panamintcity

Well I had great plans for Labor Day weekend, but all did not go exactly as planned. The itinerary was to leave after work Saturday and drive out to the Trona Pinnacles and camp for the night. Checking out the Pinnacles in the morning light, then heading into Panamint Valley to check out any flood damage on Surprise Canyon. Then drive up South Park and have a look see. Finally making my way to Wildrose Canyon where I would spend Sunday night at Mahogany Flat where the night time temps would be a little more comfortable for sleeping. In the morning a quick hike up Telescope Peak, then hit the road back home.

Sounds like a good time. It was until I got to the Pinicles and before hitting the sack I did a quick inspection of everything on the Eyesore and found coolant all over the bottom of the truck. After about a half hour of searching I finally found the leak. Turns out that one fin on the front of the radiator behind the A/C condenser had a pinhole leak that would only leak if the radiator flexed.(like while driving on rutted washboard)I found this by pounding my fist on the top of the radiator. Every time my fist hit it a little jet of coolant would shoot out. Not a serious leak but with all the washboard roads I was planning on driving, it would be like getting pounded all day long.

So, what to do? Do I head for home now and hope it does not get any worse, or add some Aluma Seal and keep going? Not wanting to push my luck, but also not wanting to give up; I decided I would add the Sealer and only do the Surprise Canyon part of the journey. I knew that if the leak got worse I had some tools to close off the one leaky fin and some epoxy that would seal the hole up pretty good.

I made it to Surprise Canyon and back with out much coolant loss but I knew the more washboard I drove the worse it could possibly get so from there I went on home.
I got to see the Panamints and Surprise Canyon so I am by no means disappointed that the trip did not go as planned. Now I have a excuse to come back soon and finish where I left off.