Coolant leak...again :(

[dantheman]

Well, it's been a year since replacing the intake manifold gasket, hoses, water pump, T-stat and radiator....and I get the call from the wife saying the van is overheating. No visible sign of leaks so I just put in 2 gallons of coolant. Oil level looks good, no smoke from the exhaust and it's running fine. I'm not ready to give up on the thing...but I'm getting there. Any ideas, or is it something I just need to live with? TIA

[Astro Pop]

If you can get your hands on a pressure tester that's the best way to find out.

[AstroWill]

My LAPS loans out a coolant pressure testing kit, like AP said, that is the absolute best way to find the leak. You pay for the kit, take it home, use it, then take it back and they refund you. Pretty simple and a great deal for rarely used tools.


If you are having to add 2 gallons of coolant, that is not something that you will really want to live with. Though on older vehicles, or any actually, I don't recommend going that long without checking the coolant or other vital fluids.

[dantheman]

Great, will get that loaner pressure tester tomorrow.
And yes, I definitely neglected checking the coolant.

[AstroWill]

Good luck! Let us know how it all works out.

[dantheman]

Ok, pressure test revealed a leak at the lower heater hose connection up top on the passenger side. Once I fixed that I noticed a second leak at the heater control valve (same hose).
Naturally the flimsy plastic cracked when I went to pull the hose off. Question is, do I go and order another heater control valve or can I just bypass/delete it? And if deleting is possible, how to do that and what would that affect?

[Leeann_93]

Yes, you can bypass it.

Lumpy and Randy both have plumbing ball valves in place of the stupid, idiotic, plastic thing that fails when you look at it funny. Lumpy has a thread with pics in the cooling section somewhere.

[chevymaher]

Ok, pressure test revealed a leak at the lower heater hose connection up top on the passenger side. Once I fixed that I noticed a second leak at the heater control valve (same hose).
Naturally the flimsy plastic cracked when I went to pull the hose off. Question is, do I go and order another heater control valve or can I just bypass/delete it? And if deleting is possible, how to do that and what would that affect?

Better cooling and heater works better. Here is Lumpy's picture of what it is. I got mine and the flared fittings at harbor freight.

[dantheman]

Awesome, thank you!

[MI_Ghost]

As long as you understand that the ball valve is an all or nothing deal. You will have no control over the temperature with the dash knob. Just splice the hoses together to bypass the control valve and plug the vacuum hose.

[AstroWill]

As long as you understand that the ball valve is an all or nothing deal. You will have no control over the temperature with the dash knob. Just splice the hoses together to bypass the control valve and plug the vacuum hose.

That has nothing to do with the temperature control, that is the job of the blending door.

[chevymaher]

As long as you understand that the ball valve is an all or nothing deal. You will have no control over the temperature with the dash knob. Just splice the hoses together to bypass the control valve and plug the vacuum hose.

That has nothing to do with the temperature control, that is the job of the blending door.

Right mine has full temp control from the inside.

Deal is when it is smoking hot out. The water in the heater coil radiates through the door. So on a 100 degree day after driving it then it sits in a parking lot. That heat radiates into the other chamber through the blend door. Takes the air conditioner a while to blow it out. So you get a blast of hot air on start up. Which is why you just turn it off in summer.

It isn't a big deal only takes 15 seconds to pop the hood flip the switch and drop the hood. I only had to go back and forth 3 times this year. But in ky you get 40 at night and 90 in the daytime as the weather changes. For me if the daytime temp is less than 80 I just leave it on.