Driving with a coolant leak from the timing cover

[98FordLove]

Checked the oil this morning, not grey and no coolant bubbles. Was fresh new oil and level was good. I was barely able to start it, had to try 5 times, really crank it and give it 2500rpm of gas to keep it alive. But it's also -43c here today. The rpms drop to 800 when idling, almost sounds like it will stall and I'm sure it will if I idle long enough.

At my other mechanic right now to pull codes.

 

[98FordLove]

Scanned: Ignition coil is dead and needs to be replaced. Replacing the wires too as the mechanic suggested it.

Replacing the ignition coil and wires now. $100 for coil +$50 new wires +75 labour.

I didn't mention anything to this mechanic about me having done this big repair because if he found out that I took it to another mechanic to do the repair (which he first diagnosed it) and then I come back with these issues, he probably wouldn't be too happy.

But I'm also at a loss as to why the mechanic who did all the repairs did not scan the code and diagnose that it's a failed ignition coil but instead just hands it back saying it's running rough and there's nothing else he can do.

 

[96eb96]

Thanks. After watching that video, I believe it to be the missing vacuum hose that he didn't put back on. Will see what my mech says today.

If my coolant leak is coming from where my harmonic balancer is, will K-seal even work? Because my mech said it wouldn't but he may not even know the product.

If K-seal will work then I will for sure use it.

K-seal works, and it can fix the head issue. Sometimes it has to be run with the spark plug out. Unless it is coming out of the crank seal, then you have bigger problems , kseal should work. I know I had a bad freeze plug, not saying thats your problem.

 

[98FordLove]

K-seal works, and it can fix the head issue. Sometimes it has to be run with the spark plug out. Unless it is coming out of the crank seal, then you have bigger problems , kseal should work. I know I had a bad freeze plug, not saying thats your problem.

When you say K-seal works, will it work with gaps at the harmonic balancer? I will need to visit my mech from yesterday to get him to pinpoint exactly where this gap is at the harmonic balancer that is leaking coolant so I can keep an eye on it. He says it's minor though.

Where is the crankseal? Is it near the harmonic balancer?

 

[98FordLove]

K-seal works, and it can fix the head issue. Sometimes it has to be run with the spark plug out. Unless it is coming out of the crank seal, then you have bigger problems , kseal should work. I know I had a bad freeze plug, not saying thats your problem.

I hate this, I don't think the mechanic who did the repairs is familiar with k-Seal. But if you say that k-Seal will work at the harmonic balancer then I will order a bottle today. How long does it take to work and seal up?

I looked up where the crankseal is and no my coolant leak is not coming from there. The rear main seal on my truck is leak free.

 

[98FordLove]

Definitely will not be a return customer to that mechanic. He forgot to plug my air intake back in and he broke one of the clips so the mechanic now is fixing it. This air intake would also be a factor in the rough idle. He also damaged the latch on my hood and the driver side is bent so the hood would not close properly. Mechanic now is fixing all of this.

And this was coming from a mechanic who said he does not make mistakes.
The mechanic who I am seeing now is a good trustworthy mechanic, one of the very few I trust.

 

[EB4X]

Yes, the air intake not properly seated will allow unmetered air in and cause horrible idle / stalling / not starting at all etc..

 

[98FordLove]

Yes, the air intake not properly seated will allow unmetered air in and cause horrible idle / stalling / not starting at all etc..

Makes me so upset that the mechanic forgot this, something so simple as plugging stuff back in.

Now that I will have the rough idle and shaking fixed, I need to then find out exactly where the coolant is leaking from. I will have to take to another mechanic that I know to get him to diagnose it. I would with the one I am seeing right now but then he would catch on that I had the gaskets just repaired and wonder why I didn't get him to do the job. He likely would be more disappointed than anything that I wouldn't give him the business just based on cost because he knows how much I always tell him that I support and fully trust him as a mechanic.

 

[98FordLove]

Yes, the air intake not properly seated will allow unmetered air in and cause horrible idle / stalling / not starting at all etc..

I just feel really bad now for not just getting my first mechanic (who first diagnosed the coolant leak from the timing cover) to do the job but I wouldn't be able to afford it. To do all the work that I just had done, it would have been a $4000+ job through him. At the time 2 weeks ago he quoted me $1000cdn just to replace the timing cover gasket, nothing else and not including parts.

The mech I'm at now, he always takes good care of me. There's no way in hell he would ever hand my truck back to me with the check engine light on and a hood that doesn't close properly.

I also ordered a bottle of K seal, will be here in 3 days.

 

[98FordLove]

This thing has turned into more of a nightmare. So we replaced the ignition coils and the wire, replugged in the air intake and it ran better but still was shaking and running rough. Not good enough to me want to drive it anywhere and risk stalling.

So I left the truck there for the night as they did more diagnosing and discovered that there is an air/vacuum leak and it's coming from the intake manifold (which I just had off with all new gaskets). They said it could be cracked. They don't know exactly where in it so they are taking the intake manifold off to inspect it and also replace the gaskets while at it (the upper ones) which are all brand new and literally 3 days old. If the intake manifold is cracked, a new one is $285cdn and that's the cheapest that he could find. That much for an air intake manifold? Hopefully it's not cracked though, fingers crossed.

