Interesting coolant leak.

[tacticalturnip]

Well, the CK2610 is leaking some coolant, but it's being a bit of a drama queen about it. It's leaking coolant from a bottom hose, but it's not an active leak. Running, the tractor isn't producing a leak I can see, but at some point after parking it's like it dumps a little out.

 

[RjCorazza]

I had something similar happen on my ZD1211 mower. Tightening the clamp worked for a little while, then I ended up applying a light coat of high temp silicone on the inside of the hose.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Why in the world is it doing it so long after the machine is parked?

 

[Hay Dude]

Why in the world is it doing it so long after the machine is parked?

Probably metal contracting or your clamp loosening after it cools off. Happens all the time. Tighten existing clamp, put on a new clamp, or a second clamp for inexpensive/simple starters.

 

[mrmikey]

As HD said but it could also be the pressure rising a bit once you shut it off, heat soaking. Bet you'll find a bit of growth of crystals from the anti freeze between the hose and the fitting also.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I get out early on Wednesday, so I'll have some daylight to tighten everything up. If it does it again I'll try adding another clamp.

Thank you folks.

 

[Coyote_CS2220]

Just throwing this in, just in case it is not just a simple hose clamp issue.

I had a mystery leak on my CS2220.....

.....below the rad.

Turned out it was a hard/cheap snap on plastic lid on the overflow tank right in front of the rad. It just refused to make a good seal. Small amounts of coolant were leaking out the top as it was sloshing around in the tank.

You could not see any coolant anywhere else other than a bit at the bottom of the rad.

Not sure where the overflow is on the 2610, but it is another possibility.

 

[JJT]

I have a little coolant seepage on my ZD21 zero turn, I just discovered it's the drain petcock. Literally a drop or two between the weekly mowings. Just enough to be a pita....

 

[RjCorazza]

I have a little coolant seepage on my ZD21 zero turn, I just discovered it's the drain petcock. Literally a drop or two between the weekly mowings. Just enough to be a pita....

I don't use the plastic radiator drain petcocks on anything because of leaking or worse, breaking.

 

[boatmoter]

Well, the CK2610 is leaking some coolant, but it's being a bit of a drama queen about it. It's leaking coolant from a bottom hose, but it's not an active leak. Running, the tractor isn't producing a leak I can see, but at some point after parking it's like it dumps a little out.

View attachment 4434168

you may want to wiggle the fan blade when engine is cool while looking at the shaft of the water pump & the weep hole and see if the leak is coming from there. Im pretty sure if it was the hose it would leak while running and not just when engine is off. theres pressure on the hose after running for a while the leaks can look like they come from a area when their not.

 

[tacticalturnip]

you may want to wiggle the fan blade when engine is cool while looking at the shaft of the water pump & the weep hole and see if the leak is coming from there. Im pretty sure if it was the hose it would leak while running and not just when engine is off. theres pressure on the hose after running for a while the leaks can look like they come from a area when their not.

I'll give that a good look as well. Not something I would have considered.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I had the same cold-only leak going with my CK2620.

Did what Hay Dude suggested earlier and added a second clamp. Done.

 

[Rovcketman357]

Have a mystery leak on my L3600. Only happens at certain times of the year i.e. certain ambient temps I suppose. Cannot find any evidence where it is coming from. I will try adding a send clap on the lower hose at the engine. I did check that factory clamp an it is tight. Never is much just enough to drop the level in the recovery tank. Would be nice to add a fluorescent dye to the coolant and check with black light.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Pressure test the system?

 

[Rovcketman357]

Pressure test the system?

Don't have a pressure tester.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I had the same cold-only leak going with my CK2620.

Did what Hay Dude suggested earlier and added a second clamp. Done.

Picked up another hose clamp on the way home from work. Better to just tighten the old one and add a second, overkill seems like a plan here.

 

[flyerdan]

Being the lower hose, it's suction and at negative pressure to atmosphere so it wouldn't leak under power. Chances are it's a small rust or, as mentioned above, crystals from the coolant that allows a small bit of seepage. A second clamp may solve it depending on where it originates from; if not it will have to come off and be cleaned with a wire brush and the inside of the hose cleaned as well. A small bit of white grease will keep it from reoccurring.
If you don't want to take the hose off, you might be able to loosen the clamp and twist the hose a bit back and forth to break up the channel that's allowing the seepage, but that could make it worse as well.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Tightened the existing hose clamp down and added a second. We will see if it's fixed tomorrow when I run the tractor.

 

[tacticalturnip]

So far so good, we will see after it sits! Leaks drive me nuts, absolutely nuts. This was small enough I could have "lived with it;" but eventually that must turn to something worse. Or, worse yet, I neglect topping it off and eventually there isn't enough coolant in there.