Leaking major coolant. Head gasket?

[fantasticuno]

This just started happening to my ford after a coolant flush. It had the problem before, but only had small minor leakage. I would refill the reservoir tank every 2 weeks and that kept the car in great condition. No heating problems whatsoever. It went that way for about 6 months. Finally, i did a coolant flush, and it's been leaking very heavily after that. Happened for the first hour after the flush, then miraculously stopped for a couple days. It started again yesterday. I would refill with bottles, and it would leak right out of the bottom until i put the cap back on, then would heavily leak again once i started driving. Not around the water pump or radiator, but from the back side of the engine closer to the passenger seat. Couldnt see from the bottom of the car, and couldnt see from the top... could that be a head gasket problem?

 

[DoraXLT94]

With out know specifically where the coolant is leaking from its hard to say although i would start looking at the heater core and heater hoses if its on the pass side of the truck i had a similar problem with my 90' mustang.

 

[DoraXLT94]

unless your truck is billowing smoke from the exhaust you can rule out the head gasket, a head gasket leak you wouldnt be able to see because all the coolant would be going into your engine and burning off

 

[fisher972002]

I mean,check the hoses.. I had a heater hose that was tightened too tight and was slowly leaking antifreeze...

That was one leak..
Then about 6 months later, I had another leak, leaking a lot more, turned out my intake manifild gasket was bad, so had to put in a new intake manifold $1200.. Doh.. the aluminum was pitted...

Then a few weeks ago I noticed another antifreeze drip, coming from the radiator drain ****.. Turns out I had a crack in my radiator, so $300 new radiator... But now I don't have the antifreeze smell.....

My truck is a 1992 and has 157K, it's been a good truck other than these problems and the 4wd motor needed cleaning and radius arm bushings, but normal maintenance other than thes..

So check all hte hoses for obvious leaks, and obviously the water pump, but if its is leaking where you can't see it, it may be the intake manifold gasket theya re a weak point on these trucks..

Also, someone might have had some radiator sealer, or cylinder head sealer in the old coolant, and by you flushing it you flushed out the sealer..

That happened to me on a 1988 olds calais with the quad 4.. Changed the radiator fluid and white smoke was billowing out the exhaust.. Put in that metal shaving cylinder head sealer and fixed it, drove the car for 2 years like that until it died.. Cheap fix.

 

[fantasticuno]

no smoke billowing from the exaust, but when it does get somewhat hot, i can see steam coming from inside the engine near the passenger side. Then i lift the radiator cap to release the pressure, and the steam goes away and i can hear bubbling noises from the radiator. If its not the head gasket... what could that mean?

 

[biggs92EB]

check your freeze plugs, ive had one leaking for 2 years now...naturally the one inside the bellhouseing on the back of the block.

 

[fantasticuno]

what would explain it leaking every once in a while. It just started up very suddenly, but it has been leaking for 6 months. Sometimes its like little drips, but sometimes its like the car is taking a major leak down the bottom...

 

[fantasticuno]

EDIT::

i found the leak. If i look in the passenger side down by the wheel, i can see the leak. Near the engine block, theres this round thing... and a giant hole in the middle where the coolant leaks out of...
is that the freeze plug?

 

[bluesman2333]

EDIT::

i found the leak. If i look in the passenger side down by the wheel, i can see the leak. Near the engine block, theres this round thing... and a giant hole in the middle where the coolant leaks out of...
is that the freeze plug?

Near the engine block or on the engine block? If it's on the engine block, low and right above the oil pan, then yes, that's a freeze plug, AKA a soft plug.

 

[86caprirs]

I am leaking from the frost plug on the r/s head at the rear too. There is a screw in rubber plug in there right now. I was thinking that I might be able to find a block heater core that will fit in there since it looks like I will have to pull the engine to replaced it with a hard plug.

Has anyone replaced it with a block heater core?????What size is it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[X on 22s]

yea i just got mine replaced today at the dealership it was 200 for labor and the small part....

 

[86caprirs]

Just for future reference,the core plug in the head is 1 1/2". Ford has a 1 1/2" block heater. I will see if this works and stops the leak.Could be a cheap alternative for a repair.


****UPDATE****

Ok, so it does work.If you have a leak comming from a core plug in the head of your 4.0L,a 1 1/2" block heater core will work.

 

[jim_axsom]

I am experiencing the same problem but I cant see the plug? Did you look from underneath or above the engine? How hard was it to replace?

Thanks