Help! Coolant Pouring Out of my 97 5.0 AWD

[tressler]

Hi, Yesterday my truck overheated, luckily, just down the block from home. Drove it home into the garage, coolant spraying and leaking everywhere. After it cooled down a bit, I took a look. Hmmm... the weap hole on the water pump seemed to be the source.

So, bought a new water pump, figured I might has well change the hoses and thermostat, so I bought those too. Long story short: Changed all of the above mentioned parts, started to fill radiator with coolant, and I heard dripping, lots of dripping!!!

So, I looked underneath, it appears to be leaking from under the water pump, maybe behind the crankshaft pulley, can't see for sure...

Is there a freeze plug or soft plug behind there? Is the another place it could be leaking? It certainly is possible that the water pump gasket is leaking, but I have never seen one just poor coolant out like this.

Thank you for reading and any advice you may have.

 

[Cobraguy]

Only thing I can think of is you (a) had a gasket slip, break, etc (b) maybe the wrong water pump or gasket, (c) defective water pump. Can you get a mechanic's mirror and see where it's coming from?

 

[TREMEK]

Could be the Timing Cover gasket. Its what the water pump attaches too.

 

[tressler]

Well, here is an update...

I pulled the water pump back off, gasket was a bit torn. So I carefully replaced it.

Put everything back together. Ran it for a while, no leaks! Next day, I drove it for about a mile, shut it off, and coolant was spraying everywhere, and again, pooring out of the bottom of the engine.

So I put some Barr's Leak in, ran it for a while... no leaks!

Next day, it overheated as soon as it reached normal temperature... this time the leak appeared to be coming from the gooseneck. So I took it off, replaced the gasket, tested the thermostat... put everything back together... started to fill with coolant... and I could hear water dripping... it's leaking from the bottom front of the engine... somewhere behind the tensioner pulley... I can't see for sure.....

I am really frustrated with this... and I am not a "Ford Guy". I'm not mechanically stupid... I do all of my own work... head gaskets... timing belts... change engines...

Help!

 

[96V8Xploder]

Well, here is an update...

I pulled the water pump back off, gasket was a bit torn. So I carefully replaced it.

Put everything back together. Ran it for a while, no leaks! Next day, I drove it for about a mile, shut it off, and coolant was spraying everywhere, and again, pooring out of the bottom of the engine.

So I put some Barr's Leak in, ran it for a while... no leaks!

Next day, it overheated as soon as it reached normal temperature... this time the leak appeared to be coming from the gooseneck. So I took it off, replaced the gasket, tested the thermostat... put everything back together... started to fill with coolant... and I could hear water dripping... it's leaking from the bottom front of the engine... somewhere behind the tensioner pulley... I can't see for sure.....

I am really frustrated with this... and I am not a "Ford Guy". I'm not mechanically stupid... I do all of my own work... head gaskets... timing belts... change engines...

Help!

Well, after reading all the above you might have cracked your block or cylinder head. Intake could be the another one.

I suggest you take the thermostat out. Fill the system full of water(not coolant,its not worth waisting tell you fix it), take a cooling system pressure test pump and pump her up. These attach to the radiator cap filler. This way you can pressurize the system while you search for leaks. If this doesn't help then I dont have any clue how your going to find it.