Help I'm loosing Coolant

[Pdwight]

I have a 94 Limited, completely stock. I am now loosing coolant in the amount of around 1/2 gal a week. I cannot find and puddles under the Explorer, it dos not run hot and I have great oil pressure....any clues ???

I hope this is not a head gasket .....if so anyone have an idea what a shop would charge to replace one ??

Thanks
Dwight

 

[cobrasvt]

I just brought mine into the shop today for the same exact problem. They ran a pressure test for the radiator and found the leak. Its the Intake Manifold that's leaking. So far he thinks its just the gaskets leaking on the lower manifold mainly due to his conversation with ford because they told him that the manifold is aluminum, but in his past hes found plastic ones. So when he gets to taking everything apart and sees if the lower manifold is plastic or aluminum he can have a better idea. But if it is aluminum, then just the gaskets need to be done on upper and lower. Here's my breakdown of charges for that scenario:
Parts $170 (gaskets upper and lower)
2 Gallons Coolant $ 31.98
Bi-pass Hose $9.00
3Hours Labor $255.00
TOTAL: $465.98 + Tax

Here is the link to my thread on this if you want to see that.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2553277#post2553277

 

[FIND]

OP, are you getting much white smoke from your exhaust or do you smell coolant from your exhaust?

I just brought mine into the shop today for the same exact problem. They ran a pressure test for the radiator and found the leak. Its the Intake Manifold that's leaking. So far he thinks its just the gaskets leaking on the lower manifold mainly due to his conversation with ford because they told him that the manifold is aluminum, but in his past hes found plastic ones. So when he gets to taking everything apart and sees if the lower manifold is plastic or aluminum he can have a better idea. But if it is aluminum, then just the gaskets need to be done on upper and lower. Here's my breakdown of charges for that scenario:
Parts $170 (gaskets upper and lower)
2 Gallons Coolant $ 31.98
Bi-pass Hose $9.00
3Hours Labor $255.00
TOTAL: $465.98 + Tax

you have a different motor and different generation of explorer

 

[cobrasvt]

OP, are you getting much white smoke from your exhaust or do you smell coolant from your exhaust?



you have a different motor and different generation of explorer

Oh, I know I was just giving him an idea of what might be going on and a round about figure on costs.

 

[Iron Weasel]

If you lose that much coolant that fast it's either leaking or getting into the engine. If you don't have any puddles, then it's a safe guess where it's going.

Easy way to check is to pull the dipstick and check for coolant on it, it's better to do this on a cool engine. The coolant will form little water globules on top of the oil and it'll be easy to see them. Otherwise, another old time method is to take the radiator cap off (when the engine is cool) and then see if there are any bubbles forming. Also, if your coolant looks like chocolate milk and has a thicker than normal consistency, then you've probably got a bad gasket.

If it is the head gasket, then book time is around 10 hours for both banks plus another hour if you have A/C. Individually, each bank is around 6.5 hours. So figure around $130 for the gasket set, another $40 or so for new head bolts, and then if you find cheap shop maybe around $75 / hour for labor. I'd say around $1000 is a good ballpark figure.

 

[Pdwight]

I can smell coolant sometimes....but no white smoke that I can see.

I really appreciate the info...great help so far.

 

[Pdwight]

Found It

I filled the old girl up with coolant and drove to get lunch, parked in a fresh clean spot in the driveway......came out and big puddle under the radiator....looks like the water pump from the bottom....are these hard to install ??

I have done this years ago on straight sixes but that was a much simpler engine than this thing full of hoses and stuff.

Thanks
Dwight

 

[Iron Weasel]

Good news is water pump is a lot cheaper than head gaskets.

Better news is that the pump isn't hard to replace.

You might need to rent a fan clutch tool or you can try and "brute force" it off...I prefer the tool method myself. Anyway, here's how you do it:

1) Drain the coolant. Detach the lower radiator hose and the heater return hose from the water pump.

2) Remove fan blade and fan clutch assembly - this is the part you'll need the tools for. Also, the fan clutch nut may be threaded left-hand which means you turn it to the right to loosen, left to tighten which is the opposite of a "normal" nut. It'll be stamped into the plastic on the fan shroud "Right Hand Thread" or "Left Hand Thread".

3) Lift drive belt tensioner by rotating it counterclockwise and remove drive belt.
Without disconnecting lines, remove A/C compressor mounting bracket and brace with assembled A/C compressor and power steering pump and set to one side.

4) Remove two bolts and drive belt tensioner.

5) Remove three bolts and generator (alternator) mounting bracket with assembled generator and set to one side.

6) Remove the water pump pulley.

7) Remove the water pump assembly attaching bolts and remove water pump.

Once you get it off, make damn sure you get all the old gasket material off the engine block, slap a new gasket on it and then put everything back on in the opposite order. It shouldn't take more than a couple hours from start to finish.

Just noticed that there's a thread with pictures as a sticky in this forum, so here's the link: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273723