Milano coolant leak

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 5/26/99 6:13:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< After driving
 >home last night I stopped to get gas, checked the oil and then
 >found steaming coolant flowing out the bottom of the car. The
 >temperature gauge had been reading 175, and the car had been
 >performing fine. After looking around the radiator I saw coolant
 >running along the bodywork lip underneath the radiator. It
 >appeared to be coming from the right-hand side as you face the
 >car. 
 
Last year I had a similar adventure on the way to the AROC convention in 
Santa Fe.  It turned out to be a leaking (cracked) coolant overflow bottle, 
which is on the passenger side.  BUT, depending on where the crack is, the 
coolant can find a channel and appear to be coming out in a completely 
different place.  I hope this is all there is to your problem: a coolant 
bottle is about an $18. item and can be replaced with 2 screwdrivers by the 
most mechanically inept (e.g., me); the water pump is a major job and MUST be 
done by an Alfa V6 expert to make sure everything goes back together properly 
and with properly tension.  The idea that V6 water pumps last only 30K miles 
is a myth, IMHO.  The one on my GTV6 lasted close to 50K I know of, and 
probably a lot longer (such as 120K - have to check my records) and the one 
in the Milano lasted 80-something.  Non-Alfa replacement pumps fail 
prematurely, I've heard.  It's a false economy to skimp on the pump itself, 
given the amount of work involved in changing one.

Charlie

LA, CA, USA

GTV6
75 (Milano)

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