Strange fluid leak

For the last few weeks, I've had a strange fluid leak that sometimes appears after parking in my garage. Not willing to do the "JDW Taste Test", I had been unable to determine just what fluid was leaking - especially due to the location, and the fact that I hadn't been able to find anything dripping (well, at least nothing new). The mysterious amber/clear fluid would appear on both the left and right sides (but more on the left) about even with the front edge of the door and about as inboard as the exhaust pipe - an area where there was nothing to leak!
At first I thought it was my leaking steering rack boots (yeah...I've been meaning to replace 'em....), but it was too far back. From the light brown/clear color, my next thought was brake fluid, but both the clutch and brake masters were still full (and stayed that way over a period of time). Well, maybe it's an oil leak - a tappet cover maybe - (the fluid looks like clean, new oil - and mine was recently changed) but I haven't had to add any, and the dipstick continues to show full. I even checked the tranny fluid, and it was full.
Finally, today I found the culprit. After a nice drive with my youngest son (letting him behind the wheel!), we parked Kermit back in the garage. Nothing leaking. A while later I went into the garage for something, and saw fluid on the garage floor, and something dripping!! I yanked the bonnet open, grabbed a flashlight and started looking around.
Found it! There was an almost inperceptable little river of fluid running down from the heater box where the lower hose connects, across the front of the heater box flange, then down the tranny tunnel where it finally dripped onto the floor underneath. The brown/clear fluid was a combination of water, anti-freeze, rust, dirt, etc. - not the usual green anti-freeze color you'd expect. The core will need to be replaced. In the meantime, I employed the usual Bubba fix; yanking the heater hoses off the heater and connecting them together with a short copper pipe fitting. I don't expect to need the heater in Memphis for a few months anyway!
Apparently this leak only occured after the car was driven and then parked for a while. Once stopped (and with the water pump and cooling fans not turning), the heat would build in the cooling system and the pressure would reach the point where the leak would occur. I had been trying to find the leak immediately after parking the car, and nothing was leaking.

Looks like your B want to mark it's territory. Nothing wrong with that!

Good find!

Good detective work!

Now that I've stopped that leak, I figure something else will start.....and I'm really looking forward to pulling the heater box....

The taste test if faster. I'd have nailed that leak in 15 seconds flat.

Joe, That may just be a hose leak. If so you can flush that core yourself right in the car with a couple pieces of 5/8' heater hose and a female garden hose end. Use one piece of hose to direct the flushed water away from the car and keep switching hose positions back & forth until it runs clear.

I'll check it further before I remove the heater, but the hose was replaced last fall and the clamp was tight. I'll check the core with air pressure to be sure...
I'll skip the taste test on this one. That stuff didn't look like anything I wanted near my mouth :-)