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While Jerry Hatch was racing the Vitamin C in Orlando, we had a mystery coolant leak. We couldn't make it leak a drop in the pit, staging lanes or even after the burnout, but bigger than life, as Jerry would bump the car in - it would leak a couple of drops. The first time, Jerry was warned at the top of track. We initially thought it had to be coming from the radiator cap and replaced it with the one from the wrecked Thug. We couldn't duplicate any drip afterward, but they were watching Jerry and he got backed out the next time up.
Back in the pit, while the car wasn't overheating, it wasn't moving much water at the top of the radiator. Jerry removed the CSR water pump motor to test it. While the impeller turned, but I noticed it turned backwards. It appears that when the car was repainted, the people I bought it back from wired the motor backwards. We swapped polarity and reinstalled it.
After refilling, the water still wouldn't move across top of the radiator. It had an obvious air bubble, but we couldn't get it out. We jacked up both ends of the car to bounce, and tried the other routine steps to get the bubble out. However, an hour later we're still not moving water fast enough.
I suggested that I take the car for a ride around the pits, and Jerry said to give it a try. I zig zag steered the car, started fast and stopped fast a few times. By the time I got back to my pit the temp had dropped 15 degrees and it took another quart or two of water. Water was now flowing hard across the top of radiator.
I mention this as I have a couple of cars that do this. At the shop I have an air pressure tool that resolves this. However, from here on I'll not spend that much time getting the bubble out before taking the car for a rough ride.
I might be a dumb ass, and you already routinely do this - but if it does help someone, it was worth me posting.