Hey, I'm new to the forums here and I have a problem I can't quite figure out. My radiator seems to be leaking a bit. Like when I start it up I can hear coolant gurgling in the heater core, and the radiator gets low pretty fast after I fill it up. There is no water in the oil, I replaced the thermostat, and the hoses seem to be good. It doesn't get hot except for on one or two rare occassions when it started to get hot and I shut it down, let it cool, and then filled the radiator. The cap wasleaking a bit so I replaced it. Any hints?

 

It can be going out the exhaust too, usually creating SMOKE.

Need more info, the coolant has to go somewhere. Includingon the floor from the heater core.

 

Nothing on the floor, the carpet is not wet anywhere(the seat gets wet though, darn leaky windows) Nothing seems to leak out on the ground, I put some cardboard under it tonight that I will check in the morning. No exhaust smoke, on very wet rainy days there will be the normal smoke (very little) The oil needs to be changed but nothing in it but oil. I work in a auto shop and have replaced several toyota engines and I can't figure it out....

 

I have seen leaks that are only under load, but its not very common and they are PAIN-O-BUTT to find too. Its a possiblity though, hard to find in a 86 runner, you dont have a underpanel do you? Meaning a plastic drip pan under the engine? If you did this would help find it, otherwise look for the wet spot. That maybe difficult though, but weird you dont mention smelling it either, so that eliminates around the headers and exhaust too.

 

I checked the cardboard this morning and there was nothing on it. It's kinda hard to find a wet spot right now cause where I live it's been raining almost constantly. No drip pan, we have been checking for a leak with the engine running, reving it, and keeping it at at a sustained rpm higher then 1000rpm. I am going to drain the whole system tomorrow and refill it.

 

yeah that might help make it or break it..

 

If it's the head gasket it doesn't really bother me because I can do one of those. Although I know a guy who drove a 22-re around for over a year with a blown head gasket, wasn't very good on the engine[:-]