Wow, do I keep you guys updated or what?
Since some people asked, I might as well go public w/Phrog's current ailment.
I had a Coolant leak on the passenger side. Didn't find the source right away, just kinda kept toping up the fluid. I've got a Brake booster problem, so I figured I'll do the brake booster and that coolant problem at the same time (probably gotta remove the Turbo Inlet Pipe for both anyway).
So I kept topping him up w/coolant or water, kinda flipping back and forth between the two rather than mixing a jug of 50/50 to use. One day I ran out of coolant so I just used water. That must have been Late Jan, early Feb.
We had a freeze for 2 nights; nothing major, I didn't think it'd be a problem, but shortly after that Phrog's temps seemed to go higher than normal, not that I knew what "normal" was just yet.
I'd seen 200-210 ish. And real gradual (over the course of days) it went up towards a general operating temp of 230* on the highway. Then one day on the way to work I smelled something pretty bad; didn't know what it was, just kinda hit me and then wandered off; like I drove through a fog bank of 'stank'. Then again; and again. I wasn't sure what all that stink was, but I hadn't yet figured out it was my bug. :???:
Then I watched the temperature climb up to around 260 while sittnig at a stop light near work.... and Phrog just shut down. That's about the time I saw what looked like smoke; and I put 1 and 1 and 1 together.
Saw a blinking oil light, it came on, but it didn't stay on long.
I restarted and drove it the 1 mi. from the off-ramp traffic light to work. Had to restart twice to make it all the way.
I arrived, jumped out openned the hood and...
Lots of stinky smoke. I dunno where the smoke came from really, looked like it was smoke coming from the back of the engine, but i dunno. Maybe it was steam and not smoke.
I was HIGHLY concerned about fire since; well it's almost happened before. But I checked on it every 5 minutes and it seemed to smoke less and less and less, and I could see no flame, so... eh, okay.
Lunchtime came and I got a ride to the grocery store. Poured more fluid in, and heard it fall out the bottom. Came fast too. Closest I could tell it was pouring out near the pulleys.
So yeah, I'm hoping it just busted out the coolant seal or something; I dunno.
.........
Now, now that I've had time to tow it home, and think about things. I've got 1 good thing shining through; the oil wasn't low, and the oil doesn't seem to have coolant in it. I figure it might have gotten too hot, but maybe that was all.
I haven't pulled the timing cover yet; and I don't know if I've got a hole somewhere, or not. I'm still saving up for the timing belt/water pump stuff. then I'll dig in and see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
I <3 Phrog and miss the fun we had. But he'll get fixed eventually. I got him home around 12:30am 2/16/2008. After transporting away my project car to a friend so I could regain my carport space.
.......
That's how it goes. This was a sad post on Phrog's thread, but there will be better happier posts. And I'll try to make them a little more often than every 904 days.