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1994 Explorer Limited Coolant Leaks

Warrof

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Joined
May 15, 2019
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Year, Model & Trim Level
1994 Explorer Limited
My wife and I bought an Explorer (1994 v6 4.0) at the beginning of April because our family is getting bigger in June. 116000 miles on it and a reputable engine. We bought from the family that bought it off the lot in 1994.

There has been some trouble with the cooling system.

So far my dad and I have replaced the Water Pump (seal failed a couple days after we got it home), Radiator Cap, Radiator (was rusty and full of crud), Fan (it had a fair few cracks in it), the Thermostat (which looked bad), the two hoses (I forget the exact diameter) that run to the heater from the pump (one had a definite crack in it), the overflow hose, and we upgraded most of the hose clamps.

No water in the oil that we can see (I'm gonna do an oil change tomorrow and confirm). We have not done a pressure test or checked for combustible fluids yet, will do that tomorrow (hopefully).

The only drip I can find is where the overflow hose meets the radiator (which we put a clamp on, no idea why its leaking) so it's either from right there or from the Radiator Cap. But that wouldn't explain why it's down a inch or two after sitting for a few hours.

Does anyone have any advice?
 



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If the over- flow hose has a leak anywhere in it, water will not be pulled back into the radiator when the engine cools down.
 






The overflow hose leaking is a common issue with coolant loss. When you say coolant is dropping an inch or two are you referencing in the radiator or the overflow tank?
 






The overflow hose leaking is a common issue with coolant loss. When you say coolant is dropping an inch or two are you referencing in the radiator or the overflow tank?

I am referring to in the Radiator itself. Usually when either my wife or I head out for the day we need to put some coolant in the radiator, usually an inch or 2.

However, this morning, not 30 minutes ago, the radiator was full and the overflow was down below the cool fill line for a change. Yay. Dunno what happened that was different, other than I checked the radiator when I left my place of work and filled it up (was about 2 inches down).

I should mention that we live up 1 1/2 mile dirt driveway in the mountains. Puts a lot of stress on the cooling system if you go more that 15 mph.
 






Bad radiator cap?
the overflow tank should always be what drops in level, not the radiator.
 






Bad radiator cap?
the overflow tank should always be what drops in level, not the radiator.

I hope not, replaced the cap the car came with as, like, the second thing we tried. It should still be under warranty with O'Reillys so I'll try a new one for sure.
 












Why did you replace the original one?

Troubleshooting, at that point my dad and I were hoping it would be an easy fix. Also, it seemed that the spring on it had gone bad and wasn't allowing the radiator to pull in fluid from the overflow tank. It was pretty rusty, one of the reasons we replaced the radiator.
 






Update: It is definitely leaking out the Radiator Cap. Looks like an over-pressurization issue. I've got it parked on a steep incline right now. When my dad get's off work we will check for combustion gases in the coolant. Depending on what that shows we may flush it to get out any air bubbles.

Edit: Update, we tested for combustion gases. That test was negative, so the chances of it being a cracked head, or gasket is low.
 






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