Coolant Leak?

[Vialbaboy]

Hello - I wondered if anyone had come across a leak like this on their Elite?  I've been keeping an eye on the car for leaks and while rooting around in the engine noticed what looks like coolant leak (see photos below).  I mopped it up as best I could (not the easiest place to get to in an Elite engine!) just to see if it would occur again.  Sure enough within a day or 2 I had got a similar amount of liquid in the same place.  I'd not run the car in between so this leak is weeping presumably all the time.  That said there isn't evidence of dripping to the floor of the garage underneath, and actually the header tank is fine and not low/dry.

When I've taken her for a drive lately she's run really well and hasn't been getting hot.  If anything she has been running a little cooler than I think she generally has been - ordinarily I think the temperature gauge tends to be at or just below 90deg but lately she seems to have been running quite comfortably below that, sort of 75/80 ish deg using the scale on the temp gauge.

Any thoughts from those of you much more skilled than me on the engines of these lovely beasts?!

 

[Zag]

I had this, it was leaking from the rubber hose joint under the front carb. Tightened the jubilee clip and all was ok. 

[Sparky]

I'm guessing inlet manifold gasket.

Edit, having crossed posts with @Zag: what he said too!

[Vialbaboy]

Oh thank you @Zag and @Sparky !  Will give that a go and see if that cures it.  👍

[Vialbaboy]

Update - tightened up hoses etc but leak continues unfortunately.  Guessing this puts it in intake manifold gasket leak territory…..☹️

[EXCEL V8]

1 hour ago, Vialbaboy said:

Guessing this puts it in intake manifold gasket leak territory…..☹️

Almost certainly ☹️.  Usual culprit is aluminium corrosion - the manifold is relatively easy to fix but if the head is significantly corroded the manifold mounting face will need skimming to make a proper job of it.  Hope it's just the manifold!

Let us know what you find.

Pete

[Vialbaboy]

Thanks for the further thoughts and willdo Pete.  Some surgery with Mike at Lotusbits is beckoning.......!  Will update this thread when I know more....