user 8202

97 miata with full mkturbo kit. Just rebuilt the engine 500 miles ago.

So I was driving to decided to downshift into 2nd and took a hard right turn and hard into the throttle when all of a sudden my right foot started burning like crazy (wearing flip flops). Like it felt like alot sprayed on my foot. I pull over and my foot is wet and smells like coolant. I drove it easy the rest of my trip and no more leaking.
can boost cause the heater core to leak? Or was it the higher rpm? I'm assuming there is more pressure in the cooling system at high rpm due to the water pump spinning fast right? I'm probably just going to disconnect the heater core for now, but just curious why it leaked alot at.once and then not at all.

Dyladjent

If boost is making your heater core leak you have a bigger problem than a burning foot. Your core is 24 years old at this point if it's still the original one it could have very well failed on its own.

Ted75zcar

iTrader: (2)

Radiator cap... head gasket

cpierr03

Not correlated. If you were pressurizing your coolant with cylinder pressure, you'd have other issues that were far more noticeable. Even then it would not rupture your heater core on its own. As you mentioned - higher RPM = higher pump speed so you were flowing enough water to make whatever leak the core has more noticeable.

You just happened to witness the failure of an ancient heater core in real time. I'd suggest upgrading to an NB aluminum heat core. While it's possible to change the heater core without pulling the dash - it kinda sucks. If you do end up pulling the dash, you can install an NB heater core with an NB heater box (the NA one requires small modifications for retro fit).

WigglingWaffles

Turns out soldering copper heater cores wasn't the grandest idea, thats why the nb's have aluminum cores. I have one on my work bench because i know how uneasy ill feel when i inspect mine.

Xaendeau

Hi. In case you aren't aware, full throttle over-pressurizing your coolant system is an indicator of a head gasket leak. It is combustion gasses leaking into the coolant passages. Could be just pure coincidence, since I've seen a ton of heater core leaks in NAs. Something something copper heater core. You are boosted though, so you might want to inspect your coolant system.

Please go lookup methods to test your coolant system for exhaust gases or how to test for a head gasket leak. You can buy products in pretty much any auto parts store that do it for you. Price was $15-$30 last time I checked a few years back.