGR port on the back of the manifold, up to the TB, back to the coolant tube.

I removed all of mine (and removed the cold idle cam and plunger from the TB) and I haven't had any bad symptoms, cold start is the same as before. Of course, I removed mine because I damaged the cold idle cam equipment when I got 'curious' (which is exactly what led me to redoing my timing chain in the car, being 'curious').

Either check those, the rad hoses, the heater hoses, or the rad. Also, if it's leaking between the inner TC and the block, that would be your water pump. A very fun job...

 

Yep, had a saturn that was catapulting water at me with its belt.... i was like watch pump water pump!.. They where like, nope...

 

.......

 

Me :"The belt is squeeking on one of the parts funny like it hasnt before and almost sounds like the water pump."

Them :"Its probably just because the cars low on water."

*adds water*...

Me :"Its throwing water at me from the belt slightly."

Them :"Check the radiator hoses and find the leak."..

*gets under car at their request but finds no leak*..

Me :"I can't find a leak but its dripping/throwing water at a odd place but the pipes seem fine, I still think it may be the water pump"...

Them :"No no, the leak has to be there somewhere, I just replaced the waterpump a year or two ago"

*grabs water pump and shakes it*

Me :"It has to be the waterpump, its throwing water at me like crazy"...

Them :"Well, when waterpumps go bad it does start dripping slightly"

Me : *sigh* "Wasn't that what I said in the beginning?"...

Them :"now its time for you to fix it, go price a waterpump!"..

Was my ex's car, lol... the moral of the story is, denial is not a good diagnostic tool. Find your waterpump and see if its loose/shaking, might be a easy culprit for why the hoses are fine. Althought when mine broke it broke the one headed for the thermostat+one of the main hoses with pin-sized holes. So be careful and look hard!