Need help with Coolant system

[RippinV]

Guys, in desperate need of some help here. My 2007 Apex GT has 10400 miles on it. I have done all the routine maint, but am embarrassed to say I never checked the coolant levels. This last trip after about 400 miles my coolant light kept coming on, no one else in the group was having the problem and I hadn't had it all day in similar conditions. When I stopped to take a look I saw an every so slight drip of coolant coming from the left side of the belly pan under the A arm. We checked the resevoir and I had nothing that I could see. We flipped it over and the heat exchanger looks fine, no markings nothing, no studs embedded, it looked perfect. Both floor board exchagers are fine as well. Next morning before leaving for the final leg of the trip, 140 miles, I added 16oz of water and and had a level in the resevoir. We did the 140 in ice conditons and everyone was having heat problems except for me, my light never came on. I should mention that there was one other 07 Apex GT with 8K miles and a new Poo Assault and a older Cat F7. All had heat problems, nothing for me. I just started cleaning the sled this morning and pulling it apart for a left Y pipe and noticed that my resevoir is empty! I checked all the lines that I can see and no sign of any leaks, head gaskets look fine, but I cant see the lines that run out of the water pump under the engine to the heat exchanger. How do I test the system for leaks in order to see if I have a problem or if the issue was just my lack of attention to making sure I had coolant over a 10K mile life????

Thanks

John

 

[sherlock29]

Hey john, your going to have to check your lines under your motor, take you bottom plate off and look around (if you can) may get lucky... i have a post going where i blew a hole in my rad.. drained out.. i need to do the same.. but am pretty sure where my leak is!... but its slow... only leaks when hot... my mileage is the same as yours...

 

[TBay Sledhead]

I'm having the same issue, loosing coolant when hot and cannot find where it is leaking. To pressure test the cooling system u need to connect a hose to the line that goes to the coolant over flow tank and pressurize it with approx 14 lbs of air. I used a air pressure regulator off my air compressor. So far I have changed the head gasket, resealed the the cooling manifold under the exhaust, checked every hose and heat exchanger and rerouted the coolant overflow, so that I can watch it. Still get a slight amount of steam and smell of antifreeze at the back of the motor when I stop. It has me stumped.

 

[grader]

sounds like a minor long time leak. pull all panels like sherlock says, wipe up any coolant you find, and pressure test system, leaving it under pressure overnight and checking next day. if you suspect any connections or hoses etc. but clean paper towel under them to help confirm any leaks.

 

[RippinV]

I pulled the bottom access panel off to drain the remainder of the oil from the engine and found coolant on the bottom. Flipped her over and found that the main line (1.5") on the clutch side that goes to the heat exchanger has a compression clamp. I found a pooling of coolant on the end of the hose around this clamp. I think it is safe to assume that is where my leak is. I removed the clamp, the hose looks just fine. I think I am going to replace the clamp with a stainless steel hose clamp that I can torque down around it. Once I get it re-assembed with a new Y pipe I will run it and watch for leaks.

FYI, I replaced the right side Y pipe and all donuts last year (2400 miles ago. Now I am replacing the left side, donuts all look good. Moral of the story, if your replacing a Y pipe replace both with stainless steele. The titanium is crap! LOL

 

[CaptCaper]

Which year did Yami fix the radiator brackets? They use to crack.
Also I've read lot's of posts here on these not holding resevoir fluid. Mine doesn't. I finally gave up 5k miles ago. It just won't hold it. Never have overheated. It will pee it out of the vent tubeing. You may still have a leak of course the above is just my 2 cents.

 

[APEX 06]

Which year did Yami fix the radiator brackets? They use to crack.
Also I've read lot's of posts here on these not holding resevoir fluid. Mine doesn't. I finally gave up 5k miles ago. It just won't hold it. Never have overheated. It will pee it out of the vent tubeing. You may still have a leak of course the above is just my 2 cents.

X2 my 08 MTX has never keep an coolent in the reservoir.