Major Coolant Leak

[Wyoguy222]

After lots of searching around on this site I just can't seem to get a straight answer. Here is what's going on.

I came out of store Monday afternoon to see radiator fluid dripping very quickly onto the ground. I got it to work fast before I ran out of coolant, made it before temp gauge ever went up and radiator was still 3/4 full. Parked my truck at work and it's been there since Monday. With the vehicle off I added more radiator fluid and it just flowed back out, till the radiator only had 3/4 fluid left again. What gets me is it only leaks out if the radiator is fuller than 3/4 and the truck is off, or it will constantly leak if the truck is running.

We figured out leak is coming somewhere from the back of the engine towards the passenger side. When I'm under truck so much is leaking out that it's just dripping off the oil pan. We just can't pinpoint it. Checked the oil, it's just oil. NOT milky. And radiator fluid has no oil in it either, so not a cracked block right? Getting frustrating every time I look at it.

We checked upper house, lower house, and all hoses to heater control valve and into the firewall. All hoses check out with no leaks.

I really don't understand why leak stops when I shut truck off, but starts again with truck still off but I add fluid past the 3/4 full mark. Any help would be great.
I have a 1995 Ford Explorer 2 door.
Thanks!!!!

 

[MAS Tequila]

Gravity

You don't have a pressure leak.

Imagine if you have a bucket with a small hole 3/4 of the way up. then fill the bucket.

What happens?

The fluid will leak out until it is even with the bottom of the hole.

It sounds like you could have a bad freeze plug, or a crossover pipe 19if there still is on) or something that has just gave up the ghost.

MT

 

[masospaghetti]

Have you looked under the hood while it's running? With so much leaking you should be able to see where it's coming from.

The heater bypass valve (the little diaphragm near the firewall in the heater line) is a common failure point. If its leaking there, it will be really obvious with the hood open.

 

[Bobmbx]

It could be your thermostat housing. Look behind the housing, in the valley. That's where any leakage will collect.

 

[JusTheUsual]

"We figured out leak is coming somewhere from the back of the engine towards the passenger side. When I'm under truck so much is leaking out that it's just dripping off the oil pan." Mine did same too last year and was freeze plug. But make sure its not intake manifold which is notorious or head gasket. One of them is leaking

 

[crunchie_frog]

"We figured out leak is coming somewhere from the back of the engine towards the passenger side. When I'm under truck so much is leaking out that it's just dripping off the oil pan." Mine did same too last year and was freeze plug. But make sure its not intake manifold which is notorious or head gasket. One of them is leaking

^This.

If it is dripping off the oil pan and you cannot see it from anywhere eles, it would seem to me like it is a freeze plug or an intake manifold leak.

 

[Explodr94]

On my 1996 my leak started at the back of the driver's side. It turned out to be a head gasket. The gasket had corroded. There was no coolant in my oil, but it was leaking out of the head onto the ground. If the fluid is above the freeze plugs it is either the head or the intake.

 

[Wyoguy222]

I did start the truck and let the coolant start leaking again and then shot a quick video. I can get my phone farther up than my hands will go, and tried to use it for my eyes! Take a quick look at the video and see if you have any ideas... It's just in the first 15 seconds. The view is from the passenger side wheel well.

Http://youtu.be/je-meiYdR58

Thanks guys!

 

[ranger7ltr]

From your video...

Looks like the lower intake gasket is leaking on the right side...The freeze plug would be in the back of the head not the side of the head and the coolant is coming down from above the right side head...

That gasket has a habit of holding fine until it fails and the leak is most pronounced...And it will stop once the coolant level drops below that opening in the neoprene gasket...

 

[gmanpaint]

Agreed.... Lower intake gasket (or RTV) is blown at the rear water jacket.

 

[Wyoguy222]

Any write ups on this for the lower intake gasket....do I need to pull the engine?

 

[Wyoguy222]

found write ups for uppers and SOHC engines....can't find them for OHV engine, and no write ups for lower intake

 

[gmanpaint]

No, you don't pull the engine out.

To replace the lower intake gasket, you will be removing a bunch of top end items, including the valve covers, fuel rail, T-stat & EGR items.

Good news is you don't have to remove the belt or anything the belt runs.

If you don't own a repair manual, this is a good time to go buy one. Your going to need torque specs, and you can find them all in the Haynes/Chiltons manuals. Of course if you search a bit harder, you will find more info here about this. Try the google search bar under the banner. It searches this entire forum.

 

[Wyoguy222]

Just wanted to say thank you for everyone's input! It was the lower intake gasket! Rotted away. Me and a friend spent 9 hours tearing down the engine, replacing all the gaskets along the way. Bought the victor reinz gasket set for $75 and replaced almost every gasket! Let it sit for 24 hours before starting to let all the sealant set up, just took for a test drive and no leaks! I've always had a tiny coolant leak, till it turned into a huge leak! So seeing NO leak at all makes me pretty happy

Explorer forum has continued to save me hundreds, even thousands of dollars in labor by doing it myself and avoiding the ,echo if, especially ford

 

[gmanpaint]

You might want to re-torque the intakes now that the RTV has dried.

It was suggested to me when I did mine, and sure enough, they were loose.