ATF puddle under the radiator & I'm totally foxed

R

Rovertron

Member
I'm wondering if anyone can help me out here. I've got a '69 3500 Auto and have been enjoying the ownership of it for the last couple of months after a bit of a break from P6 ownership.

However, it has developed a strange phenomona of leaving a puddle of ATF in the crossmember under the radiator. When I bought it, both the oil and ATF sump needed a bit of tightening up and I was only losing a couple of drops a day from there such is the nature of cork gaskets.

This new one has me stumped as I can see nothing obvious underneath the engine and above.

Can anyone offer some advice on the likely cause? The auto box was overfilled when I bought it but this is turning into quite a sizable leak after only a few miles on the road and I'm getting just a bit concerned.

Is it possible it's connected to a new shuddering under hard acceleration from the front nearside?

Thanks in advance.
 
Just to add that usually it leaves a little spot or two under the car after a drive near the gearbox sump, it hasn't today.

Checking the ATF levels, it's spot on full (cold). As the difference between low and high is only a pint shall I just put it down to one of those things?

I soaked up the amount with some kitchen towel and it's only 10-20ml tops.

Yours still scratching his head.
 
Hi

Assuming you have an oil cooler in the radiator, have you checked the flexible hoses? If they are the originals they may be weeping slightly. One of mine was always moist and this occassionally left a small droplet. Replaced and it was then fine. Also, the connection to the coil cooler within the radiator itself may be loose. Be very careful when using a spanner on the oile cooler - these are fragile, if these fracture then you are left with a very expensive repair bill.

Good luck

Gary
 
Having never owned automatics, I chose as my first a 35 year old motor !! :)

Many thanks, all the hoses are nearly new and good, the rad is new as well. I take this is in the dark recesses of the rad mount at the bottom somewhere, lurking in a shadow there's too many cross member down there hiding things from view.

On having a look there was a smear of ATF on the big engine crossmember as well so that could be it.

Cheers, I'll get the workshop manual out and look at the radiator section hopefully a jubilee clip needs a bit of readjustment.
 
Found it !!

No wonder I couldn't see it, the two oil cooler pipes are vertically mounted in the bottom left hand corner of the rad. These are hidden by one of the two outmembers that support the rad cradle and headlight/grille frame. Standing on the right hand side, crouched down, looking into the corner of the rad, slightly obscured by the rad bottom hose there's two cooler pipes with brass octagonal connectors.

So I sheepishly stuck my fingers down there as it was still warm after a run and sure enough, there's a slight drip coming from the upper hose. I didn't have time to get the spanners out last night so I'll get to it at the weekend. It's not lost a lot as the dipstick is still registering full when hot and cold.

In the 3500 workshop manual there is one tiny diagram in the Engine section under 'rad removal and refit' and one sentence 'remove oil cooler pipes'.

No wonder I missed it.

Seeing as they are brass, I'd imagine a bit of heat and some vibration might loosen them off a little. The rad and pipes are brand new, well, 500 miles old so I guess it was just loose.

Thanks again. It seems my P6's big issue is fluids, it's been a bit incontinent since I had it, first coolant leaking out the top hose required two jubilee clips and socket wrench to stop that one, then the oil and ATF sump needed their bolts tightened and now this.
 
Just a quick update. Many thanks helping out this enthusiastic novice with his first sinking feeling 'oh no' Rover P6 moment.

It was the hoses up to the connectors after very gingerly making sure the connectors were tight to the rad threads. So I sorted it out with a jubliee clip for each hose and plenty of patience.

It's got to be the tightest space to work on under the bonnet, the oil filter, bottom rad hose, front valence and also the arrangement of the cooler pipes all conspire to test the patience. And '000' jubilee clips are very tough to get the belt back into the worm jacket !!!! Thank god for my monkey wrench to hold the pesky things and very small 7mm spanner.

So hopefully 'touch wood' that's my P6's incontinence problem sorted, just a drop or two from the auto and engine sumps which I can live with.

Next question, how do you get waxoyl out from under your fingernails? :)
 
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