Coolant leak help - 96 Explorer 5.0

[ejscarfo]

Hey guys! Happy Friday, at least for some of us. Anyway, I have a coolant leak that I need to locate. I saw coolant on the ground for the first time last night. I am hoping its an easy fix like the last leak (broken clamp on the lower radiator hose). The leak seems to be more on passenger side almost under the radiator. The oil cooler lines are wet and I found coolant in the wire loom containing the positive cables from the battery. The water pump is dry (the weep hole is up top, correct?) and it doesn't make any noise. I am thinking there's either a split hose somewhere down toward the bottom where I can't see it or the radiator has given out (it has 135K on it). As I am not too familiar with the 5.0 Explorer (my last one was a 4.0), can anyone suggest what to look for? The leak seems to be too far forward to be a gasket on the engine, so I am thinking its the radiator.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Vargas]

Look for a wet seam at the core/tank junction at the side of the radiator. The tanks are held to the core with a crimped flange. Mine appears as an occasional few drops of coolant on the ground, but usually just a damp area on the lower core support. Cooling system still holds pressure just fine, and level is not noticeably lower in two years of seeing this. The only other telltale sign is the smell of warm antifreeze.

In theory, the crimps can be tightened, but the problem will come back. Radiators are relatively cheap. Or live with it if the coolant loss is minor.

 

[ejscarfo]

Thanks, I will check there first. I already priced radiators and I can get one for less a $100 new, I'm just not looking forward to fighting with the condensor to seperate it from the radiator.

 

[ejscarfo]

OK, I checked the radiator at its seams, its fine. When I opened the hood, everything was wet. It looked as though the upper radiator hose had sprung a leak. So I took the intake piping off to see. I dried it off and checked it out, it was fine. I looked underneath at the clamps on the lower hose, couldn't tell anything. I dried everything the best I could and started the engine. No leaks, but then again the thermostat hadn't opened yet because the engine was cold. Once the thermostat opened, I was getting sprayed with a fine mist of coolant! I turned off the engine and removed the radiator shroud to see if the leak was coming from the middle of the radiator, it looked fine. I started the engine again, moved the shroud a bit to see and confirmed it wasn't coming from there. Then along with the belt squeaking from getting wet from the coolant spray, I started to hear a knock, like a bearing knock from the water pump area. Could it be the bearing on the pump went and took the front seal with it which is why its spraying coolant?

 

[ford99_1979]

Not too sure about the knocking business but after a recent coolant issue I had I would suggest getting it pressure tested to locate the leak. Mine ended up being the bottom of the thermostat housing. Was a cheap fix but tough to find with lights, mirrors and without a pressure test.

 

[Vargas]

I've found it can be useful to use something like a mini-maglite when trying to find the source of spraying coolant. A pinhole leak that is spraying onto another surface will just mist up everywhere and be hard to locate. The very directional focused light will make it easier to find the stream.

 

[ejscarfo]

Well the pressure test did the trick. It was a pinhole in the bypass hose, cheap and easy.

Thanks for all the input guys!