Does Your Car Leak?

N

Norm

Guest
My '75 Stingray likes to mark its territory, a la older Harley's, older Triumph MC's, et al........ I can live with it.:)

VINTAGE CARS WILL LEAK & THAT’S OKAY: How to live with your Corvette Leak
by RJ Sottile | Mar 7, 2019 | Corvettes

ALL OLD CARS LEAK

When it comes to owning a vintage Corvette, truly any vintage car, there are some things you should be prepared for. A vintage car is not fresh off the lot. It has seen the wear and tear of many moons. It is rare, near impossible, to find a vintage Corvette for sale that does not have some form of a leak here or there. But not all leaks are major cause for concern, and can be lived with just fine. Within this post, we will discuss some of the leaks you may find on an old car, why, and how to move forward with your leak.

Leaks can occur in two broad forms when it comes to your vintage car. Liquids within the vehicle can leak out, and liquids from outside the vehicle can leak in. For example, some common inside to outside leaks are oil, power steering, and transmission fluid. On the flip side, particularly in regards to Convertible and T-Tops, such as with our beloved Corvettes, rain water can seep through old seals.

The reason leaks are practically inevitable in older cars is due to technology and tolerances of the time. Tight seals are required to keep liquids in or out of cars. Seals can only be airtight if the two surfaces are flush. The surfaces on which these seals are affixed, change and warp over time. Even the slightest bend or curve or crack in the surface will affect the tightness of the seal, allowing rainwater to slowly make its way into the Corvette, or vehicle fluids to leak out. .

To read entire article open link.

VINTAGE CARS WILL LEAK & THAT'S OKAY: How to live with your Corvette Leak - Hobby Car Corvettes
 

kentvette

CCCUK Member
Interesting little article..

Ours used to leak trans fluid. I'd always assumed it was the sump gasket, despite changing it a couple of times. When I got it home here and had more time (and a clean floor) to examine exactly where it was coming from I found it was the shifter shaft seal. Literally a 15 minute job!

A while ago I aslo noticed a weep from the speedo drive. Changed the entire housing, but it still drips a bit, after the car has been standing for a couple of weeks. If its run each day, it stays dry! The rubber o-ring seal on the housing seems a tiny bit to thin - alas, on our car it is a real pig to get at, due to the "custom" exhaust and mounting. I suspect I may have another go, with a selection of O-rings, over the winter....
 
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