Slow drip at front of oil pan? coolant

[afree4all]

I have to let my toy go, but only way I can get offers is if I make it run again.
So almost eveything is ready to try and fire it up. 
I have just swapped BACK to a 4.2 head that had been rebuilt. (Tried the 4.0 head and gave up on idea of fuel injection)
So new gasket and head torqued down and the valve cover is "Right Stuff"ed down.
fresh oil and filter, and I couldn't remember if I had filled rad, months ago.  I topped up rad (only about 1/4 jug) removed the coolant sensor in the rear of intake, and coolant came out, Fast!! LOL. (thats a good sign, no?)
After maybe a hour I noticed clean and green antifreeze on my board under car.   A slow but constant drip. . . . . .    seems to be coming from the front of the oil pan.  no antifreeze in oil???   and the oil dipstick say add litre anyway so not over filling.
no real evidence of it coming from above, that I can see.
In total very little came out all day and over night.  Used old rubber maid container & only filled the bottom.  But the rad. is visibly low.
Where is this leak coming from?  The timing cover?  Or were the front bolts for oil pan supposed to have sealent on them?
At first I had some concern about not right mix and it freezing. but fact that it flowed from the open port on intake and flowing here, I doubt I made that stupid mistake.  (already did on my old caravan,  :-[so I know better)
Haven't fired it yet,  but have cranked it over abit.

[mudkicker715]

Its kind of easy to crack the thermostat housing. check that

[Bird-o-Prey]

It could also be leaking from the ends of the rad hoses if the clamps are not tightened securely.  I relaced my upper rad hose and I thought I had the clamps done up tight, but...  I also had a steady drip at the front and I thought it was from my over flow.  Turns out it was the petcock that wasn't tightened properly.  Coolant will leak out from the darndest places. 

[carnuck]

Rad hose loose or waterpump heading south.

[Sunny]

Rad hose loose or waterpump heading south.

Waterpump leaking was my first thought, once the hoses are tight.

[afree4all]

Well bird is running and I actually drove around block today    Still needs some tuning and vacuum lines worked out.
I may have found the source of my "phantom" leak.   The upper rad hose to the thermostat housing.  After running for abit with cap off I reinstalled and after the thermo opened & upper rad hose warmed  up, More and more coolant seemed to gather at front of the head.
That pesky upper hose was clamped.  But the way the water neck is, the hose almost just fits between the head/valve cover, then there is a very small gap to fit the clamp kinda below the head.
I have been here before LOL & if you worked on the upper hose you know what I mean. 
I had to push the hose all the way down the neck (found it easier to start here then connect to rad). then open the clamp and feed through that gap and then close and tighten it.
 Seems to solved it and I have insane heat still. 
If all the hoses (heater and rad) are getting hot after thermostat opens.  Does this mean my water pump is circulating coolant?  How can I be sure its flowing?   I am concerned its getting to hot.  need to get a temp gauge on it Next cheque I guess.

[mudkicker715]

Sounds like its circulating fine.

[BenM]

Sounds good. If everything is hot and the radiator feels like it's warming evenly. (Meaning it's not clogged anywhere.)

Just a word of caution on adding a new temperature gauge, your reading will vary depending on where you place the probe. Anywhere between 190 and 220 depending on location is just fine for your engine and perfectly normal.

Proper 50/50 mix and a good radiator cap of at least 12 lbs should be fine to over 250 without overheating. The top of the stock gauge green zone is supposed to be around 240 and the "H" is at 260, so you can see AMC's opinion of where overheating occurs.

[Bird-o-Prey]

I have the hottest thermostat I can buy in mine and my engine just barely gets into the green.  Even in the summer with the AC running and driving through the mountains to go see my folks.  I was worried that there might be something wrong because it isn't showing hot.  Lots of heat from the heater core in the winter though.

If it ani't broke, don't fix it I guess!

[afree4all]

I picked up a temp gauge today.  Will install sunday I guess. 
Only reason I am worried is its not  tuned right yet. I have the initial timing @ about 10 degrees (HEI)   It seems to be close though. 
Also after the engine warms up, and turn off it really ticks as it cools. like a "hot engine".    seems to do more at rear of engine near firewall, so I think I will install to temp probe at the port @ rear of intake.  also I think I have the same sending unit allready installed @ front so maybe I will test that theaory.   
Maybe its got low oil preasure That added to the very small leak on valve cover (near middle) could cause that?
I have a gauge somewhere cause there is a sender in there.  Unless the punk kids cleaned my car again 

[afree4all]

Oh and the rad cap I am using is the style that has the release and lock lever.   I am guseeing the cap is good based on the following.
When I ran it to top up coolant and purge air out, with cap off.  The upper rad hose barley heated up, and very little heat in car (one hose was cool)  I think this was caused by little or no pressure, so the thermostat never opened all way?  Also the re was very little "flow" in rad. 

When I top up rad and install the cap.  The system appears to hold pressure.  And now all hoses will get hot.  When its hot I can carefully lift the lever and   <wooosh>  pressure realesed goes to the overflow tank.   Now the rad is stightly down but coolant is in tank.
Heres the thing I never understood about the overflow, but think I am starting to get it.  Since the rad/system is "low" @ startup does it draw the coolant from the overflow?  When?  Doesn't this allow a possible air bubble in the system?

[WoodenBirdOfPrey]

One thing I noticed that may be of value to some of you:  When I got my Eagle the temp gauge always stayed very low in the green.  Eventually my temperature sender failed and would show the car as overheating when the block was still barely getting warm.  After the sensor was replaced, with the same temperature thermostat (195) my temp gauge consistently stays in the middle of the green zone as would be expected on most vehicles.  My point is if your temperature gauge consistently reads low with a 195* thermostat, there's a good chance that the temperature sending unit has gone out of calibration and replacing it will yield a more reliable reading on the gauge.

[afree4all]

A good point but I dont have the stock temp gauge or sender all my gauges are aftermarket and just bought the new one.  The concern is I know the block it getting hot and I have NO gauge on it   Yet... To see just how hot I think it is getting (if I am right).  I do belive there is a 195 stat in there, never had a reason to go 205 throws lots of heat!!
Its the ticking as it cools off that concerns me.  Just from running long enough to get upper hose hot?

[mudkicker715]

When the coolant cools back down it creats vacuum and if low without a leak it will draw coolant back into the radiator. If there is a leak it will suck air from the leak. Or whatever the path of least resistance is.

[carnuck]

The ticking noise is common on emission choked rigs.