Residue on coolant pipe. (PICS)

[pistonbroke]

Searched but found nothing, so here goes.

I get this annoying residue build up on my radiator pipe every few days, it seems to be coming from the radiator fan so I'm a bit worried that it could be leaking coolant from somewhere and flicking off the fan onto this pipe. Thing is, I've not lost coolant as far as I can see and was wondering if anyone else with a chrome rad pipe gets the same residue.

See pics for details

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/jaxdanjo/DSC00059.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/jaxdanjo/DSC00060.jpg

[Jake]

I think the viscous coupling is on it's way out.
Has it seized yet? Can you spin the fan manually when the engine is off?

[pistonbroke]

Nope, spins freely, what gives you the impression its the coupling?

Usually, when the viscous coupling goes, you get a loud whooshing noise where the fan is spinning too fast.

[Jake]

Nope, spins freely, what gives you the impression its the coupling?
Isn't the coupling filled with white liquid like that? Mine was.
It doesn't look much like coolant, does it?

Usually, when the viscous coupling goes, you get a loud whooshing noise where the fan is spinning too fast.I would have thought that would be when it's completely fooked and has seized up, rather than when it's started leaking.

Dunno mate, just suggesting a possibility other than a coolant leak you can't find
:shrug:

[sdavies]

That does indeed look like something creeping up the fan blades :( I have seen this before, pretty much as Jake describes and it was the fan fooked.

[pistonbroke]

Ok, how much is that bad boy gonna cost me then?

[TLicense]

About £170 in parts IIRC. It's real easy to do yourself, so I would do that and save the labour cost, otherwise I think it'll take about 30-40 mins for a garage to do, so I would expect about an hours labour cost.

[RICHARDA]

Pistonbroke

I had something that looked very similar to your pics. Like you I had a shiny top rad pipe with silicon hosing. Just try tightening the clips up tighter, as in my case the residue was dried on coolant escaping from the hose nearest the block.

HTH
Rich

[pistonbroke]

Right, I've been out there during the day, the residue has a slight pink to it, so I'm sure its coolant, I tightened the jubilee clips and one of them sheared :(

I need to find somewhere that does the thicker ones.

[uk-rich]

get some mikalor clamps, you will not snap them

[SimonB]

Pistonbroke

I had something that looked very similar to your pics. Like you I had a shiny top rad pipe with silicon hosing. Just try tightening the clips up tighter, as in my case the residue was dried on coolant escaping from the hose nearest the block.

HTH
Rich

:iagree: Same thing here, it will be coolant coming out from the coupling furthest away from the rad. It then drips down onto the fan and gets splattered up there. I had to do mine up pretty damn tight to stop it seeping - seems to be worse with the shiny pipe.

[pistonbroke]

I've found a site that does them but don'e know what size to get, can anyone help.?

[uk-rich]

envy will be able to tell you the size you need

[pistonbroke]

Nice one, thanks for all your help people. Much appreciated.