So upset that I am putting more money into it but at least I trust this mechanic to do it right. I'm still 100% confident I can get this truck working fine. Hope K-seal can work on the leak from the harmonic balancer.

The other mech should be paying for this bill to fix his mistakes.

 

[EB4X]

YOU NEED TO SUE THIS FIRST GUY...AND THESE SECOND GUYS SOUND FLAKEY AS WELL....claiming they did some scan that pointed to ignition coil ---when air intake was loose which would cause problems as I stated --- these guys put new coil and plug wires in (when it was NOT running like this with originals a few days prior - they don't just happen to fail like that --clearly all this poor running is DUE TO FIRST FLAKEY mechanic) and now it's running a hair better....thanks to air intake being properly seated / installed....not new coil or plug wires. If anything maybe first tech damaged a single plug wire near the front of the engine.. that's iffy. DID you pay the first guy FOR THE GASKET installs??
Maybe 10secondcobra's in your part of Calgary and can meet you at mechanics so they don't take you for more $$.... I'm probably overstepping here but maybe you could message him ... click on link here V V V

Wiring diagram and colors for 97 gauge cluster

Hi everyone, I tried searching this before posting, seems like anything that was there is not anymore. I'm wondering if anyone has the wiring diagram for the gauge cluster, along with what color wires are connected what, amy help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

www.explorerforum.com

 

[96eb96]

This thing has turned into more of a nightmare. So we replaced the ignition coils and the wire, replugged in the air intake and it ran better but still was shaking and running rough. Not good enough to me want to drive it anywhere and risk stalling.

So I left the truck there for the night as they did more diagnosing and discovered that there is an air/vacuum leak and it's coming from the intake manifold (which I just had off with all new gaskets). They said it could be cracked. They don't know exactly where in it so they are taking the intake manifold off to inspect it and also replace the gaskets while at it (the upper ones) which are all brand new and literally 3 days old. If the intake manifold is cracked, a new one is $285cdn and that's the cheapest that he could find. That much for an air intake manifold? Hopefully it's not cracked though, fingers crossed.

So upset that I am putting more money into it but at least I trust this mechanic to do it right. I'm still 100% confident I can get this truck working fine. Hope K-seal can work on the leak from the harmonic balancer.

The other mech should be paying for this bill to fix his mistakes.

This is almost hard to believe :lol:. Is this comedy, sir?

Who are these "mechanics?" Teenage girls? Even they wouldn't be that stupid. Are they like really drunk rednecks? Even the most methed up redneck could deal with this engine. I don't know how you can crack these intakes, unless you have a sledge. Maybe those meatheads broke off a vacuum nipple? That would pretty hard to do.

I mean, this is one of the simplest engines. It is one step up from a Riding Lawn tractor. People like the OHV because it is very DIY friendly, it should be cake for any mechanic. I don't know where you live but TWO mechanics having a hard time with this engine? Maybe they should get together and open a clown school. If it is real I feel bad for you, I would certainly be disputing this on my credit card. I would say its fake but I got into repairs over some pretty boneheaded things "pros" did. They greased up my rotors and I could barely stop.

I think I had enough. :lol:.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Aloose ten years ago, I had “mechanics” that agreed to replace my transmission with a salvage transmission for about $600. Three salvage transmissions later, they discovered the fault was the PCM. This process took about thirty days, and lots of false statements and very odd behavior. Finally, the police were called, and they strongly suggested I get my vehicle back before it disappears. Each day, I pitifully hoped this would end with a fair result. It was a horrible and stressful experience, and I am sure illegal drugs were involved.

Bad mechanic service is nasty and stressful.

 

[98FordLove]

YOU NEED TO SUE THIS FIRST GUY...AND THESE SECOND GUYS SOUND FLAKEY AS WELL....claiming they did some scan that pointed to ignition coil ---when air intake was loose which would cause problems as I stated --- these guys put new coil and plug wires in (when it was NOT running like this with originals a few days prior - they don't just happen to fail like that --clearly all this poor running is DUE TO FIRST FLAKEY mechanic) and now it's running a hair better....thanks to air intake being properly seated / installed....not new coil or plug wires. If anything maybe first tech damaged a single plug wire near the front of the engine.. that's iffy. DID you pay the first guy FOR THE GASKET installs??
Maybe 10secondcobra's in your part of Calgary and can meet you at mechanics so they don't take you for more $$.... I'm probably overstepping here but maybe you could message him ... click on link here V V V

Wiring diagram and colors for 97 gauge cluster

Hi everyone, I tried searching this before posting, seems like anything that was there is not anymore. I'm wondering if anyone has the wiring diagram for the gauge cluster, along with what color wires are connected what, amy help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

www.explorerforum.com

I sent Cobra a message thanks. How do you know he's in Calgary?

What case do I have to sue the first mechanic?

The second guy I saw today is good. I've known him for some time now and he's 100% trustworthy. I went in today with check engine light on and she scanned it and it came up as a failed ignition coil. He replaced it and the wires and there was no more misfires. The truck barely started this morning and after the ignition coils it fired right up each time. So they were bad and had to be replaced. I'm just not sure why the check engine light for it didn't come on before if the coil was bad prior to the big repair. He was able to clear the check engine light after.

