Major Coolant Loss

[Merc02]

I'm loosing a lot of coolant on my 4.6l V8 on the driver side behind the valve cover. I hope its not the head gasket. I can't see where its coming out from but I can see it pouring from behind that area.

 

[ponkotsu]

Maybe a freeze plug? Either way, I think you have a major repair in front of you. That sucks. Try and get in there with a mirror and a flashlight and see where it's coming from.

 

[esclamada]

I'm loosing a lot of coolant on my 4.6l V8 on the driver side behind the valve cover. I hope its not the head gasket. I can't see where its coming out from but I can see it pouring from behind that area.

check your intake manifold, it's a very common issue with 4.6l V8.



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[Merc02]

I can't get a mirror or my phone at a good angle. Its streaming out even when its cold. Like its urinating. It streams all the way across to the firewall. Its much lower that the manifold. Its near a green connector that's on the head. I can feel a freeze plug near the stream, but cannot verify its from there.

 

[Merc02]

Its the freeze plug on the head at the rear of the driver's side!!!

There is about 2.5 inches between the firewall and the head.

Any ideas on getting it out easily?

 

[N1265]

I guess first we need to know if the head has a ridge behind the freeze plug.

 

[ponkotsu]

You could spend a lot of time trying to figure out a clever way to fix it and still not be successful. Those things usually take a pretty good swing with a hammer to get them in. I don't know that engine well, but if it's possible to pull the head while still in the car that's probably the best thing. Or possibly you can cut a hole in the firewall, but that would probably involve pulling the dash.

 

[Merc02]

If I had the head out, what is the correct way to remove the freeze plug on this 4.6L head?

 

[ponkotsu]

If I had the head out, what is the correct way to remove the freeze plug on this 4.6L head?

I've never actually done it. Always brought the heads and block to a machine shop where they change them out when I did rebuilds. But I think you just drive a chisel in it and pry it out.