Coolant

[Hollon71]

Okay. I'm probably going to be afraid about this one. What is wrong it your vehicle is loosing coolant/antifreeze while driving?

 

[E1]

Do you still have the original De-gasser tank?
The tank on the passengers' side where you add the coolant. If it is original it will have a black plastic top.

They are known to crack on the bottom side and only leak under pressure when one is driving. The coolant then drips out onto the passengers' side front tire and goes to the road, unseen.

 

[E1]

oh yeah - The Dorman tank for the 24 valve Duratec V6 cars in our age group is a direct drop-in replacement part.

 

[gamefanatic]

It's not normal, but it does depend on where the leak is coming from. The refill tank E1 identified is very common. Be sure you get the one with the Coolant sensor.

If the leak is coming from the front, right near the engine, it's likely from the upper radiator hose. They tend to rip as they age, or if using a screw clamp style, it may not be tight enough. Another problem is overtightening at the radiator, which is plastic, causing it to crack and leak over time.

If no leaks are found and no cracks in the reservoir, though not common, it could be a head gasket issue. Typically, this would be noticeable after getting the engine up to operating temperature, then letting the car cool down. A vacuum gets created and will pull it through cracks in head gaskets.

It's not typical that these heads/block would warp such as in the 3.0L (OHV), which have dissimilar head/block materials that cool at different rates.

Check your hoses, there are 2 in the back that go to the heater core in the car that are hard to get at without taking the intake off. Those can get overlooked and tear over time.

There is the oil cooler hoses in the front of the engine near the middle, which can also leak.

The water pump could also be leaking. The most common issue would be a hose, but it could also be a bearing failure where coolant would leak at the pulley side and down the side of the pump, which is located on the front right, running off the second head's cam.

 

[Hollon71]

All of the hoses are new. The coolant reservoir is new. The Radiator is new. I have many things that are new except for the Valve Cover Gaskets which you can't find. I will have my car looked at on Monday, I think. It's extremely hard to find people who work on vehicles down here in the Valley. All shops, in Harlingen, are so backed up.

 

[Texas Marauder]

A coolant system pressure tester is your friend. Use it.

 

[Qshiplvr]

All of the hoses are new. The coolant reservoir is new. The Radiator is new. I have many things that are new except for the Valve Cover Gaskets which you can't find. I will have my car looked at on Monday, I think. It's extremely hard to find people who work on vehicles down here in the Valley. All shops, in Harlingen, are so backed up.

It may be the dreaded plastic "Y" in the valley of the engine. I have a pic of it in my cam weld removal picture series. It won't be the hoses, but rather the cheap plastic Y piece that will crack and leak after many heat cycles. I replaced my plastic one with a brass one when the heads came off for the cam weld.

 

[Qshiplvr]

Okay. I'm probably going to be afraid about this one. What is wrong it your vehicle is loosing coolant/antifreeze while driving?

Please don't be afraid of asking even the most basic questions. We are all here to help each other in our love for these great cars.

 

[mfmatusky]

If you have an air compressor but not a pressure tester it is possible *(But Requires Caution)* to regulate the air pressure down to 5 or 6 psi and plumb an airline into one of the hoses coming off the degasser tank (while capping the ****** the hose came off of). Warning! It only takes a few PSI too reveal almost any coolant leak. Don't Don't Don't use anywhere near line pressure! You could find a lot of leaks that weren't there before!
This is how I found my leak at the evil Y pipe. Just follow the gentle hiss of escaping air. (Though my leak was actually from the rear head Y pipe hose rubbing against the hot front cylinder head for 28 years.) I kept the intact plastic Y pipe as a souvenir. And my hat is off to Qshiplvr for those disassembly photos. They gave me courage.
The one place I screwed up that I'll warn against is replacement of the crankcase vent (PCV) make-up air hoses. I lost track of the ****** on the rear cylinder head as I reinstalled the intakes. Wound up with a hose with no where to go. Found the ****** in Qshiplvr's photos and just managed to slip the hose (it's a three way connection so it's not too difficult to wind up with a "Now where the **** does this hook up?" situation.) onto the ****** WITHOUT HAVING TO REMOVE ALL THE INTAKES AGAIN. Though I did need to re-remove the throttle body...
A final hint: Take lots of pictures as you go.
The red arrow points to the bracket (supporting the throttle body) that hides the make-up air hose to the rear head.

 

[mfmatusky]

If you have an air compressor but not a pressure tester it is possible *(But Requires Caution)* to regulate the air pressure down to 5 or 6 psi and plumb an airline into one of the hoses coming off the degasser tank (while capping the ****** the hose came off of). Warning! It only takes a few PSI to reveal almost any coolant leak. Don't Don't Don't use anywhere near line pressure! You could find a lot of leaks that weren't there before!
This is how I found my leak at the evil Y pipe. Just follow the gentle hiss of escaping air. (Though my leak was actually from the rear head Y pipe hose rubbing against the hot front cylinder head for 28 years.) I kept the intact plastic Y pipe as a souvenir. And my hat is off to Qshiplvr for those disassembly photos. They gave me courage.
The one place I screwed up that I'll warn against is replacement of the crankcase vent (PCV) make-up air hoses. I lost track of the ****** on the rear cylinder head as I reinstalled the intakes. Wound up with a hose with no where to go. Found the ****** in Qshiplvr's photos and just managed to slip the hose (it's a three way connection so it's not too difficult to wind up with a "Now where the **** does this hook up?" situation.) onto the ****** WITHOUT HAVING TO REMOVE ALL THE INTAKES AGAIN. Though I did need to re-remove the throttle body...
A final hint: Take lots of pictures as you go.
The red arrow points to the bracket (supporting the throttle body) that hides the make-up air hose to the rear head.

It looks like the forum doesn't like the word n. i. p. p. l. e...

 

[Hollon71]

Well, I had a person look at my SHO yesterday. It's in need of a Intake Manifold. He will be able to make a gasket to resolve the issue, LORD I HOPE!!! LOL

 

[mfmatusky]

Well, I had a person look at my SHO yesterday. It's in need of a Intake Manifold. He will be able to make a gasket to resolve the issue, LORD I HOPE!!! LOL

Try these folks for intake-to-head gaskets. I just got a pair from them. https://shosource.com/products/ols/products/34l-cometic-sho-lower-intake-manifold-gasket-pair-96-99

 

[Hollon71]

Try these folks for intake-to-head gaskets. I just got a pair from them. https://shosource.com/products/ols/products/34l-cometic-sho-lower-intake-manifold-gasket-pair-96-99

Thank you very much!!

 

[Hollon71]

I just found the problem and had it fixed.

 

[mfmatusky]

I just found the problem and had it fixed.

Which little hose is that?

 

[Hollon71]

Which little hose is that?

Lower intake outlet

 

[mfmatusky]

At the evil Y pipe?

 

[E1]

Oh Yeah. Can't count how many of that bastard. Have I mentioned that I have had as many as 9 SHO's, in plates and insured, at one time? I'm down to 4 now.

3/8" Brass 3 way Tee is the ultimate fix. Found them on Ebay and Amazon.

 

[Hollon71]

At the evil Y pipe? View attachment 95029

My friend said "Yes". I bought a new hose today at my store. He had to cut it down to make it a little shorter.

 

[Hollon71]

I’m not gonna so heavy acceleration anywhere anytime soon.

Welcome to the Rio Grand Valley.