First drive after major - blew coolant all over the place | FerrariChat

First drive after major - blew coolant all over the place

Discussion in 'Mondial' started by 88MONDIAL, Apr 4, 2019.

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  1. 88MONDIAL

    88MONDIAL Formula 3

    Apr 13, 2005
    1,052
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Jim Smith
    I had a full major that finished in November. Drove the car home the 9 miles, ran great. Put the car away for the season. Last night I took it out for the first time. Drove about 15miles and it was humming along great. Then sitting at a stop sign, psshhh... and coolant - steam and drops spraying out of my rear deck like crazy - lasted about 15 second's or so! I drove it home (3 miles or so), temp never increased, but my gauge is wonky, pulled it in the garage and I saw it got all over my trunk lid and some on the engine lid as well. After cleaning it it has left tons of drop spots on my paint that won't come off. It's sprayed up on the VERY left hand side (driver's - USA) (see pics). It did not leak much of anything on the ground and when it cooled off it stopped steaming in the engine bay. Everything appears to be in tact....I don't see any blown hoses or where it could be coming from. Is there supposed to be a small hose attached to the area in the picture? Second picture is showing the location of the spray on the underside of my engine lid. My mechanic is picking up the car on Saturday in his trailer to see what happened. Hope he can find something as I don't see anything, but then again, I'm no mechanic.
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  2. ronfrohock

    ronfrohock F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 16, 2004
    3,919
    MA
    Full Name:
    Ron Frohock
    That’s really unfortunate. It will get sorted and you will soon enjoy her.


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  3. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 3, 2002
    6,370
    Toronto / SoCal
    Full Name:
    Rob C.
    Most of the coolant hoses and plumbing is on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Strange that you would have a coolant leak on the drivers side.
     
  4. FamilyCar

    FamilyCar Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2007
    655
    Seattle, Wa
    Full Name:
    Peter Goodall
    The expansion tank is back there, maybe the cooling system just needs to be bled. There are bleed screws on both the radiator and the thermostat housing, and the system does seem to trap a lot of air. I don't think that 9 miles would warm it up enough to have found out about it on the way back from the major. I recall that the heater hoses and circulation pump for the heater are in the drivers side rear corner as well, but a good bleeding would be a first step. The EZ bleed valve someone sells here is for the thermostat housing is a very good investment.
     
    Mark C Harvey likes this.
  5. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,828
    Isle of man- uk
    Assuming not too much water leaked out, can you see a level in the expansion tank. It is possable the system has been over filled and the water coming out was from the rad cap lifting as the expansion tank became full with the increase in water temp.
    If you had , had a big leak it is not a good idea to rely on the temp gauge, it has to have water to give a reading. A big loss of water and nothing arond the sensor except air and it might not move at all. Plus the water pump is running dry.
    Measure the amount of water you put in to establish an expansion tank level- also dip the sump oil to check it has not increased. The expansion tank needs an air gap when cold
     
    Mark C Harvey likes this.
  6. 88MONDIAL

    88MONDIAL Formula 3

    Apr 13, 2005
    1,052
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Jim Smith
    It's weird because it appears the area of the "blast" was not near the expansion tank, but ahead of it near the firewall. I'll look to see the level of the expansion tank tonight when I get home. it was certainly under pressure when it occurred as it was really coming out of my engine lid and shooting up through it.
     
  7. Mark C Harvey

    Mark C Harvey Karting

    Jul 17, 2018
    247
    West Hartford, Connecticut
    Full Name:
    Mark C Harvey
    Sounds like overfilled expansion tank is to blame. Typically the excess coolant blows out of the expansion tank through a little hose (connects near the cap) and onto the road. Is your hose missing? Also suggest bleeding the system by running the engine while the expansion cap is off, and radiator screw is undone.
     
  8. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2001
    12,661
    San Carlos, CA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell Le
    When I had a blast like the in the middle of North Beach in San Francisco, it was the heater hose coming off the rear head. But, there are plenty of possibilities for a leak.
     
    brian.s likes this.
  9. spicedriver

    spicedriver F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2011
    3,859
    There's an alloy hose connector on the crossover under the plenum that corrodes and leaks. It's number 26 in the drawing. This connects one of the hoses to the expansion tank.

    I believe Ricambi sells an aftermarket steel replacement connector.

    http://www.allferrariparts.com/tbl10946.html
     
  10. 88MONDIAL

    88MONDIAL Formula 3

    Apr 13, 2005
    1,052
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Jim Smith
    Thanks for the ideas and responses guys. He'll pick it up tomorrow morning and hopefully it will be easy to find and fix!
     
  11. 88MONDIAL

    88MONDIAL Formula 3

    Apr 13, 2005
    1,052
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Jim Smith
    Thought I'd give the verdict now that my mechanic looked at it. It was a loose clamp. He tightened it, topped off more antifreeze and bled the system. I get it back tonight. Thanks for the responses.
     
    davemqv likes this.
  12. spicedriver

    spicedriver F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2011
    3,859
    You should ask him to show you exactly which hose clamp was loose.
     
  13. davemqv

    davemqv F1 Rookie

    Aug 28, 2014
    3,097
    USA
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Day late and a dollar short but I was thinking this might be the cause. It may be my imagination but I recall reading stories of more than one Ferrari showering coolant everywhere right after a major service. Maybe those clamps need to go on extra tight or something?
     
  14. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2001
    12,661
    San Carlos, CA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell Le
    They have to be Kingkong tight, and if you bought silicone hose from SR then they have to be Godzilla tight.
     
    davemqv likes this.
  15. JLF

    JLF Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 8, 2009
    1,635
    My car leaked coolant all over the floor after its recent major. Freaked me out but I just tightened the clamp and problem solved.
     
    davemqv likes this.
  16. 88MONDIAL

    88MONDIAL Formula 3

    Apr 13, 2005
    1,052
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Jim Smith
    I got the clamp, when he went to tighten it, right when it got tight, it stripped, so it was just bad luck. My friend blew a hose the second year he had it at a gas station in his 328. Geyser just like mine. I feel a little better that this happens to other's on occassion. :)
     
  17. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,828
    Isle of man- uk
    Avoid the hose clips that are punched out all the way through the band- stainless are even better
     
  18. moysiuan

    moysiuan F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2005
    3,628
    Canada
    The OEM clamps strip rather easily too. Hard to know how hard to tighten them, you only know when you go too far!
     
  19. spicedriver

    spicedriver F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2011
    3,859
  20. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,828
    Isle of man- uk
    I changed the water pump on my 3.2, had to cut all 4 hose clips with a junior hacksaw as seized solid. When i fitted the new pump and the two hoses i put the hoses on the wrong place and had to start over. I cant remember if you fit the hoses to the pump body or the stub pipes first, but it only works one way if you are doing from the top.
     
  21. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    On old style cloth hoses you can tighten pretty hard without cutting the hose. On silicone hoses including SR I would think you would cut the hose going godzilla on them? I use the heat shrink powergrip clamps that adjust tension as the motor heats and cools. No leaks in 5 years using them. and if you resuse a hose there is no damage from the heat shrink clamps like there is from the screw clamps
     
  22. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2001
    12,661
    San Carlos, CA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell Le
    There are hose clamps and there are hose clamps. The ones I bought 10 for $1 at the flea market (it seems the thing to do at the time) strips as soon as it gets tight. In the garbage they go. The clamps I bought at autoparts store can be tightened until they are tight -- that is what a Ferrari wants.
     

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