timv

iTrader: (4)

I just recently started having a coolant leak in the engine bay. It seems to spray the side of my battery, my IC pipe, and my turbo water lines.

I thought it was a bad radiator hose somewhere so just replaced the radiator hoses, rubber turbo cooling lines, and a few other small gaskets, etc when I had it all apart.

Put everything back together, took it for a drive and had new coolant spray.

I found a couple pics from someone else with the same spray pattern but that thread never mentioned the solution. I attached their pics.

I am starting to wonder if I have pushed my stock head bolts too far and my head is lifting under boost and spraying coolant into the engine bay? Is that possible? I see no signs of coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant, no white smoke, no other signs of head gasket issues. Would it lift just enough to spray coolant out of the front drivers side corner of the block but show no other signs? My logs don't show any signs of coolant temp changing drastically or anything during pulls.

I bought a cooling system pressure tester and pumped it to 20 psi with no leaks found.

Could one of my turbo metal cooling lines have a small hole that only leaks when the turbo is spinning quickly under hard boost?

It kind of sprays all over and only when in boost so the air blows it around, I can't narrow down a specific spot that's leaking.

Any input would be appreciated and let me know if you need more info.
Thanks.

barneyb

There's two heater hoses and two hoses that go to the throttle body. Replace those?

timv

iTrader: (4)

The coolant spray is all in the front area, the heater hoses look good and the throttle body one is bypassed and I did replace it.

galantman03

iTrader: (7)

it could be the head lifting under boost. I got an idea though. put a go pro in and record while you drive that might help you pin point it. Other thing you could do is check your head torque value on the studs.

timv

iTrader: (4)

I actually thought about trying to film it but not sure if there would be enough light to get a good picture.

I am going to pull the valve cover and check the torque, has stock head bolts so not exactly sure what I should torque them to? The specs say a setting and then two sets of 90 degree turns of the wrench which equals what in torque????

hamx0r

iTrader: (49)

Check your radiator cap?

galantman03

iTrader: (7)

Take off your hood?
That's to stretch your head bolts. Idk what the torque is for stock head bolts

timv

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the input so far.
I did install a new radiator cap, thermostat while I was doing the hoses.

If I stay out of boost and just drive gently, it doesn't leak.

I'm planning on doing head studs, head gasket, timing belt, etc next month but wanted to get some input on this, I'll have to figure out who can prep my head for me when I do the head gasket also.

With the other work that the mitsu dealer did on this car that I have had to fix so far, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't prep the head when they installed the new short block or didn't torque everything correctly.
I probably shouldn't have pushed it to 27psi.

timv

iTrader: (4)

Would my head lifting cause this with no other symptoms?

timv

iTrader: (4)

After more investigation, I think that it would be really hard for it to leak coolant externally from lifting the head.

I borrowed a picture and marked it up of the block trying to label what is coolant and what is oil.

The blue circles, I think are the coolant passages?
The red is Oil?
The black are the head bolts/studs.
The green line is where I was thinking mine might be leaking.
It doesn't really appear that there is a coolant passage close enough to leak just externally.
Am I thinking correctly?
I'm going to look harder @ my turbo banjo bolts and washers, maybe the line is leaking back there spraying towards engine and over.
Please give any thoughts and correct me if my picture is wrong.
Thanks.

evo9503

I would check to see if they had everything cleaned right if u had a short block out in. The dealership may have not prepped the head right. If you are going to to do head studs take the head to a machine shop and have it pressure tested make sure it's not cracked. The head could have a small crack the dealership didn't see if they did not have it checked at a machine shop

timv

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the response.
The short block was replaced before I bought the car so about a year and a half ago.
It has about 12-14000 miles on it now and I haven't been exactly easy on it.
If the head was cracked, I think it would have shown before now.
If my thinking is correct with the layout of the oil and coolant passages, I am leaning towards my turbo coolant lines having an issue so I just ordered some new ones. All the parts were around $50 so no big deal.
Will update when/if I find the issue.
Still would like a response saying if my diagram of oil/coolant passages is correct.
Thanks.

Ev0ikon

iTrader: (18)

I had a small coolant leak at the clamp on the small hose that feeds the turbo (at the thermostat housing). It only leaked when hot and boosting.

galantman03

iTrader: (7)

your drawing seems correct.

6spdlegend

iTrader: (2)

I'm having a similar issue- I'm leaking coolant and the car is lightly smoking coolant (through the hood) when idle/standing still. I see coolant spray on cold side lower intercooler piping, on the driver side of the radiator, on lower part of the battery etc... Based on what has been said in this thread- I'd say it's either a leak from the thermostat housing or a coolant line somewhere in this area. If anyone has any more insight that would be much appreciated.