Interesting experience yesterday: Driving along the highway about 60 mph, I heard a ‘clunk’, like I’d run over some unseen road debris.  Then, I noticed droplets on the windshield, though it was sunny. Didn’t think much about it, since farmers here are careless with their irrigation systems, and frequently let them spew water onto the road, even major highways (people in convertibles driving at night could certainly attest). But, the droplets didn’t evaporate as expected, and got even worse.  Then I realized the hood was covered also, and turning on the wipers just smeared the windshield. Finally glanced at the temp gauge (needle on ‘H’), and pulled over.  Found a split in the lower hose, right where the front mount is only 1/2 inch away.  Hoses WERE overdue for replacement, but what I can’t figure, is the ‘clunk’ sound I heard. My coolant system runs with zero pressure (modified cap) due to a leaky head gasket, so the hose failure shouldn’t likely have been so audible (?). Another mystery is why the escaping coolant was coming up over the hood at speed. Go figure.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA