coolant leak

chiefFX4 · #1 10-25-2009, 05:56 PM

buddy has a 99 or 2000 with the 4.6 and 4x4.

the truck has an intermittent coolant leak. when the truck heats up, things will leak and then when the truck is turned off the leak stops. everything drains down the back of the block and drips between the oil pan and transmission.

i think it's the line underneath the intake manifold. just wanting to hear other peoples opinions before getting into all that.

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Camarothatcould · #2 10-25-2009, 07:07 PM

Pullin the intake is not hard to do at all... Good time to change spark plugs and intake gaskets, also get some carbon cleaned up and drain the plastic intake of oil thats been building up.

a pressure test of the system to hear for leaks will help also

jbrew · #3 10-25-2009, 08:27 PM

Yea , it's cake, but pinpoint the leak first if you can. Ford lines, connector leak =

1. - Right behind the water pump at the connector. Look w/flashlight behind the alternator in the engine block cavity. Cavity fills and purges out the right side behind block onto the starter , then the ground.

2. They also leak at the feed and return lines to the heater core. That ones hard to find (high pressure leak). Keep in mind, -Ford lines will not leak themselves, they will out last the life of the vehicle. They always leak at the connection.

BTW- Pop that expansion tank cap when working on the lines, there's always residual pressure, - even with a leak.

Yea, they leak at the bottom connections of these hoses -

And here in the valley @ the o-rings on the WP stem -

I fixed this similar to the way Ford upgrades their re-mans which is pictured in all Haynes and Chilton's manuals in section one -

Check the expansion tank for rusty coolant as well, - to confirm it's not a head gasket. If coolant looks good, it's just a leak as posted.

______________________

CTC - I have some info for yuh, I'll post it when I can lol.

chiefFX4 · #4 10-25-2009, 11:34 PM

alright, thanks guys. i'll have to see if i can't get a chance to look the truck over again before we start tearing things down.

we were planning on cleaning the intake if/when it was out of the truck. his is actually metal believe it or not.

is it possible to have a head gasket leak noticeably like that? the transmission and bottom of the oil pan were pretty soaked. i told him to keep an eye on his coolant in the meantime.

Patman03SprCrw · #5 10-25-2009, 11:46 PM

you would know if its a head gasket leaking, it would be pouring out of it. But usually headgaskets dont leak water out because there isnt a whole lot of pressure +-16PSI to blow the gasket out

jbrew · #6 10-26-2009, 01:42 AM

I bet Patricks right, - A head gasket will show oil, - back corner of passenger side head and oil+presure being more,+bad gasket COULD contaminate your coolant thru the water jacket when that part of the gasket is compromised. Atleast that's how I see it lol.

If the coolants clean, then.....