I just purchased a 1977 Pinto Pony this last April and I'm a little worried about it. Right now every time I drive it the engine makes a weird hissing noise after I turn it off. Also it is leaking something but neither my mechanic friend or I can find what it is and where it is coming from... any suggestions on what they could be?
:welcome: Bandit1977,
Does your Pinto have A/C???
The 2.3 engine has a hollow cam.
Maybe someone who worked on your engine forgot to put thread sealer on the cam gear and the oil? is comming out there??
Also could be leaking oil from a faulty dist. O-ring or from the fuel Pump gasket???
Possibally leaking fuel from the fuel pump since U R not sure what is leaking.
From Pintony
Thank you for the welcome, it was very nice of you. My Pinto does not have A/C. I wish it did because those black seats get hot. I am not sure what has been done to my car. It was up on blocks for 6 years before I bought it. My godfather replaced all the belts and hoses, but that is all I know of that has been done to it since I got it. I just replaced the headlights today and did some paint work on it when I first got to bring it home back in April. Well thank you for the suggestions. I will talk to my mechanic friend and ask him if he thinks it could be any of those... currently he is thinking I need a new head gasket. I hope not though.
~*Bandit1977
Does your Pinto have A/C???
The 2.3 engine has a hollow cam.
Maybe someone who worked on your engine forgot to put thread sealer on the cam gear and the oil? is comming out there??
Also could be leaking oil from a faulty dist. O-ring or from the fuel Pump gasket???
Possibally leaking fuel from the fuel pump since U R not sure what is leaking.
From Pintony
Nice! lookin' Pinto Bandit... no suggestions on what the hissing sound is caused by, just wanted to comment on the good looking Pinto you have there. Good luck finding the source of concern and hope it's nothing major.
Maybe I can help. Get a roll of seran wrap from the kitchen and tear off a peice aproxamatly 24 inches long and place it under the car as to catch the drip. Hold the dripped on wrap up to the light. If it is brown then it is oil...If it is green or orange then it is coolant...if it is red or burnt red then it is tranny fluid provided you have an automatic. If it ate through the wrap then it is gas. After you have determined what it is.....write it down then tell me where it is dripping from...and we will go from there.
As far as the vac. leak is concerned I would look at the lines going to your power brake booster drum. If you hear the hissing better outside the car then it might be a vac.line or check valve....If you hear it better inside the car then it is the back seal. Keep me informed Bandit1977 I'm going to help you with this. I really like that car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially the color. Is your pin in the map???????
High_Horse
I had to step away for a while before posting and HH said a bunch of the same stuff I did.
EDITED:
A section of cardboard with white paper taped to it will work if you don't have the other stuff. Test with the car running and off.
Please keep in mind that 30 year old cars can and will have a few fluid drips, it's WHAT, WHERE and HOW MUCH that MIGHT make it an urgent repair issue. Most minor ones you don't need to worry too much about.
I agree with HH, if the car has power brakes it could be the booster/checkvalve leaking (hissing). Other than that, or if the car has manual brakes, and IF I had to GUESS with the info you provided so far, I would suspect the radiator cap, or maybe a small leak in the top tank. To test the cap, leave it loose and see if it still does it. For the tank, a good test woud be some soapy water in a spray bottle and wet the outside of the top tank.
Chances are that it is hissing all the time, you just can't hear it with the engine running.
The reason that Tony asked if the car has A/C is that the controls are vac. opperated, and it will bleed off. Maybe the car HAD A/C at one time, and all but the heater controls were removed?
Bill