97exploderXLT
Active Member
- Joined
- January 4, 2013
- Messages
- 68
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Newport, TN
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 96 explorer xlt
So I've had a leak in my coolant system for about 2 weeks now and I can't (for the love of god) find the damned leak. Everything is covered in coolant, from the LIM to the front suspension to the right side of the block. At first I thought maybe a hose spraying it everywhere but alas all the hoses are crack and hole free and all sealed tight on the ends. So I then checked the rad (my wife hit a deer about 2 months ago so I figured maybe the impact caused small stress cracks that started leaking over time) no leaks there. Checked the WP weeper... nothing. But the block behind it is soaked, the tstat housing is soaked, the LIM is soaked and the right side of the block is soaked... wtf batman? What are some of the more common leaks in the 4.0 cooling system??
edit: now that I'm not on my phone which doesn't auto scroll with the length of a paragraph, i can add my other problems to this.
i changed my oil about a week and a half ago and have since developed a rhythmic knocking/tapping from the motor. ive had plenty of experience with knocking of the rotating assembly (my previous car, an 85 300zx, went through 3 motors because of bearings going out and breaking rods) and its more of a tapping, more associated with the sound of a wrist pin or maybe a cam bearing but as i said it has a rhythm and it comes in sets of three's like taptaptap....taptaptap....taptaptap. Ive checked the bottom end on both sides with a stethoscope and i couldn't hear it in the block nearly as loud as i can standing over the motor while its running. and it does speed up with the rpms in P or N but under load i cant hear it ( it could be there but i cant hear much of anything over my exhaust).
this tapping is also accompanied by what sounds like someone shaking a bottle of Tylenol that is extremely loud on start-up and eventually quiets down once the motor builds up oil pressure but it doesn't go away, I'm assuming this is the infamous timing chain rattle from the way I've read it being described by you guys but i haven't read anywhere of the tapping along with it.
i was thinking maybe the cam bearings or even something as trivial as spark knock. i can take a video and post it if it is needed.
if you guys think maybe its something major you might just seal my decision for a motor swap because this thing is my only running vehicle and i dont wanna have some cracked pistons and smushed valves on the side of the highway with my 7 month old in it lol.
any help or ideas would be amazing guys
edit: now that I'm not on my phone which doesn't auto scroll with the length of a paragraph, i can add my other problems to this.
i changed my oil about a week and a half ago and have since developed a rhythmic knocking/tapping from the motor. ive had plenty of experience with knocking of the rotating assembly (my previous car, an 85 300zx, went through 3 motors because of bearings going out and breaking rods) and its more of a tapping, more associated with the sound of a wrist pin or maybe a cam bearing but as i said it has a rhythm and it comes in sets of three's like taptaptap....taptaptap....taptaptap. Ive checked the bottom end on both sides with a stethoscope and i couldn't hear it in the block nearly as loud as i can standing over the motor while its running. and it does speed up with the rpms in P or N but under load i cant hear it ( it could be there but i cant hear much of anything over my exhaust).
this tapping is also accompanied by what sounds like someone shaking a bottle of Tylenol that is extremely loud on start-up and eventually quiets down once the motor builds up oil pressure but it doesn't go away, I'm assuming this is the infamous timing chain rattle from the way I've read it being described by you guys but i haven't read anywhere of the tapping along with it.
i was thinking maybe the cam bearings or even something as trivial as spark knock. i can take a video and post it if it is needed.
if you guys think maybe its something major you might just seal my decision for a motor swap because this thing is my only running vehicle and i dont wanna have some cracked pistons and smushed valves on the side of the highway with my 7 month old in it lol.
any help or ideas would be amazing guys
