Anyone got kit to pressure test my cooling system ?

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:28 pm

Want to get to the bottom of this and ge the AA to pay for it.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:31 pm

The only way the AA will pay is if it's a recovery job and not a gradual failure. You need a big pop.

What is happening?

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:38 pm

Been loosing coolant for 4 years....

I plan monitoring it dropping again and then calling them and refusing to simply have it filled incase of HGF unless he can find the leak.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:43 pm

Rad weld the little bugger. Worked for me.

Rich

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:44 pm

Thought that was a major faux pas on the elise system ?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:47 pm

I don't see why it would be any worse on an elise system.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:22 pm

Sure somone will be along in a moment to detail it as I was close to using this as my cure all and was warned off.

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:09 pm

I heard that on some S1's the front hose connection was a potential leak point. Its hidden under the clam so you probly wont be able to see it... not sure about the S2 though

Uldis · Post by **Uldis** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:18 pm

Very easy, it's called E-Z bleed (or something like that)

The easy brake bleeding "tool" that Halfords sells has a cap that fits exactly the water reservoir of the Elise. It runs off your tyre's air pressure and costs about a tenner.

Of course you'd be welcome to use mine but I'm up here in Aberdeen and you're down there.
Better just take a trip and buy one.

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:37 pm

Uldis wrote:Very easy, it's called E-Z bleed (or something like that)

The easy brake bleeding "tool" that Halfords sells has a cap that fits exactly the water reservoir of the Elise. It runs off your tyre's air pressure and costs about a tenner.

Of course you'd be welcome to use mine but I'm up here in Aberdeen and you're down there.
Better just take a trip and buy one.

Top tip...

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:11 am

Cool never thought of that! Excellent idea.

Only problem being then you'll have to fix it...

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:46 am

Be warned that a e-z bleed will do the same job but seeing it has a larger pressure receiver (tyre) it will take longer to show up any pressure drop.

Also seeing it will hold pressure longer do the test with the plugs out that way if it does leak into a bore then you aren't going to see it and then you will start the engine and maybe compress some water

which normally bends a rod.

So it will work fine just use a little bit of grey matter while using it

alicrozier · Post by **alicrozier** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:47 am

...and let a bit of air out of the tyre before you start (depending what pressures you run). Coolant system is around 15psi IIRC.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:28 am

alicrozier wrote:...and let a bit of air out of the tyre before you start (depending what pressures you run). Coolant system is around 15psi IIRC.

Without a pressure guage on the Ezi how woudl I tell if there is a leak. Brunty, Sinclaires and Steve Williams could not find the leak, all nipples checked at the front.

Uldis · Post by **Uldis** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:06 am

it pushes the air in the top of the reaervoir, so if you have a leak:
-you will see the coolant level drop
-you will see coolant in the floor somewhere (follow it)

As Paul said there is a slight possibility that it can go into a compbustion chamber but only if there is a bloody huge HGF leak.
If you're saying that it is a very slight leak I don't see it flowing into the the head where compbustion gases are in the 1000's of psi.
If it manages to flow, the leak was not small, it was a very defniite HGF.

My bet is that it's leaking at the radiator or a hose connection.

BTW, I can't remember the pressure Lotus recommends testing the coolant system to, but it's more than 15psi so full tyre pressure is Ok (if I recall it was on the 50's)