Using coolant

[realsteelGM]

Have a feeling I'm using coolant through edelbrock 2116 intake, only 6,000 miles on complete overhauled 283. Any other places coolant would be used up?

[boynton]

Water pump. Look behind the pully where the shaft comes out. That is a typical location also look for white corrosion on your radiator this usually suggests a leak as well.

[cdowns]

most common is newbies dont know how to properly fill the radiator /// to the brim and it goes out the overflow hose when hot and guys just keep toping off the level and it keeps running out the overflo

[luvbowties]

CDOWNS is absolutely correct--leave the level at approx. 2 inches[iirc?] below the rad. "ring" when it is COLD....or, add an overflow bucket with overflow tube properly connected. The 2nd alternative is preferred by many: it acts as a temporary storage for expanded fluid when hot and allows rad. to reclaim it when it cools down and "vacuums" that excess back into system.
Sam

[cleszkie]

Bad head gasket or cracked head will cause loss of coolant into the combustion chamber. You will see white smoke (steam) out the exhaust if its leakng bad enough.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

CDOWNS is absolutely correct--leave the level at approx. 2 inches[iirc?] below the rad. "ring" when it is COLD....or, add an overflow bucket with overflow tube properly connected. The 2nd alternative is preferred by many: it acts as a temporary storage for expanded fluid when hot and allows rad. to reclaim it when it cools down and "vacuums" that excess back into system.
Sam

Thats what I did with mine. Has the added advantage of being a small reservoir to make up for minor loss, and allows a visual check of the coolant level.

[DT1]

Another thing that will cause a loss of coolant is improperly sealed head bolts.

[zeldman]

How does the oil look? If it is a milky grayish color, then you have serious problems. Or one possibilty is the intake gasket(s) got moved while the intake was placed on the motor.

[realsteelGM]

Originally Posted by cdowns

most common is newbies dont know how to properly fill the radiator /// to the brim and it goes out the overflow hose when hot and guys just keep toping off the level and it keeps running out the overflo

Nope have overflow hose going into a reservoir, I can smell coolant burning, I know you know that scent cdowns.

[realsteelGM]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

Bad head gasket or cracked head will cause loss of coolant into the combustion chamber. You will see white smoke (steam) out the exhaust if its leakng bad enough.

I think it's the intake gasket, there notorious for leaking, aluminum to cast iron head..........I'ts burning coolant, I can smell it, have overflow reservoir and its not filling up, water pump is new, new heads everything is new.

[realsteelGM]

Originally Posted by zeldman

How does the oil look? If it is a milky grayish color, then you have serious problems. Or one possibilty is the intake gasket(s) got moved while the intake was placed on the motor.

No, oil is fine, pretty much sure it's an intake issue. Just need to do a tear down.

[terry b]

Check your spark plugs. The cylinder that is burning the coolant will have a very clean plug. Then at least you will know where the leak is. You can pull the heads to do the same thing. But with no oil problems i say intake gasket.

[airdale94]

Did you use the fiber intake gaskets or the plastic Fel-Pro. I like to use the fiber Mr. Gaskets. I use Permatex form-a-gasket in the little tube around the water ports. And hi-tack red brush on around the intake ports. Edelbrock has a intake gasket for they're alum. intakes but I have never used one.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by realsteelGM

I think it's the intake gasket, there notorious for leaking, aluminum to cast iron head..........I'ts burning coolant, I can smell it, have overflow reservoir and its not filling up, water pump is new, new heads everything is new.

One thing no one has mentioned is the heater core. You said, "I can smell it". I've seen heater cores ooze a small enough amount of coolant to not drip where you could see it--just smell it, and reveal an obvious loss of coolant at the radiator level. Seems the few I've seen do this had relatively new cores--all from local after-mkt. parts houses. But even then, the tanks were stamped "MURRAY", which I've always associated with being a good brand. Also, the leaks were where the pipes were connected to the tank, maybe with factory "crush fit" instead of solder joints. [But they went back in with our soldered connections and plenty long heater hose with good support to inner fender! BTW: when we install new tanks now, we solder these pipes and ensure the hoses are long enough and well-supported.]

If you wanted to rule this out BEFORE tear-down--even if you think it's unlikely the source--it may be a good idea to install temporary cutoffs to BOTH heater hoses. [I'd expect many rebuttals to my saying we need 2 cutoffs, but it's easy to splice hoses back together; and we've got them ready for the next test; and we get a for-sure result to save a sometimes laborious task of r&r some tanks.]
HTH,
Sam

[terry b]

The heater core is a good point. Let us know what you find.

[heyjoe]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

[I'd expect many rebuttals to my saying we need 2 cutoffs, but it's easy to splice hoses back together; and we've got them ready for the next test; and we get a for-sure result to save a sometimes laborious task of r&r some tanks.]
HTH,
Sam

No rebuttal from me, Sam.
It makes perfect sense to have a shut-off in both hoses for this purpose!

[realsteelGM]

Thanks guys for the feedback.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by realsteelGM

Thanks guys for the feedback.

Hey, realsteelGM. Hope this means you got her fixed? What'd you ultimately determine the problem to be? Hopefully, it wasn't anything major.
Thanks.
Sam

[realsteelGM]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

Hey, realsteelGM. Hope this means you got her fixed? What'd you ultimately determine the problem to be? Hopefully, it wasn't anything major.
Thanks.
Sam

Nope haven't done a tear down yet, pretty much figure it's the intake gasket surface. In winter it uses more coolant, summer causes the intake to tighten the gaskets, all in theory. I live in the Yukon and it's not warm enough yet to work on it.