Tudor, leaks in one garage but not the other.

[Rich Eagle]

A couple of weeks after adding antifreeze I notice new additions to the puddle of fluids under the car. I moved the car to the shop and wiped down all the hoses and places coolant can drip form. I tightened the clamps a bit and left it overnight. Returning the next day there were no signs on the floor and no dripping. After the next outing I returned it to the garage where it usually lives after scrubbing the floor. Two weeks later there was a puddle. I put it back in the shop and looked to see where it was coming from. There were no obvious signs but I wiped it down to inspect later. Another week and no spots on the shop floor. However after parking it back in the garage it now has new puddles.
Both the garage and the shop are the same temperature and altitude. The Tudor does face North in one and West in the other. I can see no reason it should leak in one structure and not the other except for it being a temperamental old Ford.
These Model T's have unexplainable personalities.
Rich

[RustyFords]

Model T's are alive.

As a chemist, this statement flies in the face of all logic and reason and any training I've ever received....however, they're alive. Driving my own around frequently for over a year has shown me this beyond any doubt.

That having been said, your Model T is obviously showing you a preference for its accomodations.

[TWrenn]

Same altitude, but is there even a slight difference in the level of the floor? I had a '20 that was temperamental that way,
least bit of downward slope to that car and it would drip like crazy out the top hose. Drove me nuts 'til I figured it out.

[Mark Gregush]

It's talking to you and you are not paying attention! It wants to be in the other garage.

[Mark Nunn]

Maybe you have an antifreeze artesian well that's bubbling up through the floor.

[Susanne]

The Jed Clampett of Coolant?

After consulting a Ouija floorboard, casting spokes on the floor, and reading spring leaves I have concluded your car is communicating to you that the spirit of the original owner prefers the new accomodations, likely so you can add a new stablemate?

[Charlie B in N.J.]

I’m thinking engine temperature.

[DHort]

There was a different T in that spot previously. The Tudor is aware of that and is marking the floor to show it's dominance. Guess you ended up with a male Tudor.

[Dallas Landers]

Not so quick there Dave. It may be female, all is well one day and its all upset the next day. We will never understand why.

[DHort]

Dallas, it leaks in the garage and not in the shop. Definitely male. He wants to be in the shop because he has things to do there and that is where all his tools are. No guy is gonna piss on the shop floor.

[Dallas Landers]

......

[bobt]

I would like to see a photo of the puddle in reference to the location of the engine. Mine was driving me crazy. It ended up being the radiator petcock. After your next drive, let it set overnight then touch the hole in the petcock and see if your finger has a drop of antifreeze on it. That's the ONLY way I could find mine. bobt

[Norman Kling]

If it takes two weeks to find a puddle, I would suspect the leak is very tiny. It could be anywhere. Try to spot the place where you find the puddle and feel around right above that spot. If under the radiator, I would suspect a very small leak in the radiator. likewise if in a hose same thing. could be the gasket where the inlet or outlet is bolted to the block or head. Or the freeze plugs on the side of the block behind the manifolds. Also if you have a water pump, that is a very common place to have a leak. I once had a very small leak at the back of the head gasket behind the exhaust manifold and it leaked down low enough in 2 days to cause the engine to overheat. I had filled it Friday and Saturday morning loaded it onto a trailer and then pulled the trailer all day Saturday. Then started out on the tour Sunday. Since I had checked all the fluids before I left home, I didn't check it before the tour and the first day I overheated. I finished the week tour without any more problems, because I checked the coolant every time we stopped long enough to let it cool long enough to get the cap off. No more problems. When I got home, i had the head re-surfaced and a new gasket. No more leaks there.
Norm

[Rich Eagle]

I went out to take a picture only to find the camera battery dead. It may be in cahoots with the Tudor. It is charging now. I didn't look during the two weeks so I don't know how long the leak takes. It could be coolant that is in the overflow tube after a drive that takes a while to run down and out but the puddle seems larger than that.
I appreciate the ideas. The antifreeze artesian well deserves scrutiny. I have no idea what is under the floor. When they tried to break up the old concrete in the driveway they found a complete bed frame with springs used as rebar. their normal destruction methods didn't work well for it.
I'll get pictures later.
Thanks
Rich

[Rich Bingham]

Rich, shop and garage are different buildings, situated differently on your place?
Both unheated ? Is it possible the shop gets more sun and less wind ? If so, the temperatures may vary more than one might think ? My "theory" is that the garage is just cold enough to "shrink" some element of the system enough to let it seep a wee bit. Grasping at straws here.

