Steam coming from engine bay? UPDATE!!!!

[mboon]

Took the car out last night to a pub and when we pulled up noticed steam/smoke coming from under the bonnet. Shut it off and popped the bonnet and within a few seconds it had cleared. It smelt like fresh clean water.

Drove it home a couple hours later and it was fine.

Drove the car just now and got it up to full boost and could feel a slight hesitation in 4th just before full boost around 3000 rpm. I was not going silly just getting it up to full boost and backing off.

I pulled over and popped the bonnet and steam coming up from all over the engine bay. Looked to be coming from the bottom somewhere as it was coming from low down in the engine bay. Left the car ticking over ( Temp gauge never budged) and checked, blew into the engine bay and most of the steam blew away and was only a small amount whiping around. Looked like it was coming from the right hand side of the engine as you look at it.

I drove it home without much boost and popped the bonnet and nothing. Only seems to be doing it when I put it under boost.

I pressed the coolant pipes and they was like they always have been and up to full temp.

I cleaned the engine bay today and cannot see any obvious signs of water spraying from somewhere and burning off when I got back just now.

The cap is nice and tight and was making a hissing noise like it was releasing the pressure etc.

I did have some steam before and this is why I went and got the compression tests, leak down tests etc complete which came back fine. The steam was coming up from around the back of the turbo area.

Now the steam is coming up from both sides of the engine.

I checked the water today and no signs of oil/water mix etc.

Do we have any ideas please? Would like some stuff I can check tomorrow before I put it into the garage

thanks

Mark

[daveocallaghan]

Water pump on way out

[mboon]

Do you think? The thermostat housing bolts to the water pump doesnt it? So do you think the water is leaking out of this and down the block and burning off?

Anything else it could be?

[Focustard]

Leaking core plug on block. I had one rot out on me did a similar thing.
Having said that mine is leaking water now and coming from the water pump area

[mboon]

Core plug sounds bad? How do you fix that? Where do I look to check these?

[georgie1]

Core plug sounds bad? How do you fix that? Where do I look to check these?

one each side of block

[mboon]

Just googled core plugs on cosworths. Are these easy to fit?

[AJC]

Core plug sounds bad? How do you fix that? Where do I look to check these?

Very easy to fix. Old one out new one in. Best of on a ramp so can cast eye easy enough from underneath

[Sunnysidebb]

Just googled core plugs on cosworths. Are these easy to fit?

Core Plugs are an easy job.........but admittedly with the engine out. Not sure how hard it is to do in situ'
IIRC I did ask you to check the water pump a month ago or more when you said you had the problem.

[mboon]

Cheers guys.

Frank, car has not been used for a while bud. Only just started using it again. I will take the pully cover off tomorrow and take a look at the pump, see whats going on. I will also try and get under the car and run it up and see if the core plugs are leaking. I would be happy with either one to be honest. I will get a garage to do the work though

Cheers again all

[Sunnysidebb]

Cheers guys.

Frank, car has not been used for a while bud. Only just started using it again. I will take the pully cover off tomorrow and take a look at the pump, see whats going on. I will also try and get under the car and run it up and see if the core plugs are leaking. I would be happy with either one to be honest. I will get a garage to do the work though

Cheers again all

The bit that worries me if you say it only does it on full boost. What boost are you running A quick burts of boost wont generate enough heat to cause a coolant problem.
I ask because if the head lifts under boost pressure it will flash off the water and produce a huge surge in superheated steam in the water system. As soon as you come off boost the head can sit back down.
Have a look at the bottom few rows of your radiator. If the water system over pressurises very quickly ....too fast for the cap to vent.....the horizontal rows on the bottom of the rad can swell up and look like dead men's fingers and the strapping that holds the rad together can some times be burst open as well.
I take it you cant smell any combustion products in the expansion bottle. You probably wont get any oil or scum in the water as it happens too quickly ie the head lifts and reseats within seconds.

If it is flashing off the water at best it might just be a head gasket or overstretched head bolts, at worst a warped head

[Focustard]

My mate did my core plug and it cost me a coup,e of quid did it in situ on a ramp and was easy to do. Getting the remains of the old one out was the hardest bit

[Cossie col]

Surely if it was a core plug it would leak all the timeif its only under boost and you get a miss fire sound like head gasket

[mboon]

I have had a compression test on the cooling system, cylinders and a sniff test and all passed with flying colours a few months ago.

I had a slight water leak on the thermostat which I have resolved today but now have steaming coming out from somewhere or water spraying onto something hot.

The car has ARP bolts so would assume these would be enough to keep everything together?

[grcossie]

Check your exhaust manifold bolts, if one of the rear ones is loose, you can have an colling leak out there, as this goes into a water canal