I'm hoping I can get some help on a problem with my f150. I have a 1997 F150 with a Titan V6 in it. My wife has been smelling antifreeze, and now she said it was hissing. I checked it out, and sure enough, antifreeze/coolant is spewing from the radiator, but I can't tell exactly where from. It is spewing from the area that the upper hose connects to the radiator, but I know it's not the hose spewing, I checked it. It's spewing from somewhere behind where the hose connects, beside all of the fins on the radiator, in a hard to see place.

Any ideas on what type/difficulty/expensive repair this may need? Can I do it myself?

 

Leaks can be very hard to find because of the paths that fluids take. If you are sure it's not coming from the engine side of the hoses and the hose connections are not leaking go out and buy a Haynes manual for your truck. About $15. Yank the radiator and take it to the radiator shop to have it checked. They should check it for free. They submerge it in a large tank and run air through it to look for air bubbles which means it has a leak. I've had them replaced because it is cheaper than fixing them and you should get a lifetime warranty on the new one as long as your the truck owner. Fairly easy job. Advance Auto has 4 different ones ranging in price from $165 to $250. You can also get a pretty good price from the radiator shop.

 

you can also add a UV dye to it, that makes leaks pretty easy to trace--but I'm prettymuch with 6t6cpe-- it's probably more reliable to test the old rad, make sure it is the issue, and get a new one as needed. It is difficult to impossible to reliably fix the newer radiators with the plastic.