Not sure what the first mechanic did but he failed to plug the intake back in so that got plugged back in. And he must have done something when installing the new gaskets on the intake manifold and re-installing the manifold because the mechanic today checked for where the leak was coming from with propane and he used this canned spray and he detected that it was coming from where the o-ring was on the intake manifold. I should hear from him in the morning on what they found when they got the manifold off and checked it out.

Yes I paid the first guy for the gasket installs.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

What case do I have to sue the first mechanic? ...

Yes I paid the first guy for the gasket installs.

Breach of contract, to start with. Then negligence resulting in damage to your vehicle.

if you paid by credit card, you might have even more leverage for relief.

 

[EB4X]

because the mechanic today checked for where the leak was coming from with propane and he used this canned spray and he detected that it was coming from where the o-ring was on the intake manifold. I should hear from him in the morning on what they found when they got the manifold off and checked it out.

Yes I paid the first guy for the gasket installs.

That's ALL it is most likely (at this point)...the upper intake/ aka plenum intake can be removed and re-installed successfully "sometimes" with leaving the EGR tube connected at the bottom (I've had both experiences) So to do it safe / right....go through the slight hassle of disconnecting tube completely from EGR instead of "working" upper intake onto tube while lowering down onto fuel rail / lower intake. Your first mechanic took that easy route or re-used it...as they are not readily available / special order....and "appear" to be re-usable.
Here's a pic of tube with culprit 0-ring circled. He shouldn't charge much for this..... o-ring --$10 and 1/2 hr labor ...NO NEED TO TAKE THE MANIFOLD OFF..... this goes into/slides into the manifold IN PLACE.
I think Ford didn't switch to the slightly different (both black plastic) upper intake till 97....so your 96 should use the same 0-ring / seal as my '95 ..
Here it is / part number ....maybe pass on to your mechanic to save time researching it:
FORD F57Z9J469AB GENUINE OEM EGR TUBE SEAL FREE SHIPPING | eBay

 

[98FordLove]

Breach of contract, to start with. Then negligence resulting in damage to your vehicle.

if you paid by credit card, you might have even more leverage for relief.

Unfortunately, after seeing and talking with the first mechanic who did the repairs, I can tell he is a dangerous individual to deal with. Not sure if I want to go that direction with him. He's even admitted to going to see and smashing customers faces in who didn't pay their bill after their car work was done.

 

[C420sailor]

Unfortunately, after seeing and talking with the first mechanic who did the repairs, I can tell he is a dangerous individual to deal with. Not sure if I want to go that direction with him. He's even admitted to going to see and smashing customers faces in who didn't pay their bill after their car work was done.

Sounds like a nice (and smart) guy.

Down here, that’s how you get shot in the face.

Anyway, I highly suggest you stop paying people to break your vehicle, and instead use that money to invest in quality tools. Watch YouTube. Lurk on here.

This is going to be far from the last repair that truck is going to need, and you’re going to pour thousands into it if you pay people to do the work.

With that, I’m out. Best of luck.

 

[98FordLove]

That's ALL it is most likely (at this point)...the upper intake/ aka plenum intake can be removed and re-installed successfully "sometimes" with leaving the EGR tube connected at the bottom (I've had both experiences) So to do it safe / right....go through the slight hassle of disconnecting tube completely from EGR instead of "working" upper intake onto tube while lowering down onto fuel rail / lower intake. Your first mechanic took that easy route or re-used it...as they are not readily available / special order....and "appear" to be re-usable.
Here's a pic of tube with culprit 0-ring circled. He shouldn't charge much for this..... o-ring --$10 and 1/2 hr labor ...NO NEED TO TAKE THE MANIFOLD OFF..... this goes into/slides into the manifold IN PLACE.
I think Ford didn't switch to the slightly different (both black plastic) upper intake till 97....so your 96 should use the same 0-ring / seal as my '95 ..
Here it is / part number ....maybe pass on to your mechanic to save time researching it:
FORD F57Z9J469AB GENUINE OEM EGR TUBE SEAL FREE SHIPPING | eBay

View attachment 327376

Thanks, good to know this. So those o rings aren't reusable when taken off?

Also after more thinking, I think the first mech somehow wrecked my ignition coils and the wire (just like he bent my hood latch, now fixed) because they were perfectly fine with no misfires before. The check engine light wasn't even on when I dropped the truck off there.

 

[EB4X]

They can be reusable mainly if it's not the original 20 year old one....otherwise not recommended....but the main issue is if doing short-cut procedure or other way: If that tube is left in place/attached to the EGR below (shortcut) while slipping the intake "onto" it/ tube end while lowering intake back into place on engine....due to tricky angle / technique the o-ring can get tweaked or slip. I did it once successfully - no leak ....and then other time I stressed it / causing it to slightly slip out of place causing leak there --it's hit or miss. The oil dipstick is mounted at that same end as EGR connection / overlaps thus needs to be removed as well...hence the double headache and temptation to attempt shortcut method.