Does anyone know of an available cooling system tester that will fit a 308?
What is it you want to test, Bob? I have one of these pressure testers. Used it to find a leak on my 308 some years back. I don't recall having to make and mods to use it. I assume it still has the correct cap. You can pick one up for about $40. Not the best quality but works good enough for DIY. Image Unavailable, Please Login
If you are talking about a pressure tester Ferrari used the old standard waterneck size used on most American cars for a very long time. Any US made commercial tester should fit.
You probably don't need more than 10-12psi over 5-10 mins to spot a leak. Don't exceed the rated cap pressure when testing, or you'll make new leaks.
+1 -- and the carb cars are 0.9 bar max IIRC. You can also get some leaks that really aren't an operational problem -- cold (hard) hoses and high pressure are a condition that the engine never sees. When warm, the hose material gets a lot softer and expands some so seals a lot better. If you can go to the max cap pressure cold with no leaks that's ideal, but I'm with thorn on not needing to go to the max pressure when cold to find a problem that's occurring during normal operation. If you are losing coolant without it showing on the ground (i.e., you've got a head gasket leak), you should also be a little careful about starting the engine after a cold static pressure test. If you fill up a cylinder with coolant, and the engine tries to start = bad thing can happen. If this is your symptom, better to do a "CO-presence-in-the-coolant" test during warm-running before doing the cold static pressure test IMO -- just a thought...
Friends, Thats my worry, I dont want to cause more problems. The car has been sitting for a few months while I work on the clutch. I have disturbing leak coming from the center chassis tunnel which could necessitate a engine removal to fix in the worst case scenario. I want to rule that out if possible (crossed fingers) . How can I check this without causing more problems? Should I wait till I can get the engine warm again??? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
No, if you had an obvious external leak during cold storage, just do the cold pressure test (just don't go crazy with the pressure) -- I have the Stant 12270: https://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/Universal-Cooling-System-and-Pressure-Cap-Tester-P54126.aspx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7LeK3YKZ4QIVU7nACh1r5QzrEAQYAiABEgJJqfD_BwE (not a source I'd recommend yes or no -- just a convenient link to show it) Even though you show it dripping out of the central tunnel path, it could be leaking somewhere else and running down/along the outside of the tubes. If one of the long tubes has a pinhole in it = that is a bit of a project . Do you have protective short pieces of hose around the long tubes to protect them from chafing against the central tunnel and each other where they enter and exit?
Steve, This is the car that had a N&B restoration. The outer tubes and hoses are flawless and no sign of drip or stains. I have been crawling around under it for 4 months. On front one was loose and I am hoping that some coolant leaked in there and is slowly dripping out, however it has been dripping out for 4 months....... The builder wrapped the tubes in aluminum tape and header wrap, I am hoping my worst fears do not come true as I have a small fortune in this car! I did that on my other GT4 and will do that again if I am lucky enough to fix this problem somehow! My worry is that when they put the tubes back in they got damaged. I have only driven a couple of hundred miles so it cant be from rubbing!
Those angled tubes can be tricky, if coolant is leaking higher but travelling downward. Using the tester with some soap bubbles can help target the true source.
Not sure if this at all applicable but my water pump showed a very slight seep after the car sat for several months. It was un-nerving because I had replaced the pump not to long after seeing the leak. Fast forward six months with some regular driving and the seepage is gone.
Similar leak that I had. Just check all the clamps on the center pipes. If it leaking at the front and running back it can take a while for all the coolant to stop dripping once the leak is corrected.
That's a pretty long channel, if you had a leak before it could have collected a pool in there. Try jacking the front of the car higher than the rear (or vise-versa) and see if it eventually quits.
As the others suggested Rob, you can get pressure testers at any automotive store as the cap is a common size. The kit I bought came with multiple adapters. I modified it by installing a bleed petcock valve to release the pressure after testing. The pressure pump had a bleeder, but it used a Schraeder valve insert that was awkward to use. A couple of pounds will be enough to make it leak. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That's very similar to the one I have, which I just posted the pics: https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/cooling-system-pressure-tester/A-p8072605e
All, Thanks to everyone for their comments! I have my tester and as soon as I get my bell housing back on, to free up floor space will start testing! Cross your fingers for me.... Rob
Rob pull the front under car panel and check the 2 large hoses and the 3/4 inch heater hose connections
I spent several hours looking at that area, and the rear already. No stains drips, or evidence of current leaking there was a bit of stains on the inside of the panel so I tightened the clamps there. I am not a religious man but praying daily.......
