Coolant comming from some where in the front

[jesse_wardlow]

My explorer last night decided to get sick.

It started leaking coolant out of the front of the engine. I am not a whole lot sure of exactly where. It is behind and under the AC pump assembly. Tonight I will take that out. The ac hasent worked for years and i bypassed it completly last summer with a smaller belt.

What is located back there that would/could leak? Is the thermostat back there? I would love for it to be something simple like that. I have found no water in the oil so i know its not a blown head gasket.

Any help on what it might be?

Thanks.

 

[410Fortune]

waterpump and or thermostat. Thermostat housing is just below your throttle body on the upper rad hose

Next check for leaks around the waterpump (pulley behind fan)

leak from front of the engine to me 9 times out of 10 = time for waterpump.


it could be lots of things though, it could be as simple as the radiator cap, and its just dripping down the shroud/hoses etc so make sure you get a really good look at the source.

 

[Blee1099]

It could be the water pump, it could be the thermostat housing, or any number of things. Crawl under the truck and look for tell tale signs. If its leaking from the water pump, you will see visible signs near it. If it is leaking near or at the thermostat housing which is on the front of the engine on the top side of the motor, then obviously you will see signs there too. You could also get some tracer dye from the local parts store and run it thru the system via the radiator cap and see where it leaks from.

 

[jesse_wardlow]

The problem i am having is that I just cant see in there. I have looked from every angle.

the only way to get into there is to take the AC pump off and it looks like the alternator that it sits on top of. Is it really that hard to get to the thermostat? I have replaced them in many cars, but never on this one. There is just so much crap in the way.

I guess only way to find out is to take it apart piece by piece.

Thought I should add that its a 94 XLT 4.0

 

[wilson_nick]

my waterpump went out last winter, same, you can't see where it's coming from cuz it's coming from around the shaft where the seal went bad 60 bucks at autozone plus some of that blue stuff. pick up an extra gasket incase you eff up the first one. i drove mine about 35 miles to where i changed it, kept putting more and more water in the rad so it wouldnt get hot. the leak got worse and worse as i went so be careful not to get hot. i stopped like 3 times to fill up. when i filled everything back up w/fluid the thermostat had a hard time heating up cuz there was no fluid in it to pop it open i guess. we jacked up the rear of the truck to drain it and make sure it would all be dry for puting the new gasket on. good luck.

 

[jesse_wardlow]

Update

I got tore it apart as far as the thermostat and found that it had no o-ring or gasket.

I replaced them both, the thermostat and oring, and reinstalled. Same problem. The only other thing is the water pump. I guess that is what I will be doing on Saturday.

 

[Gimp]

Don't overlook the possibility of the lower intake manifold gasket leaking. It seems that almost every 4.0 OHV has this leak at some point - right where the intake, head and block come together. With this location being behind the a/c compressor, it's very difficult to see. Sometimes it's easier to pressure wash everything really well, put it up on a rack or ramps, and look for the leak from underneath. A telescoping mirror can be really helpful in looking for this.

Another area sometimes overlooked is the timing cover gasket. This is probably also easier to see from the bottom looking up.

Good luck with finding your coolant leak.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Another area sometimes overlooked is the timing cover gasket. This is probably also easier to see from the bottom looking up.

I have a leak in this same area. It's not bad yet, just a drip now and then. Some of the timing cover bolts go into the water jacket, so maybe the leak is from around a bolt.....?

If it's from a bolt, maybe the bolt can be removed, sealer applied to the threads, and re-installed? Sure would save lots of work.....

 

[jesse_wardlow]

buddy of mine is a mechanice at our ford dealership, he said bring it over with some beer and he will take care of it.

Let you all know what it is.

Focker Out

 

[Ranger Al]

It is the Water pump, I 'll bet a case of beer on that. My mother in law's does the same thing. Its a little tricky on removing the clutch thou. I tried the clutch tool, but it doesn't help. You'll have to remove two of the bolts and use a big vise grip to hold it down.

 

[410Fortune]

The fan clutch tool, or double wrench kit works perfectly.
You can rent it from any auto parts store.
Many fans are reverse rotation, it will say on your fan shroud.

 

[jesse_wardlow]

We found it.

It was the intake manifold. It blows it right out the front when I step on the gas. Took him all of about 3 mintues to locate it. It is buried so deep in crap that you couldnt see it. He cleaned it up with brake clean and air and found it quick.

It goes in next week to get replaced.

 

[Glacier991]

This is a good example of where a radiator/cooling system pressure tester is invaluable. You pump it up and can poke around with a mirror and actually SEE where it's coming from. I had a leak in a bizarre spot in my Sable and I'd never have found it had I not been able to poke around without the engine running.

 

[Tony H]

Mine was leaking too several months ago. I slightly tightened the hardwareand it worked. It leaks in the very front. Right in front of the Temp Sensor. They shoud have put a bolt on th eother side of the Water Jacket in the front of the engine.
Well just yesterday evening it started leaking again. It's time to do the Gasket.
I guess I have to get gaskets for the Plenum, the Valve covers and the intake. can anyones verify that? Does the Plenim and valve cover gaskets usually get ruined when pulling this apart?

 

[DPSkiman]

Mine leaking on top as well, Help!

01 EXP 4.0 6cyl, developed leak last night. I put the pressure tester on it, found it leaking pretty bad on top of the engine, just under all the air intake stuff (behind alternator) My question is how the H to get to the problem? What all do I need to remove to get to this thing?

 

[DPSkiman]

OK, fixed mine. The plastic housing that sends water through the upper hose to the cabin heater element had broken. Hose had 5/8" of nipple inside. I reinstalled with the 5/8" left, rather than replacing the whole thermostadt assembly. Time will tell whether it will hold. Pressure tested for 2 hrs, no leak, so we'll put it back on the road and see how far it goes.