DRIP DRIP!

[SonicRiot]

OK... The headaches begin.
Here's the deal:

On the first really cold night we had, my SHO must have turned angry. I woke up and warmed it up the following morning and coolant leaked onto the pavement from the driver's side...just a small drip...from (what I thought at least) the petcock. I removed the petcock to find the goo reminiscent of old anti freeze and stop-leak. So I replaced the petcock and flushed the system.

All was good for two days.

More cold nights...now its a stream of coolant from an unidentified source whenever I warm her up after a cold night. It leaks for about ten minutes steady. It wont leak for the rest of the day after the morning warm up. Sometimes not at all.

So what's the deal?? She's not guzzling a ton of the coolant, but I CAN'T find the leak!! shrug

Is my core cracked?? eek!

 

[Yamaha V6]

Check the underside of the upper radiator hose neck & about halfway down the radiator under the upper hose. Check the coolant lines above the transaxle, under the throttle body, and the heater hose lines.

 

[AutoSHO]

That would be Ford's Cheap-*** radiator design at work. Its leaking between the plastic end tank and the Aluminum core on the radiator. Apparently people have had good luck with GDI (Go-Dan) replacements. The Modine replacement I have sucks, but it also has a lifetime warranty. I just dont want to replace it again.

 

[aaronsbiza]

There is also one of those great ford innovations near the firewall on the drivers side. It is a metal radiator tube that is connected to a rubber hose. This hose usually splits where it is connected to the metal tube. Ford will ask you for $90 for a new one. I cut the metal with a hack saw right where the rubber hose was connected, I bought a new hose and used two hose clamps to clamp it over the metal tube. $2 vs $90 you do the math

 

[NetNinja]

aaronsbiza

Yup! I had to do the same thing!
I had a mysterious coolant leak and one day I was so ****** off that I got my flashlight out after 20 miles of driving and looked down where the transmission dip stick was. Low and behold it was leaking from that dumb *** rigid metal pipe and rubber hose that was clamped to it.
I got my hack saw and a replacment rubber hose and a hose clamp and fixed it's little red wagon.

 

[SonicRiot]

Thanks for the help guys.

It's only 24 degrees out and I just got home from a VERY long day, so I'll have to check tomorrow.

I forgot to mention this: the temp needle will rise very high (to the "N") and then the fans will kick in and drop the needle down to the "A". After about 15 minutes of driving, it levels off and stays between the "R" and the "M"(...that is where it normally runs while I'm driving.)

Is this normal behavior for the SHO in cold weather? Somtimes I'll be sitting in traffic and it will again rise to the N and drop back to normal when the fans kick in.

Does any of this indicate a hose or line leak or a plastic bottle/aluminum core leak?
If so, can I get more details on a fix?

Thnaks for being so patient and helpful.

 

[SHONUT91]

Your temp gauge is probably acting weird because of the air that is in the system.As long as your gauge stays within the NORMAL range it will be okay.

 

[rangerj]

Here are a couple of thoughts:

Now that colder "ambient temperatures" are a daily occurance, do a simple leak test at all hose connections. Run your finger under the hose connections and see if you get a drop or more of coolant. Do this when the vehicle is cold.

If you get coolant, tighten the hose clamp a little. Do this several days in a row and tighten the hose clamp a little at a time until the leak stops.

Check the condition of the overflow hose from the radiator to the overflow bottle, especially at the connections. Replace the hose if it is hard and/or cracked.

When the engine cools down a vacuum is formed and draws in coolant from the overflow bottle. A cracked or loose fitting over-flow hose will allow air to be sucked into the radiator/engine. This is also true of loose radiator and heater hose connections. The air will cause wild temperature gauge swings.

One additional thought. The lower temperatures condense the air, including the air in your tires. So, check your tire pressures and adjust as necessary. rangerj

 

[SHOZ123]

If it is the tank on the side of the radiator you can use a vise-grips to recrimp it.

 

[SonicRiot]

just squeeze it with vice grips? And do what? I gotta do some research I guess. Maybe just replace it.

 

[SHO--ripper]

NetNinja, what kind of SHO do you own? I wish mine had a transmission dipstick,or a drainplug for that matter lock burnout

Sonic i'll help you put a radiator in. I've done at least 6 of them, so it usually only takes an hour or two. P.M me if you want some help or just want to have a PLUS meeting thumb
BTW the stock FORD radiators usually crack on the plastic part so i think your radiator is the problem.

<small>[ December 07, 2003, 12:51 AM: Message edited by: SHO--ripper ]</small>

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

ATX = has dipstick

MTX = no dipstick

 

[SHO--ripper]

Thanks for clearing that up.
I don't know if it's because i'm really tired but these are my 2 favorite Graemlins
burnout burnout burnout burnout
lock lock lock lock

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

Personally, i like these:

huh throwup beer

and

rofl

 

[SHOZ123]

SonicRiot:
just squeeze it with vice grips? And do what? I gotta do some research I guess. Maybe just replace it.

Yes you just tighten the crimp a bit. I replaced mine this summer and crimped the new one before putting it in. It was as bad as the old as far as needing crimped. The passenger side is crimped tighter from the factory possibly due to the ATX cooler being inside. Actually very easy and wish I had tried it before ordering the new radiator.

<small>[ December 07, 2003, 03:09 AM: Message edited by: SHOZ123 ]</small>

 

[SonicRiot]

SHOZ123:
Thanks I'll try that, but should I recrimp both sides? I have an MTX, so there is no ATX cooler(sorry if I'm sounding like a space-cadet, just a bit confused), so both sides should be recrimped, right?

SHO--ripper:
If it comes down to that, then I'll be sure to get in touch with you, but I am currently snowed in,so I wont be tackling that for a little while.

BTW, this on is funny: throwup
and this one, especially when lined up: **** **** **** **** ****

 

[SonicRiot]

So I just found out where the source of the leak is...
driver's side, where the aluminum meets the plastic endtank, at the top. It drips and sprays down onto the rest of the hoses, petcock, and the fans blow it all over when they kick in.

So, it looks like it needs recrimping. Do I have to take the radiator out to do this? Just the fan? Do it when cold or hot?

Oh, BTW... DON'T EAT THE GREEN SNOW! doh

 

[SHOZ123]

The replacement radiators all have the ATX cooler in them. Yes you need to take it out. It takes about an hour total. Might as well do a flush too.

Use the big vise grips and do not over tighten them. Start by adjusting the grips to just barely crimping and tighten up a little at a time until you have a sold crimp. Do not get the grips so tight they are hard to open. It only takes a bit of snugging up.

 

[SonicRiot]

Do I need a lift for this, or will it all come out from the top. It appears as though there is enough space to take it out. When I had my 1996 Geo Tracker (yeah, thats right! naughty ) I took the whole thing out from the top without even sticking my head under it.

But this is an SHO. With a leaky radiator.

Thanks for all of you help.

 

[SHOZ123]

Remove the table over the radiator, remove the fan, remove the overflow tank and then there are two bolts that hold the top of the radiator in. Pull it out the top. You should have the dis-pleasure of changing a GEN 3 radiator once.

<small>[ December 07, 2003, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: SHOZ123 ]</small>