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MG TD TF 1500 - Losing my coolant

"Er det ikke det ene, så er det andre". This is Norwegian, and translates something like "if it is not one thing, it is another".
I guess this goes for old cars in general. But, as someone said to me yesterday, those old cars can have many faults, but their simplicity makes them go anyway.
And my car is going nowadays. But the coolant is running out. I put a white paper under the engine during last night. It was bluish wet on the right hand side. Very wet. I checked both the taps, but they were in the correct position. I am going to see a mechanic tomorrow. I hope it is not the radiator itself.
Raymond Wardenaer

Maybe the coreplugs are leaking? They are the round discs that can be seen behind the manifold.
Willem vd Veer

Raymond - if you need core plugs, I sell sets of high-quality brass ones, that will never again rust. Hundreds of sets have been sold with complete satisfaction.

Tom Lange
Bar Harnor, Maine
t lange

I think we need a bit more info,,, is the wet area towards the front of the engine?? If it is , it could be a leaking water pump,, Does your car have heater installed?? it could be a heater hose,,Can you see a trace of fluid coming down the side of the block ?? If the wet spot is foward of the engine, then it sounds like the rad might be the culprit

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Tom,
thank you for the offer. I will see what the mechanic says tomorrow (or maybe hear).
Steve, it seems to me that it comes from towards the front of the engine. My car does not have a heater. I can not see the fluid coming down the block, but then again, tomorrow we will have it in good light and be able to find out where the leak is.
Raymond Wardenaer

Could it be from the radiator overflow pipe?
Mort 1950 TD Möbius

As Mort says, it could be coming from the overflow pipe on the radiator....Does it drip all the time , or only after a run?
If it is running out the overflow after a run, then a simple "catch can" will stop the problem....
I made one out of a clear plastic bottle, and ran a tube down, through the cap, almost to the very bottom of the bottle...I then inserted a brass tube through a second hole in the cap, and down about 10cm....
I attached the radiator-overflow hose to the tube that goes near the bottom of the bottle, and another rubber tube from the brass tube, to a spot under the car...(this is the emergency overflow)....
I filled the bottle about 1/5th with coolant, so the long tube is always in coolant.
This does not need a pressurized system to work...The fluid in the bottle keeps pressure on the system, so when hot, the overflow goes into the bottle, and when cold, the radiator sucks it back....
I can't tell you why this works with an un-pressurized system, but it does.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

Also, you may be filling the rad up to high. TD's have their own way of finding a level to run at. Mine is just above the core. If you put anymore it it just flushes it out when you drive it.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

I use the coolant recovery tank from an MGB. Nice and neat and works fine. If you need details let me know.
Mort

PS... I'm probably an overfiller!!
Mort 1950 TD Möbius

Hello everybody.
I think I should stop writing here, since I know almost nothing about engines. I thinkMort, Edward and Tom may be right. I thought I had read in the manual that I should fill up till half an inch from the top. Wrong! I read it again yesterday, and it says two inches! So I am almost sure I have been overfilling.
When I filles yesterday (!) I discovered that the liquid was dripping down to the ground immediately. And it came out of the overflow pipe!
So I am not filling up today :-)
Thank you for your help. I had a very nice ride to the forests around Oslo today. See image.

Raymond Wardenaer

Raymond,
Don't stop writting ...look in the archives at some of my post from 10 years ago!
I'm still learning from the experts on this BBS!
Cheers,
"Bottom of the learning curve David"

Your car looks wonderfull with the screen down...love the Brookslands.
David Sheward

Somewhere in the Y-type archives there is a similar thread about my overfilling; been there, did that!
Willem vd Veer

Willem, do you remember the title or the year? I would like to read that thread!
Raymond Wardenaer

When I had parked for some time outdoor (with good light) today, I noticed that the coolant did not come from the tube for overflow. That happened only when I had filled too much.
It comes from the right hand side of the block, which means further back than the overflow pipe. And it was dripping with a frequency of one drop every ten seconds.
So I guess I have a leak after all...
Raymond Wardenaer

Hi Raymond,

There is a drain tap on the right hand side of the engine to drain the water out of the engine block, it could be the tap dripping. It is near the engine number plate.

Chris
C A Pick

Chris, I checked that the other and could see it leaking.
Raymond Wardenaer

Oops, very wrong text in my last post. It should have been:
Chris, I checked that the other day and could NOT see it leaking.
Raymond Wardenaer

This thread was discussed between 15/09/2011 and 17/09/2011

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