Radiator cap question and cooling system tester

[Wiggles422]

I have a pesky coolant leak. I can't tell where it's leaking but I smell coolant when I get out of the car after driving around. I can hear coolant boiling but its hard to tell where it's in the engine bay with all the tinking from the exhaust. The overflow is often empty and the coolant is low in the radiator to where I can see the rad core.

A while back I replaced the rad cap at the auto parts store. Does the regular protege share the same cap as the msp? They tried selling me a regular protege radiator, saying the two were the same. Maybe they pulled one oved on me with the cap.

I'm also trying to find a coolant system tester that can attach to the msp radiator neck. I've been to autozone and advance auto and I can't find an adapter that fits. Anyone have any luck???

Thanks, I hope to get this figured out over the long weekend.

 

[Wiggles422]

Went to Harbor Freight. They had a set with 16 adapters. one of those fit.

Still need to know about the radiator cap, is it the same as the reg protege?

 

[IshSonP5]

normally if you rent a tester its universal, I believe the reg protege and msp are both 16psi or 1.1 bar. I believe if the cap failed you'd know for sure. check heater core hoses etc...

 

[Wiggles422]

After a lot of looking, it seems the leak is coming from the feed to and/or the drain from the turbo. That may be why I can't see coolant, I just smell it.
I don't think it's the only leak, but I have a starting point. There's also some burnt oil on the turbo oil fittings also.

Is there an easy(er) way to get to the fittings on the turbo? The coolant lines are hard to get to with the turbo's heat shield in the way.

Or would it be best to take off the turbo and redo all the fittings?

Are they just copper washers? Where can I find replacements?

 

[BOOSTR]

Water return elbow is a common leak source over time. So is the oil return O ring. Replacing both can be done with the turbo on the car or you could pull it if you like. The O ring is an easy job. The water return elbow requires patience and the right tools but its also a low rpm job on the car.