My day old 308 already leaking coolant.

Given the location, the 2 hoses than run under the plenum are likely the culprit. As others have said, it's a good time to change all the coolant hoses espaecially if it has never been done.

 

I think that # 10 is just a hose clamp (Of a particular diameter) but the pic is less than ideal.

 

It's a poor rendition of a clamp.

 

Why the constant recommendations to do things that only cost money and take time. And no doubt there will be a recommendation any post now to go with silicon hoses.

Let him find the source of the leak. If it's hose clamp, tighten it and see if the leak stops. If it does, time to drive and enjoy that car. Or he can just drain the system, replace all the hoses and clamps, refill the system, bleed it, pressurize the system and start checking for leaks..... And not to be a Debbie Downer, but who knows. Maybe it not a hose or a clamp at all.

 

I have to say I agree. If it’s just a loose hose clamp, tighten it and then enjoy the car for a bit before diving in.

Otherwise you risk the car becoming a burden before it becomes a pleasure.

But each to their own... we are all different.

Regards
David




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Going to ditto on this... as I said earlier, start with a pressure tester and find the link. Then address as needed. There's little need to replace all the hoses with an SRI kit before you've actually found what the leak is all about.

 

WHAT? You guys are actually suggesting he simply fix the problem rather than replace everything in sight?


Hmm...I don't know if that kind of thinking is appropriate!

 

FIRE! Aim! ... ready.

 

I'm not.

Lester

 

I'm betting money on the under plenum hoses. Not a big deal to pull the plenum and find out. But I would take a look at the hose coming off the water pump first. That's a half hour of quality time.

 

If I went to the trouble of removing a lot of stuff I'd put in new hoses while they are easy to reach (unless I knew they have been changed in the last 10 years.) Similarly, if it's the water pump I'd change the cam belts while it's apart unless they were changed in the last couples of years.

 

Spoken like a true paranoid, Derek. I have 34 years on my water pump and the only hoses ever replaced are the two I circled in the picture I posted previously.

Sometimes I get the impression that with some owners if they measured their tire pressures and found one tire down a couple of lbs they would run out and replace all 4 tires.

34 years with a 308, from new, gives you a very different perspective on these things. I did replace the expansion tank cap once because the car would frequently piss coolant when it was shut off. Other than that, and those two short hoses, the cooling system is all original, and works just fine I might add.

 

34 year old coolant hoses probably do work just fine until they don't. Personally I think that's pushing it.

In this case suggestions are being made all over the map and nobody has any idea yet what the actual source of the leak is. If it's a loose clamp that's one thing but if it's a split hose and all the othes are of the same age then you'd be an idiot to just replace that one.

 

Don’t feel bad. My buddies 458 F1 tranny failed. $20000+ later.... Best with the 308....most beautiful shape on the road. (And best wishes to Martin in Germany)

 

Ultimately that has been my point. Find the problem before fixing it. As for how long hoses last, I'll keep you all posted. No plans to change then any time soon.

 

Now that you know they fail you can replace the them proactively. Maybe every 4 years?

 

Why do we own a Ferrari? Is it our lot in life to always SUFFER?

 

John, my hoses were not leaking but when I had the engine out I checked and all were cracked inside except the vacuum hose to the front and the fuel crossover hoses. It’s only a few extra minutes to check them and a few dollars to replace them if needed.
I once cooked a freshly rebuilt rally car engine because a 12 year-old coolant hose sprung a leak and I tried to reach my service crew at the end of the stage (don’t ask me what steamed Fanta and piss smells like!)

 

Pfftt... let me tell you about tearing the hood off a rally car so that I could SEE if it started burning again.

 

That’s why I don’t drink hembränt or use it in my cars...

 

Now you got me going. Made me go out to my garage and look for the old parts. For a guy 72 yrs old that could be my limit for the day. I had to get up off the couch. I'm exhausted!

Seriously though, you blew your engine because you kept driving w/o coolant, not because the hose blew. And how far was it to your team? I mean, come on. Talk about apples and oranges.

But here are some pictures of the small hose which I believe is the one from under the car. It was in service 25 years. No cracks, no cuts,, no serious build up of anything inside, and still flexible as heck. Not to mention it's been sitting in a box in my non climate controlled garage in New England for 9 additional years. I could make a video of my crippled, 72 year old hands squishing it to show you the flexibility but my production company is out of town (and I'd have to get off the couch again)..

But as always, I say do as you please. I just post my experiences.

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I don't think my WP was ever changed (cleaned maybe, but likely not resealed), and this is what I pulled out last month.

The calcification in the tube was crazy too (leading into the block etc.)

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John, I never doubted you and feel bad that I got you out there-- you could've had a heart attack and then I'd really feel ****e I'm 53 on Friday and already have arthritis in my hands so feel some of your pain. Now that I think about it the bigger coolant hoses weren't all bad-- I think some had been over-clamped to stop leaks from oxidation and calcification so had damage near the ends.

As for cooking the rally car, I was young, dumb and damned if I would retire on the last day of a 3-day, 1500km rally. The story (and smell) got around so at least I got the sportsmanship trophy