Where is the water going? Whipple heat exchanger

[Angrey]

I check my fluids quite often and find myself having to "top off" the whipple cooling system (to put it midway up the clear plastic stem).

I can't find any leaks and don't have any evidence of leaks on the garage floor. My IAT's are great and I'm 99.9% sure I don't have any more bubbles or voids stuck in the system (I can't imagine them getting better than they are).

Has anyone else dealt with this? Either I'm still burping voids after months of use or the water is leaking/purging SOMEWHERE.

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[Andy13186]

Its supposed to be at the bottom of the stem when cold, if you fill it to the middle line when cold it may come out of the cap I think when hot. If its at the middle of the stem when hot its fine.

 

[Cory S]

Pressure check the system? Sounds like a super fine leak. Many fine fine leaks only dribble a drop here and there. Then it gets blown around and evaporates faster than the leak can keep up. You'll never see or smell it.

 

[engineermike]

I’ve had something similar happen on a gen2 Whipple. An o-ring was “rolled”, causing a tiny leak of coolant into the intake air path.

 

[Angrey]

Its supposed to be at the bottom of the stem when cold, if you fill it to the middle line when cold it may come out of the cap I think when hot. If its at the middle of the stem when hot its fine.

Does the cap have a purge feature? I was wondering where in the system it burps if it gets overpressurized. Maybe I am overfilling it.

 

[Cory S]

Does the cap have a purge feature? I was wondering where in the system it burps if it gets overpressurized. Maybe I am overfilling it.

You can do the thermal fluid expansion calculation. My degas tank is filled almost right up to the cap. Based on a potential maximum fluid temperature of 135°, I only need around 4oz of extra space based on the system capacity.

 

[OrangCrush]

I check my fluids quite often and find myself having to "top off" the whipple cooling system (to put it midway up the clear plastic stem).

I can't find any leaks and don't have any evidence of leaks on the garage floor. My IAT's are great and I'm 99.9% sure I don't have any more bubbles or voids stuck in the system (I can't imagine them getting better than they are).

Has anyone else dealt with this? Either I'm still burping voids after months of use or the water is leaking/purging SOMEWHERE.

I am having the same issue. Did you find out what was causing the coolant level drop?

 

[19gtMD]

So i have figured out a thing when i was assuming i was low on fluid as well. When cold remove your cap and the fluid will come back up into the neck. If you add fluid every time you don't see it in there, you are over filling it. As stated up in the responses look at the fluid level while idling. It should be within the hot range. If its over then you should purge some.

 

[Angrey]

So i have figured out a thing when i was assuming i was low on fluid as well. When cold remove your cap and the fluid will come back up into the neck. If you add fluid every time you don't see it in there, you are over filling it. As stated up in the responses look at the fluid level while idling. It should be within the hot range. If its over then you should purge some.

I'm just not familiar with the system enough. Where does it "purge" or overflow? It's not like the radiator system that has a dedicated overflow out (that I'm aware of)

 

[19gtMD]

I wish i had a picture of my engine bay. But on my setup i have a clear tube like reservoir to the right of the S/C when your looking in the bay from the front. There are two big lines coming out of the S/C, one of the lines leads into that reservoir.

 

[Angrey]

I wish i had a picture of my engine bay. But on my setup i have a clear tube like reservoir to the right of the S/C when your looking in the bay from the front. There are two big lines coming out of the S/C, one of the lines leads into that reservoir.

I get that, but how/where does water go out of the system if it's overfilled? Where does it "purge?"

 

[19gtMD]

Ohhhh use a cyphon or a syringe... I used a syringe. Then i ran the car to check my level until i got it down within limits. I didnt want to actually disconnect anything.

 

[GilmourD]

Ohhhh use a cyphon or a syringe... I used a syringe. Then i ran the car to check my level until i got it down within limits. I didnt want to actually disconnect anything.

I think what @Angrey is asking where the water goes when it's already overfilled and blowing out of the system (like when the main radiator fills the overflow bottle) rather than asking how to get it out.

 

[Angrey]

I think what @Angrey is asking where the water goes when it's already overfilled and blowing out of the system (like when the main radiator fills the overflow bottle) rather than asking how to get it out.

Exactly, because I can't find a leak anywhere and if I don't add fluid, it'll drop in the plastic fill tube to the point that it's below the vertical tube (which is supposed to be low). I fill it to the bottom of the arrow (that's labeled cold) when it's cold, but when I'm done driving and the car is cooled off, it's now lower. I'm losing fluid SOMEWHERE. But I can't see or observe any leaks, even with the car running.

 

[19gtMD]

Got you.... and in all of that, i dont know where it goes other than into the S/C. I didnt observe any leaks in mine either. I just know when i opened the cap it all came back into view and was high. Then when i started the car it was at the top.

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