coolant leak need help identifing

[KJ2000XLS]

2000 v6 ohc
have coolant leak and cant identify. passenger side just below exhaust manifold , cant tell if coming from water pump above and dripping there.

 

[swshawaii]

The lower thermostat housing is a very common failure on the SOHC. Usually splits at the welded seams on the rear.
Your engine configuration may be different from the link, but the replacement Motorcraft RH144 housing is the same.

http://bengrosser.com/howto/fordthermostat/

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1362440,parttype,10337

 

[KJ2000XLS]

All that is on the drivers side and i would be able to see the leak from up top

 

[drdoom]

Jumping in here because I have a leak also, it appears to be the timing cover on my SOHC, where the water jacket passes through on the passenger side.

 

[KJ2000XLS]

thanks for the input , i'll check it out

 

[swshawaii]

First pic look familiar?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383043

 

[bill06447]

Thanks for the jinx. My 5.0 just sprung a leak between the block and the timing chain cover, drivers side. I'm done messing with this truck, it's going to be a K Seal party once it cools.

Bill

 

[drdoom]

The slow leak I have is very close to the head gasket area on the passenger side, but looks to be the timing cover to block area.

 

[drdoom]

UPDATE: I have found the leak, as it became worse I was able to see a tiny jet of coolant coming out of the lower thermostat housing. It was hard for me to find because it was runnning in all different locations.

 

[drdoom]

I replaced the lower housing with a new one, and it leaked worse than the old split one! It is in such a blind spot, and I wondered if I failed to tighten the sensors sufficiently, so unable to see the leak anymore, I pulled the intake again, and took everything back out and re-sealed the threads. Put it all back together, and coolant just running out the back of the valley onto the starter and Y-pipe. So I pulled it all back down again, and no third time was not a charm, I replaced one of the sensors with a BWD while I had it back out, and a new O-ring, etc. Well it still leaks all over the place AND the new sensor was no good, it reads COLD, never moves the gauge. So finally I can see the Chicom OEM upgraded part is in fact where the leak is coming from, around the large insert. So I am returning the housing and the sensor, and have ordered a DORMAN unit, will try that. I am becoming fairly efficient at the Removal & Replacement of the upper intake! Holy crap I hope the next parts are good.

 

[swshawaii]

drdoom- IMO, this upgraded Motorcraft RH144 housing with compression sensors is a better option.
The threaded sensors on the older style SOHC's are highly prone to failure. See links.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2904425&postcount=3

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239493

 

[drdoom]

Thank you for the sound advice and the links hawaii, I actually had priced out the good stuff before buying the rubbish, but I just couldn't put that money into this old engine, it has well over 200K, and should be replaced soon.

 

[drdoom]

The failure point on the replacement obtained appears to be the seal around the large insert. I cut my original housing apart because the large sennsor was seized. I was able to get a look at how it is made. There is an o-ring that seals the insert to the housing. I detected a bit of looseness in the insert when I was installing that sensor, whichb I assumed was the o-ring compressing. Anyway, it has a manufacturing flaw and is not sealed perhaps the internal o-ring is missing. I will have a closer look before I return it. I would like to post a photo of the old insert w/ o-ring, if I can dig it out of the rubbish bin. It appears as though this insert would be placed from inside housing, as if you had it perched on your fingertip, reached inside the housing, and pop it in, with o-ring holding in corresponding grooves. That may help explain things.

 

[drdoom]

I have put it back together again, and when I looked closely at the defective replacement housing, the large insert was very slightly skewed, and not sealed. Hopefully the DORMAN unit will hold.

 

[drdoom]

I put the DORMAN unit in, and have put about six hundred miles on there, and it is working fine.

 

[KJ2000XLS]

Its spring , its warm and i am fixing leak finally

Ok , the leak did not get worse through the winter , but it is spring , it is warmer and now it is leaking worse. Time to fix. Did a pressure test and it is the water pump. Most everything off , but stuck at fan cluch. Got power built kit # 34 ( 648746 ) from advance as loner but the wrench that is suppose to fit the fan bolt is a 36 mm . And others on you tube show using this size but it is not the one on mine. Called advance to see if they had another kit but they show this is the kit for this vehicle. Does any one know the size of the fan bolt ? Or the right kit number ? 2000 explorer xlt , 4.0 , 6cyl, sohc . stuck !!!

 

[rb142]

Mine is 36mm, and that is the normal size. Maybe yours is aftermarket. There are fan wrenches in a bunch of other sizes. Just use an adjustable wrench or even a pipe wrench if you don't have anything that fits. Holding the pulley is the harder part of that job. Make sure you are turning it the right direction too. Most are right-hand thread but not all. It should be marked on the fan shroud.

 

[pbnj22]

I had that problem too !! If you search enough a few others have had the same exact problem with the bolt being SLIGHTLY smaller than the " correct" tool they give you.. I just kept trying like 4 or 5 loaner tools until I got one that worked... I believe I even had to try 3 stores lol. Good luck

 

[KJ2000XLS]

not enough room for adjustable, tried that and definately not enough for a pipe wrench

 

[pbnj22]

well i finally rented the fan clutch removal tool from oreily and it did not fit... i used the 36 mm and then the 72 mm to hold the pulley thing in place while a turn the nut... the 72 was fine but the 36 was just a tad bit to big. after research on here i realized that is a common problem so i used a micrometer to check how big the nut "actually" is and it is just a hair smaller than 36mm.. i then took my micrometer back to oreily to show them, to auto zone and to advanced auto as well as back to another oreily store.. every store had like 3 "kits" and none of them fit.. i even had a guy cut open a brand new kit that was for sale not for rent and it was still to big... any advice? i do not have a pep boys which others have had luck.. my only thought is i will re rent the kit for the 72mm that worked then buy just a standard wrench that will fit (i will bring my micrometer to menards) to find the right wrench then use it once and hopefully return it after

that is what i did lol but the 72 mm that fits around the 4 bolts i didnt use.. my dad just wedged a big screw driver through two of the bolts so it wouldnt turn while i undid the fan cluth.. what a pita