1985 Chevy Camaro coolant leak keeps coming back

MANDIDE

MEMBER
1985 CHEVROLET CAMARO

Engine Cooling problem
1985 Chevy Camaro V8 Two Wheel Drive Automatic

My car overheated when my thermostat gasket started leaking. It wasn't a large leak. I replaced the thermostat gasket and the thermostat. Then a couple of weeks later I noticed a small leak from the gasket again. I added coolant and got it back to my house where it started leaking from the lower hose where it connected to the radiator. I replaced the hose and the gasket again. I only drove it for about 15 minutes before it started to piss fluid everywhere and smoke even came in through my steering column. I pulled over and it was one of my hoses from the heater core had burst and was shooting out fluid (don't know whether it was intake or output). I lost alot of fluid and I don't think it was coming out anywhere else, but there was alot of fluid all over the engine.
I started off thinking the first overheat was due to the slow loss of fluid from the first instance. But after all this I am trying to think of what an underlying cause would be to make the gasket leak in the first place.

1 Reply

ERNEST CLARK

MECHANIC
1,730 POSTS

It sounds as if your water pump has failed, or you have some sort of restriction that is stopping your coolant from circulating.

The reason you keep blowing gaskets and hoses is because your engine is overheating the coolant, and the pressure is building so high, it finds the weakest link in the system and blows it.

You need to find out why your engine is overheating. First make sure you belts aren't slipping. To check water pump operation, remove the thermostat housing and start your motor. If the coolant doesn't rush out, then your pump is not functioning. If it does, then you need to flush your system and see if there's any restrictions.

When you're done, pressure check your system to make sure there's no internal leaks. (Head gasket)