Found It

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition) 01/25/2019 at 07:17 • Filed to: wrenching, Voyager, Mopar

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Last Sunday I started the van to let it warm up before we went to do our shopping ( It was extremely cold ) . When we came out to load the kids, I found a wonderful puddle of gas under the passenger side. So ticked off, I shut it off and we piled in the car, never checking to see where it was leaking from.

So all week I’ve been starting it and letting it run to “find” my leak and it hasn’t leaked a drop, I couldn’t even find a spot that looked damp.

So this morning I decide I’m going to take it to work. Start it up, grab my light, walk around. Drip, drip, drip. So I crawl under and look, the hose on the front of the fuel filter is leaking. It must be old/hard enough that when it gets really cold it can no longer seal!

So I’ll be stopping at the parts house tonight and grabbing a new filter/hose/clamps so I can get this fixed.

Come spring I’ll just redo the whole fuel system as it’s all original, 25 years old, with 240+k miles on it.

And we’re off:

pip bip - choose Corrour > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 07:25

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25 years old.

yep time for renewal

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/25/2019 at 07:25

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In WI no less.....

Arrivederci > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 07:26

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Always a great feeling to finally track down a problem, especially one as intermittent and temperature-dependent as that.

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 07:26

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I hate phantom drips.  Like the coolant drip on the Montero.  There’s a drip on day, and a day from 1-25, there’s another one single drip, but I always smell hot coolant when I park.  Any thoughts?  Radiator cap?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 07:31

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Radiator cap, weep hole on water pump are 2 that have given me “phantom” leaks.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Arrivederci 01/25/2019 at 07:33

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I’ve never seen a fuel hose leak due to cold. It was pretty surprising. Also to my surprise, the fuel lines don’t look too terrible, their coating is gone, but they’re not overly crusty.

RacinBob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 07:36

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Yep, a friend’s Voyager did the same exact thing. I got a spool of fuel hose and ran it all the way from the tank to front and back again.

By the way, if you have a 4 Cyl, original Dodge motor, you don’t want to be letting it idle for warmup when really cold. I had a ‘84 Omni GLH and it was -15 so I let it warmup that way. Those carb cars idled at nearly 2000 RPM when cold so I just let it run for 10 minutes.

About 2 months later it spit out one of the rockers. This happened because the 2.2 and 2.5 rocker is under the cam and viscous oil wasn’t getting up there to lubricate it. I ended up with a rocker with a nice valley cut in it and the side force from the cam lobe spit it out. Fortunately, there was no other damage, I just replaced it and kept on driving. 

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 07:38

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Radiator cap is easy, then I’ll look at the water pump!  Thanks!

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > random001 01/25/2019 at 07:41

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I hate that my Mini needs a coolant refil every 10k miles. It doesn't go into the engine oil (thankfully), I sent the oil for analysis and it was fine. I can't find where its leaking from...

Echo51 > random001 01/25/2019 at 09:01

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End caps on the radiator sweating slightly. My old car wouldn’t drip, but it would make the radiator look moist at the ends due to this.

random001 > Echo51 01/25/2019 at 09:07

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I did notice a small slickness on the lower plastic end tank.  I’ve ordered a direct fit, all metal radiator to replace the aftermarket, doesn’t quite fit radiator with plastic end tanks.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > RacinBob 01/25/2019 at 10:05

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I had this happen when mine was still a 4 cyl. Mine was due to stop leak plugging oil ports, which in turn stopped lubing the rockers, leading to it spitting one upon start up leaving work one afternoon.

That was when I decided I wasn’t wasting anymore time on the 4 cyl and swapped for the 3.0/4-speed. I haven’t regretted that decision at all ;)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 10:07

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I also agree with Echo51 on the radiator end caps. My old car did the same thing. They would seep under certain conditions, never enough to leave a spot, but enough to make it smell of antifreeze after driving it.

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 10:41

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That’s likely it. 

V12 Jake II- New and Improved! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 10:59

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This happens on my car with the headlight washers. Whenever it drops below about 10 degrees I’ll find a little puddle of washr fluid under the car when it warms up. 

Future Heap Owner > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 11:29

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Hmmm, my 27 year old truck has a hot “ mechanical” smell after I drive it, that’s not fuel. Maybe it’s hot coolant

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Future Heap Owner 01/25/2019 at 11:59

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You mean it’s not just wonderful “old vehicle” smell?

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:07

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It was a hard picture to get, but you can see the drip hanging off the bottom of the outlet here.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 12:18

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Sure your hose isn’t getting bad?

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:22

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I’m not 100% sure, but I was brand new, as in I watched it put on when I picked up the truck.  But that said, the radiator isn’t a direct fit, so the hose may be tweaked off a bit.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 12:24

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Maybe just try checking the clamp to ensure it’s still tight.

Otherwise your outlet may have a small crack in the bottom you’re not able to see.

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:25

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Maybe.  Maybe I’ll do that when it’s not 11 degrees outside.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 12:26

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I’ll be fixing my leak tonight after work, it’s -4 degrees currently.....

random001 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:32

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But 1) fuel leaks are more im portant than coolant leaks that aren’t causing the fluid to drop and 2) you are my hero.

Future Heap Owner > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:37

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I mean... it could be that. I’ve never owned an old vehicle before.

Future Heap Owner > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 01/25/2019 at 12:38

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You are an inspiration to us all

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > random001 01/25/2019 at 12:42

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I won’t be my hands’ hero when I get done.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Future Heap Owner 01/25/2019 at 12:42

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It’s not even like I need it currently, I just hate having a broken vehicle.