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    Trying to find a coolant leak

    I've been losing a little bit of coolant for a while, and it was not going into the oil, never any cross of oil in coolant or coolant in oil.
    I have seen a little coolant on the ground by the rear of the engine and thought maybe one of the hoses going to the heater core was the issue, I felt around there and don't feel any moisture.
    After having another starter fail yesterday, I noticed coolant along the top of the block/bottom of the passenger head.
    Can the head gasket fail on the outer edge and leak coolant out there or is it coming from somewhere else and making its way to the outer edge of the head? The drivers side is perfectly dry.
    1989 Country Squire - Twilight Blue, 347 stroker


    2005 Crown Victoria Sport - Black - Stainless Works full exhaust with Borla Pro XS mufflers, BBK 75mm TB, Accufab plenum, CVPI airbox, Heinous control arms, etc...

    #2
    Ive had the lower headbolts break and leak a ton on me. Possible the rear one is wicking up coolant and leaking out of there.
    ~David~

    My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
    My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

    Originally posted by ootdega
    My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

    Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
    But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

    Originally posted by gadget73
    my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




    Comment


      #3
      Dave, that is the best explanation I have heard.

      When I stole the trans out of my '89 I noticed the exact same thing BlackVic_P71 is describing. Last summer I stole the engine from the same car and replaced all the gaskets for peace of mind only to find that none of them needed to be replaced including the head gasket. So, I figured it must have been hose(s) going bad. Well, after getting the engine into the next car I noticed the same thing again during the first oil change.

      I'll have to consider checking those head bolts sometime, but I think you're right.
      Vic

      ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
      ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
      ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
      ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

      Comment


        #4
        Would the bolt just pull straight out or was yours just fractured and not broken all the way through Dave?

        LOUD EXHAUST IS FUN! AM I SHOUTING?
        1989 Country Squire - Twilight Blue, 347 stroker


        2005 Crown Victoria Sport - Black - Stainless Works full exhaust with Borla Pro XS mufflers, BBK 75mm TB, Accufab plenum, CVPI airbox, Heinous control arms, etc...

        Comment


          #5
          It can, or if the bolt has come loose or wasn't properly sealed when installed it will do that too. Pressurize the cooling system with the engine not running, you'll find it easier that way. There is also a freeze plug on the back of the head that could leak in the same general area.
          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

          Originally posted by phayzer5
          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

          Comment


            #6
            Mine is leaking in the front, same place otherwise. I've marked it up to an intake water passage gasket leak, or the head gasket. My money is on the intake.
            1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
            1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

            GMN Box Panther History
            Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
            Box Panther Production Numbers

            Comment


              #7
              My Ranger was leaking from the front of the engine when my head gaskets were (are still) going. I thought it was the water pump at first, but I also had all of the other symptoms as well (smell exhaust gas when opening the radiator cap, missing when accelerating, detonating, all the good stuff).

              Dave's explanation seems the best to me as well.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by BlackVic_P71 View Post
                Would the bolt just pull straight out or was yours just fractured and not broken all the way through Dave?

                LOUD EXHAUST IS FUN! AM I SHOUTING?
                I have had them break on me where half the bolt was still stuck in the block, twice. So, yeah. The half of the bolt would pull straight out.

                The lower headbolts do hit a coolant passage.
                ~David~

                My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
                My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

                Originally posted by ootdega
                My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

                Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
                But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

                Originally posted by gadget73
                my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                  Pressurize the cooling system with the engine not running, you'll find it easier that way.
                  I gotta find my tester
                  Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                  There is also a freeze plug on the back of the head that could leak in the same general area.
                  Aluminum heads.
                  1989 Country Squire - Twilight Blue, 347 stroker


                  2005 Crown Victoria Sport - Black - Stainless Works full exhaust with Borla Pro XS mufflers, BBK 75mm TB, Accufab plenum, CVPI airbox, Heinous control arms, etc...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    An interesting topic here, gentlemen.

                    I got a 2000 MGM LS. Like a grade "A" n00bzor, I checked every fluid when buying my Whale, but not the coolant.
                    The coolant level in the reservoir was 2 inches above the bottom yesterday, having driven it for 150 miles since the purchase. The joke is that I DON'T KNOW what it was before I made these 150 miles. The only darn thing I DID NOT look up when buying!

                    Eeek. Since it was dark, I added a 50/50 mix of the same coolant type up to about 1/2" below the MIN mark on the tank. Will be monitoring it for any drop.
                    Anyway, there's no funny smell from the exhaust fumes. No exhaust whiff when opening the coolant reservoir. The oil has no mayo / milkshake.
                    The infamous intake manifold was replaced about 2000 mi ago.
                    And no coolant spill found on the concrete floor in my underground garage.
                    '00 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, Silver Frost, the "Sharona": runs, drives and currently with mods in progress
                    '96 Chrysler Grand Voyager LE 3.3 V6
                    "You obviously have not been introduced to the ASTM Guidance for Profanity Gauging of Technical Services, Addendum#1, American English to Polish Scale Conversion, by which a repair done at a rate of 35 kurwas per 5 minutes means normal performance."

                    Comment


                      #11
                      4.6 cars have a hose under the intake manifold. If that leaks you won't see it until it leaks enough to fill that area up and dump out the back. You should be able to smell it if its leaking into that area though.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Thanks, gadget73. Can't smell any coolant right now. I suppose the hose under the manifold can't be inspected without taking some of the engine top assemblies apart, right? (I already looked into that tight nook where the T-stat is, there's no evident leak there, though the T-stat gaskets in the holder are known to fail).
                        '00 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, Silver Frost, the "Sharona": runs, drives and currently with mods in progress
                        '96 Chrysler Grand Voyager LE 3.3 V6
                        "You obviously have not been introduced to the ASTM Guidance for Profanity Gauging of Technical Services, Addendum#1, American English to Polish Scale Conversion, by which a repair done at a rate of 35 kurwas per 5 minutes means normal performance."

                        Comment


                          #13
                          You would have to take off the intake manifold to see that hose Gadget is referring to.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Oh, I see. This sucker goes right along the valley between the cylinder banks, like this?
                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPTPL6lVuFM
                            '00 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, Silver Frost, the "Sharona": runs, drives and currently with mods in progress
                            '96 Chrysler Grand Voyager LE 3.3 V6
                            "You obviously have not been introduced to the ASTM Guidance for Profanity Gauging of Technical Services, Addendum#1, American English to Polish Scale Conversion, by which a repair done at a rate of 35 kurwas per 5 minutes means normal performance."

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Thats the one. You can see down there to check if its full of coolant though. I would definitely not pull the intake just to inspect it.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment

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