I removed and reinstalled my cylinder head, new head gasket, and installed new hondata intake manifold gasket.

since then, i've had coolant leak once through the intake manifold gasket...i tightened up the bolts and the leak went away.

i also used a pressure gauge through the coolant line, and it held the pressure.

its been about 3 months, 3K miles...and the coolant level has gone from MAX to MIN.

i do not think this is normal coolant usage and I suspect a leak.

Thoughts?

 

Is your radiator cap still good?

 

why wouldn't it be?

its capped on...i suppose its good.

 

I think your losing coolant someplace. A little through evaporation over a long period of time might be normal. The whole system is essentially closed. Have you looked at your oil? Hopefully none escaping through your headgasket. Doubt your losing any into the cylenders because it would be ultra noticable.

 

definitely a leak. The system is completely closed.. you shouldn't lose any, especially not that much in 3 months.

 

Hypothetical- If you were losing one drop into a cylinder every 6,000 revolutions and normal driving was 3000rpm, you would be losing 10mls every 20min. or one ounce every hour or one quart every 32hrs.
I don't know how an engine would react to such a slow leak but would assume its possible and might even go unnoticed.
If you can't find a leak, change your headgasket.l

 

if it was going into the cylinders, why and how would it be ultra-noticeable.

if i was losing it through the head-gasket, shouldn't i be able to see evidence of this?

also, with the pressure gauge through the radiator cap...wouldn't i lose pressure if it was leaking through cylinder and/or head gasket?


thanks for all the input.

 

Are you blowing any smoke through your exhausts? Sure your water pump is fine?

 

i am not blowing smoke through my exhaust...but i've never really closely inspected...my girlfriend drives behind me several times a week and she never mentioned anything.

water pump...i don't know if it is fine or not.

what is the water pumps function and how would it cause a coolant leak if it was not fine?

 

the water pump pumps the water hence ---> water pump lol. just kidding. but seriously it pumps the coolant through the system and is belt driven i THINK.
anyway, if it where faulty i.e. leaking you would be loosing coolant. Usually you can find some "corrosion" on the pump housing if its leaking.