Problems With Coolant Recovery Tank Hose

[c3po]

I think I am having a problem with the coolant hose that goes from my radiator to the recovery tank, it is original, its on a 1983 Chevrolet El Camino. The hose feels very soft and I can squeeze it very easily. The problem started a week ago when I noticed the lower radiator hose was leaking, its fairly new, made sure it was tight. I cleaned out the recovery tank and it was fine for a day and then started leaking again, this is when the car has been driven a while and a few drips come out, my thinking is that the hose is collapsing and not letting coolant flow into the recovery tank, the past 2 days it has not leaked, but today the recovery tank was low and I filled it up a little, but whether the car is hot or cold the level is the same. I am going to put a new hose on tommorow, I do not suspect a head gasket leak because the car is running great and there is nothing wrong with the oil on the dipstick, so let me know if this is something simple like a worn hose just collapsing under pressure. I will be at CarQuest tommorow.

 

[George7941]

Hoses collapse under vacuum, not pressure.

With brake flex hoses, a flap of rubber inside the hose will somtimes block the hose under pressure. Never seen that with a coolant hose though. I doubt that your hose is collapsing shut. You more likely have a leak in the hose.

 

[Merkava_4]

Hoses have to be replaced periodically; it's just routine maintenance.

 

[alreadygone]

I'll be willing to bet the price of the job that if you look CLOSELY you'll find leak is from weep hole in water pump, and running down lower hose to drip.

Reserve tank hose is a non issue.

Bob

 

[c3po]

I looked around the water pump and saw nothing but I will still keep an eye on things, it is an Edelbrock water pump. I have a small hole drilled in my thermostat because I took the heater core off a while back and plugged up the fittings, I read where you run your engine after it has been sitting overnite for 1 minute and then pop the radiator cap off, if no pressure when cap is taken off you are fine, well when I took the radiator cap off coolant and some pressure came out, of course I turned the car off, cannot find what I was reading, maybe I needed to keep the engine on. I will keep everyone posted.

 

[c3po]

I cleaned everything up and then took the car out, when I came back I noticed some coolant, just a little bit leaking from the upper radiator near the tank on the passenger side, it was obviously leaking down and drying on the radiator and it was leaving a small puddle near the lower radiator hose. I have some Aluma-Seal, I am going to put it in and drive it for 30 minutes so it can get to the leak even though the bottle says to run it for 10 to 20 minutes. If I get by for a year or so it will be worth the $3.00 I paid. My Dad has a 79 Bonneville and I checked his hose and it felt the same as mine. My thinking is that because of the leak in the radiator that the coolant was not going into the recovery tank. I am just so happy it was not a head gasket. I can handle eventually getting another radiator and putting it in, a head gasket job is a little more than I can handle. I know this stop leak is not a permanent fix.