Coolant question

[jaders]

There is so much specific knowledge here about these obscure vehicles I thought I’d ask this probably very dumb question, but would sure appreciate any advice or insight.

Currently I am traveling/camping in my 1987 LE van. Drove from Portland, Oregon to the Grand Canyon National Park (about 1300 almost all highway miles but includes some local driving.). I checked the oil and coolant levels yesterday and I needed to add about 1/4 to 1/3 quart of oil which I thought was reasonable? Van has 141,000 miles (altho when I bought it there was a discrepancy on the car fax report so it could be higher.) But my coolant level looks to have gone down by maybe a cup or less. It was completely full when I left (almost overfull) and now it hits right in between the full and minimum lines on the reservoir tank. I’m not always positive I’m parked completely level when I checked it both before I left, and yesterday, but thought I was pretty close to level.

Anyway I shouldn’t really lose any coolant at all tho should I? Would I assume if I have to add any coolant at all that there is some sort of leak or reason it went down? It hasn’t been overly warm weather (not above 75 degrees) and when going up long inclines the temp gauge moves up some but not anywhere near overheating.

Of course I’ll add some so that I’m on full again and then keep track since I still have at least another 1500 miles to go before I get home when I can get my mechanic to check it out.

My biggest concern and question tho is if I were to need a new radiator- can they even be found? I looked a bit online and didn’t see any altho I did see that rockauto has waterpumps still. If it was a leak in the radiator can these be rebuilt or “recored” (is that the term?

If not, has anyone had success keeping their van going with a “stop leak” product or method. Obviously that would be my last choice but what else can you do if they’re aren’t any more radiators to be had?

So I’m wondering what folks thoughts are? Is it possible my reservoir drained some out due to being overfull or the intense highway miles maybe caused some to evaporate? I definitely don’t see any spots/drips on the ground at least. Sure would be nice if this was nothing too earth shattering to worry about…😏

Definitely would appreciate any insights or advice! 🙏

[MarkH]

Theoretically, you shouldn't loose any coolant if when you checked the level it was at the same temperatures both times (coolant expands a bit as the temperature increases so the warmer it is, the higher the level) and the area you parked on was flat both times.
Realistically though, there are often tiny leaks that could be anywhere, usually where hoses are clamped to pipes. Or small external head gasket leaks, pinhole radiator leaks or leaks around flat gaskets like the pump. Chances are it might only be leaking when it is under pressure, so when it is hot. If a small amount weeps out when it is hot, it will evaporate almost immediately and you might never notice it.
In my opinion, that amount of level change in the reservoir wouldn't make me worry too much yet. I'd just keep an eye on it and watch it over time, adding coolant now and then if required. You could really go down the rabbit hole of trying to find a small leak and replacing everything, which would get time consuming and expensive. If it was leaking that much every day and the engine was overheating, then I'd start worrying.

[jaders]

thank you so much! I was wondering if elevation could affect it as well? Considering I’ve gone from around 500 ft sea level to around 7000?

I’m thinking this happened once before on a trip to Utah but it was much warmer then too.

I appreciate your detailed reply a great deal. Will definitely keep a watch! 🙏

[Gareth]

Since you have an LE, you might have a coolant level sensor in the expansion tank. There's a VERY GOOD chance the gasket around this sensor is leaking. When I did a coolant, hose, water pump change, I pulled the expansion tank and figured I'd clean it out. Well, that gasket basically disintegrated in my hands.

Of course, the grommet wasn't available separately, and the sensor + grommet is long discontinued.

Luckily, I found the info on the forum for a "generic" replacement.

Dorman PCV Valve Grommet 42055 (AutoZone)
https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1266-Coolant-Reservoir-Leak&p=27084&viewfull=1#post27084

Just be very careful putting it on so you don't damage the sensor (I think I might have put the grommet in some hot water to make it more pliable for installation - there's probably another thread with better installation instructions).

[jaders]

thanks for that info! I’ve been watching the level and it seems to be holding steady now. I’ll be interested in checking it again after I rack up some intense highway miles, but so far so good.

It’s starting to drive me a little crazy having to worry about part replacement tho. Interesting that you found a way to deal with it! I’ll keep that link for sure…🙏

[Ian R.]

There are good tips in this thread for things to check. The PCV grommet is a good one to check, I recommend putting some plumbers grease on the new grommet to help slide it on. Another area is the lower radiator hose. Some times the leaks can be hidden on the bottom of the hose where it attaches to the radiator. Another thing to be aware of is the death hose. There is plenty of information on this hose on the forum. If you notice coolant dripping down to the bottom of the bell housing, this hose is the likely suspect. If you replace it be sure to use a hose that made no handle coolant ( don’t use efi hose). If you don’t it will become brittle and leak again after a few years. Another tip for tracking down difficult to find leaks is to add UV dye to the coolant and black light.

As to the oil level, I check when the engine is level cold and sat overnight. When I lived in Portland I ran 10w30 in the cold winter months and 10w40 in the warmer months. This seemed to help with oil consumption. I also change the oil pretty frequently around 3000k miles.