Ahh ! Got some.

[Norman Kling]

After you park the car for two weeks and you see a puddle under it, how is the coolant level in the radiator? It should be about half way down the top tank or about level with the Ford emblem. If it has not dropped so low you have to add coolant, just put something under the car to catch the drip and stop worrying about it. Just remember to check the coolant before you start it the next time you want to go for a drive.
Norm

[Rich Eagle]

Let me reiterate that my sole purpose in mentioning this was to note the oddity of the car responding differently in different locations. I have become proficient in stopping leaks for 56 years. However driving the cars always changes the dynamics. I did clean and reseat two drain petcocks this fall and tightened a dozen hose clamps. I can't always remember which car.
After taking these photos I see several problem areas and will return the car to the shop.
The first photo shows the car parked back slightly from where the leak first occurred. It also shows which way the floor slopes.

The second photo shows drips at the upper and lower hoses. The antifreeze at the bottom of the water jacket probably came from the hose, not a crack but I will check there. Taking photos works better that trying to look to see.

Thanks for the suggestions.
I expect Perry Kete to inform me that it is the front tire that is really leaking antifreeze.

[perry kete]

At first I did think it was the tire leaking antifreeze but now I think it's just the fact that you must have to "Crank the Pee out of it" to get it started.

[Norman Kling]

That's a bigger puddle than I thought I would see. From looking at the pictures, it looks like the upper hose leaks at the bottom end. You can see from the rust stains, that it has been going on for a while. It looks to me that the clamp is quite high on the hose. If you remove the hose, you might find that the fitting is rusted toward the end where the hose is clamped. It is possible there could be a hole rusted clear through maybe hidden by the hose, but below where the clamp is located.
I would suggest that you remove the hose, and clean up the fitting as well as you can, looking for deep rust pits or possibly the ridge at the top of the fitting is rusted where it is clamped under the hose, leaving a groove where the coolant can leak through even when you clamp down. Perhaps you can smear some ultra black in the area and let it set up about 15 minutes, trying to cover any holes or pits in the metal. Then install the hose again and place the clamp lower on the hose and preferably over the area which was smeared. Then let the ultra black dry for about 24 hours before you fill again.
If that doesn't fix your problem, then I was wrong and the leak is somewhere else.
Norm

[John Warren]

Ok Ok not leaking on the floor but, When I drive my race car I have been threatening to put a coolant recovery tank on it because it will loose coolant overboard. I think I finally figured mostly why...... When I put on the brakes the coolant in the engine runs forward over flowing the over flow pipe. I am going to put a hose on it that turns it up and back to see if I can get away without installing a recovery tank. Have any of you experienced this?

[RichardG]

I HAD A HORSE LIKE THAT ONCE, HE NEVER SOILED HIS STALL BUT WOULD IN THE SHADE ROOFING WHERE THE COWS LIKE TO HANG OUT.

[Susanne]

That's coolant (as we all know). I have an issue with my repop rediator leaking from the radiator inlet (top hose) and am planning on pulling and (hopefully) repaiting it.... but I still think there's other forces afoot. I'm consulting my 100 year old Tarot deck, but all it seems to tell me is (a) I need to get my hair bobbed, (b) practice your charleston before the next dance marathon, and (c) get a horse. No help. I think I'll go back to casting spokes and reading T spring leaves...

[Rich Bingham]

I HAD A HORSE LIKE THAT ONCE, HE NEVER SOILED HIS STALL BUT WOULD IN THE SHADE ROOFING WHERE THE COWS LIKE TO HANG OUT.

Richard, horses are like that. Another observation that underscores my affection for the Model T, which is rooted in my belief that the T is very much like a good horse in so many respects.