radiator leak - mystery plug

[thebrakeman]

I thought I was dodging the radiator issue, but it might be time. I thought the drain plug was leaking, but the small amount of fluid is coming thru this strange side plug/grommet. The same strange plug on passenger side of radiator is dry.
What is this?

 

[Rcflyer330]

Looks like the lower raidiator mount.

 

[thebrakeman]

Does the radiator itself ride inside those side mounts? What is the plug for? I don't want to just pull the thing out and end up making things worse.

 

[Rcflyer330]

Okay to make sure i am looking at the right spot its where the coolant is dripping in the top picture?

 

[Explorer_PL]

It's not a plug. The radiator support has an oval opening and the radiator itself has an oval shape sticking out that goes into that. The antifreeze leak is coming from above, and it just looks like that is leaking.
I had mine out 2 years ago so not sure but I believe that is it.

 

[steve6534]

It's not a plug. The radiator support has an oval opening and the radiator itself has an oval shape sticking out that goes into that. The antifreeze leak is coming from above, and it just looks like that is leaking.
I had mine out 2 years ago so not sure but I believe that is it.

That's exactly right.. Just did mine last year and it looked exactly the same.

 

[thebrakeman]

Thx guys

 

[Tech By Trade]

Your tank is leaking I bet. Probably cracked a little above there. Start shopping for a new rad.

 

[matsavol]

... Or you could put some radiator leak stop there. If you have a slow leak there is good chance it will work.

(Talking from experience: I had radiator leak few years back and was able to seal it with Bars leak stop. After coolant change it held few months and started leaking again, and fixed again with leak stop.)

Of course you can change new radiator but there is no guarantee it will stay leak free for any amount of time. It seems there is a design issue how the radiator is mounted and causes the radiators to crack over time.

 

[MNgopher]

That's where the antifreeze ends up when its leaking from one of the edges of the radiator. It comes through the gap between the mounts. As noted, not a plug. It'll make sense when you pull the radiator out.

And you've been leaking coolant there. See that white film on the black leading to the drain plug? That's dried up G-05 coolant.

 

[thebrakeman]

I think I get it. What I thought was a plug is actually a locating "stud" attached to the radiator.
It is a very slow leak. I'll try adding some leak stop first, and see how things go.

I actually have 2 gallons of Prestone concentrate, ready to flush & fill. 110,000 miles on original coolant. I'd hate to do the job twice, so I guess I'll hold off on the new stuff until I try fixing the leak first.

Is the Prestone leak stop product just as good, or do you recommend another (someone said "Bars")?

 

[Tech By Trade]

Just an opinion, but any time I have seen someone use stop leak they ended up with a plugged heater core. Mind you that was on older vehicles but I don't know if I trust it. Ford was claiming it was a fix for a time, but it seems like more of a band-aid for another sh!tty design to me.

 

[matsavol]

If you are going to use leak stop do not use any "heavy duty" stuff that contains fibers... they will block bigger openings what are meant not to be blocked...

 

[thebrakeman]

Well, I just checked Rockauto, and a TYC (?) radiator is only about $100. I do my own brakes, end-links, stuff like that. Is this is difficult job? Need to look for a how-to...

 

[Tech By Trade]

Couple hours, not bad at all. There are a few guides on here. Just make sure you burp it real good when you are done. Careful of the TVC, the connectors for the transmission cooler arent the best. I had to swap the o-rings and clamps out of my original ford rad to stop them from leaking.

 

[thebrakeman]

Is the Spectrum any better? I replaced an AC condenser on a prior vehicle with a Spectrum from Rockauto. Did the trick, although we sold the van a year later.

 

[Little_Giant]

The job is not hard, but it took me more than a couple hours. I'm pretty slow in the garage though.

Here is what I posted in another recent radiator thread.

Yes, pulled the fan. Hardest part for me was disconnecting the tranny cooler lines without the proper tool.

Also, getting the old radiator out and new one in working around the A/C condenser was troublesome. Having an extra set of hands for that step could be very helpful.

Here is a good video on replacing the radiator that unfortunately I didn't find until after I did mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HmbuV4yCWo

 

[MNgopher]

I used the Sprectrum Premium from Autozone for my replacement. They had it in stock and were open late, so that's where I ended up. It was a direct fit. I think it was Murray that is sold at O'reilly and Advance that had a lot of comments about the transmission fittings not being right on the new unit.

The only issue I ran into was the transmission quick connects wouldn't disconnect, even with the right tool. My solution was to unscrew the fitting from the old transmission instead, and reinstall in the new one. If you do this, only disconnect one of the new fittings at a time in the new transmission. Ask me how I found that out... The transmission tank inside the radiator is held in place by these fittings and will move if you disconnect or loosen both, and you'll need to get it realigned in there. A minor pain anyways, but can be avoided.

You will need a fan removal tool if you don't have one. Most parts stores will lend you one.

Ford Tech Makuloco has a decent video on you tube on this job that I found to cover the repair well, and I know he is around on this board periodically. (Little Giant found the link for you - nice work!)

Not a fan of stop leak, but some OEM's, namely GM recommended them in certain applications for cooling system work.

Also, not a fan of Prestone universal stuff, though a lot of people use it. Would rather refill with the OEM fluid which I believe was G-05 in these (is in mine anyways). Ford and Dodge dealers would have it, and I source mine at Napa, who keeps it in stock (yours may vary...) I just sleep better at night knowing I have the chemistry in there that Ford recommends.

 

[Tech By Trade]

I did mine without pulling the fan. There is a guide on here somewhere that highlights the 2 bolts you loosen on the condenser. If you follow that guide the radiator pops right out with little effort.

 

[tjm63]

I believe what you are seeing is a leaking gasket. My radiator was leaking mainly when it was cold out and when the motor reached operating temperature it seemed to stop. I took it to my repair shop and they gave me an estimate of $520. I just about had a heart attack. Ford has crammed everything together so there is 3 hours labor + radiator and supplies. I decided to stop by a radiator shop a few blocks from my work and told them what was going on. I read somewhere maybe here that this is a very common problem on 06-10 Explorers and I'm sure there counterparts. Turns out you are able to replace the 2 gaskets, one on each side. This is cheaper than replacing the radiator. I was charged $65 for the gaskets and 2 1/2 hrs labor.