ok smelled coolant burning the other day took a look adn didn't see anything. Next day i drive home from work and the truck is not overheating but steam is pooring out, this is at night so this morning i go look for the problem coolant is pooring from the back side of the engine down the bell housing and then to the ground so i think heater core hoses they're fine i also see where coolant had been underneath the Fi intake.... no misfires or water in the oil so i'm not thinking head gasket. could it be the fittings for the heatercore behind the motor? where are the freezerplugs on this thing? i'm lost as of now so i'm asking you guys ... 97f150 4.6

 

there is a coolant line behind the water pump and under the intake. when that leaks it runs down the back of the motor. its often mistaked for a headgasket or a major problem. looks like it will be tough to a mirror in there to inspect.

 

Just fixed mine, that heater line was leaking bad , I replaced the O-rings last year , but they were shot again so I cut a piece from the line and added a piece of heater hose as a replacement.

 

Hello Clint, sorry to jump on the thread here, i am having a similar leak trail, and i am very interested in Jbrew's heater hose repair..I am assuming his leak came down the motor the same way???
i don't see any puddling directly behind the water pump, peaking by the alt..do you????
TIA
Chris

 

Well, first you have to smell it - make sure it's coolant because you AC drain is on the passenger side of the firewall behind the head. Your AC pump is turning on in these trucks in every gear on your climant control selector(helps with the rigamortis factor - if you don't use it for awhile). The ONLY exceptions are "OFF" and "PANEL". It's normal to have a little water leakage back there. If you can't tell by smelling it , have a taste , if it tastes kind of sweet then it's prolly anti- freeze..Be careful not to step in it

 

Just kiddin towards the end of that last post lol .. If that lines leaking it will burry the line and fill that cavity up to just below the head gaskets - that cavity will hold about 1 gallon of coolant before it starts to leach out the back side - It will even throw a little coolant in the plenum , so make sure you clean that out if that lines been compromised..

That hard line (coolant tube) rises up behind the head to the left of the AC vent hole (if you were standing in front of the truck looking at it..) The heater core feed line hose connects directly to it. The return and feed lines plug into the heater core lines towards the top of the firewall - Those hoses have been known to leak as well - it's hard to determine sometimes, a giveaway would be COP #4 being wet on the top. A little water holds on top of the COP and puddles because of the reveal around the perimeter..

First pic is the heater core lines where they plug into the firewall.. Second pic is the tube I modified with the piece of heater hose to stop it from leaking - I cut 3/4 of an inch off the existing line before attaching the heater hose piece and clamps..The pic was taken before I cut the line.

If you look behind the head in the pic you can see part of the groumet that supports the AC vent tube..

 

Clint, Jbrew,
Thanks very much..well I am assuming since things are pretty dry below the tube (valley)and i could see the back of the pipe was dry, i am guessing th epipe is still ok..
again sorry for hijacking the thread Clint, tried to PM Jbrew but not enough posts yet i guess..
Good luck with your truck
thanks again
Chris

 

ok guys i think that's where it's coming from so tomorrow i'm gonna get to taken the intake off

 

Good luck on it, however , I wouldn't mess with the hard line behind the pump unless it is leaking - Thers 2 bolts that fasten the line to the back of the head..My fix on that line is in the books , but it never made the TSB's - it should have..Fords sent me the procedure , not the parts for free Damnit (that's what I was hoping for lol)..

If you mail them and blow a little sunshine up there a$$ about there product , they bend over backwards to help..

Anyway, when you order your intake gaskets make sure whoever orders them for you gets you the right one's - Fords moved the dowl holes around quit a bit on the heads and gaskets thru the years..

When tightening down the manifold , make sure you do it in sequence and only a little at a time for a good seal..

Check out the tops of your heads for pits around the water jackets - fill with aluminum filler if applicable..

Good Luck.

 

how does the hard plastic hose come off? i'm kinda lost to where it's leakin from but i'm counting out the head gasket but as you can see it fills up that little cavity so i'm assuming the plastic hose ..... anyways here's some pics and i know i know i see how rusty the coolant is but i swear it didn't look like that in the radiator

 

Theres two bolts behind the head. take the top one loose and the bottom needs to come completely out. After , jerk back on that tube to slide it off the shaft.

 

WOW !! I 'm suprised how much different the 98 4six block is than the my Windsor 5.4L ..

I thought mine was dirty lol.. That's prolly because I compared mine to Neals

 

It's how the '97 looked last year when I had to do the intake manifold gaskets there.

Adrianspeeder

 

Huh!

Nice sig speeder

 

got it fixed guys... used your method jbrew with the hose and clamps. I also flushed the system and so far no leaks. Thanks a bunch