coolant leaks?

[whitey]

i rebuilt my cooling system tuesday. every single hose plus the water outlet, thermostat and the heater core every single time i can i have checked for leaks and haven't seen a single drop. now today i saw tiny leaks beneath the bronco. i decided to run it by my emergency mechanic- i'll take stuff to him if i'm really busy or don't want to deal or even if it's something i can't handle or in all honesty don't know how to do or have the tools to do it right- he's a good guy- a russian- and a good mechanic.

by the time i got there the tiny drips had stopped but we took a look.

he told me that sometimes it takes a few days for things to "settle in" , something about aluminum fittings,new hoses- some type of expansion thing or something like that. and he also said it probably only leaks when it is sitting not running which seems to be the case. he recommended i give it a couple days because he seemed to thnk i did a spot on job on the rebuild and once it "settled in" it would be fine.

anyhow i've never really heard of this. i mean he could of charged me if he were dishonest, he didn't have a customer when i stopped by.

any idea what he may be talking about? if so is this a possibility?

thanks.

 

[Seabronc]

Sounds good to me, he is a pro and a honest one at that, so take his advice. I have a mechanic just like him that I take my PITA jobs to or when a lift is a better tool to use. You might want to snug up on the fittings, especially around the area that it seems to be dripping from.

Good luck,

>-

 

[bigtrux]

Is your water level in the radiator dropping a whole lot or not enough to notice really ? did you replace the water pump ? or have you checked the water pump peep hole on the bottom of the water pump for leaks ?

 

[whitey]

Is your water level in the radiator dropping a whole lot or not enough to notice really ? did you replace the water pump ? or have you checked the water pump peep hole on the bottom of the water pump for leaks ?

hey guys thanks. water level not really dropping. no i didn't replace water pump and i hate to even think about it out of fear i will jinx it LOL. that's one of those things i hate to do unless it goes bad. water pump seems fine with no leaking from weep hole. the only think i did consider was the gasket adround the pump seal. i noticed some moisture on top of the pump near the bypass hose and maybe under the water outlet. at first i considered the damn bypass hose which for me is a nightmare but i lubed the hose ends so i could make sure they went all the way on and replaced with brand new clamps and they are tight. and when i run it i don't see it leaking. possibly the fan blowing moisture back there? because - i did notice the hose at the top drivers side of the radiator- the one above the overflow hose- the one that runs to the mainfold up top - the clamp was loose and i could actually turn the hose at the radiator with my fingers- not sure how i missed that one. i did notice splashes coming from there to the bottom radiator hose. and i resnugged all the new clamps. today there are no leaks again under the truck. of course if it were the pump gasket then i would replace the whole thing.

i'm not too sure about the mechaincs theory though. i asked my dad in texas he used to race stock cars in his younger days and is a damn good mechanic and classic car collector. he didn't really buy into the theory but, he's kind of old school- one of those keep it all stock guys or it's a sin- which kind of rubbed off on me but i'll make some changes. but anyway, on the other hand i didn't really buy into either, i'm not the best but my dad taught me pretty well to do things right and when i start a project i do my best to do it right without cutting corners. i'd never heard of hoses and connections having to make adjustments. in theory i guess an aluminum thermostat housing may need time to expand or whatever but, i would have thought if all connections were good and tight it would all expand or contract or whatever together seeing as the hoses are rubber too. but i've been wrong before.

the mechanic did tell me to keep an eye on it and if it keeps up to bring it in. he said the only possibility he could think of would be the intake gasket leaking but, i don't think it's that. besides if it is i don't want to spring $300-$400 to have him do it. my goal here is to have the truck run as reliably and fuel efficient as possible and not leave me stranded anywhere for about 12 more months while i fix all the little cosmetics and replace shocks etc. and save for an engine and transmission rebuild. so $300-$400 would be a big chunk of an engine rebuild in my opinon. so if it starts again i'll retrace my steps and recheck it all again. i don't think it's an intake gasket issue but if it were as bad as it sounds to you guys i'm more apt to try a stop leak chemical as a temporary fix until i rebuild the engine rather than spend 1/5 or whatever of my engine fund on a gasket replacement for an engine i'll have rebuilt fairly soon anyway.

any other ideas?

sorry for the long post...

 

[bigtrux]

hERE'S AN IDEA DO THE WATER PUMP YOURSELF IT'S REALLY EASY AND DON'T TAKE THAT LONG ...IF YOU EVER HAD TO .. IT'S LIKE 50 - 60 BUCKS FER THE PUMP AND SEALANT.. I HATE MECHANICS IT BETTER BE A DIRE EMERGENCY.. 300-400 IS EXTREME FOR A WATER PUMP REPLACENMENT. THAT'S LIKE YR'S BACK I TOOK MY CAMARO TO A DEALERSHIP EXTREME SITUATION ., IT TOOK THEM HOURS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS MY FUEL PUMP . WELL THEY WANTED ALMOST 600 BUCKS TO REPLACE IT f @&* THEM I FIXED IT MYSELF FOR 75 BUCKS AND 3-4HRS LATER SHE RAN LIKE NEW ...

 

[whitey]

hERE'S AN IDEA DO THE WATER PUMP YOURSELF IT'S REALLY EASY AND DON'T TAKE THAT LONG ...IF YOU EVER HAD TO .. IT'S LIKE 50 - 60 BUCKS FER THE PUMP AND SEALANT.. I HATE MECHANICS IT BETTER BE A DIRE EMERGENCY.. 300-400 IS EXTREME FOR A WATER PUMP REPLACENMENT. THAT'S LIKE YR'S BACK I TOOK MY CAMARO TO A DEALERSHIP EXTREME SITUATION ., IT TOOK THEM HOURS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS MY FUEL PUMP . WELL THEY WANTED ALMOST 600 BUCKS TO REPLACE IT f @&* THEM I FIXED IT MYSELF FOR 75 BUCKS AND 3-4HRS LATER SHE RAN LIKE NEW ...

yeah i CAN do the water pump myself that's not a problem, maybe a hassle but i can do that myself. he said (reread my post) it would be $300 if he had to replace the intake gasket. thats something i don't want to spend for an engine i'm hoping to have pulled and rebuilt within the year.

 

[mbtech2003]

some times after doing such things as changing the coolant , it will collect in the frame rails and when u drive it and repark it will drip here and there. nothing to worry about just spillage /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[firelt90bronco]

Yeah give the seals time to heat up and expand. It should be fine but don't drive far from home until you are sure.

 

[whitey]

yeah i'll give it more time i suppose. little things like that really get on my nerves /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />.

 

[firelt90bronco]

yeah i'll give it more time i suppose. little things like that really get on my nerves /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />.

Tell me about it, tranny pan started leaking after I replaced the pan gasket.

 

[bigtrux]

I had the same thing happen as firelt90bronco it really sucks or like now i can't get mine started after i put in a new engine but today i will not quit until it starts and i'm driving it... it's probally something dumb .

 

[firelt90bronco]

I had the same thing happen as firelt90bronco it really sucks or like now i can't get mine started after i put in a new engine but today i will not quit until it starts and i'm driving it... it's probally something dumb .

I know that one. After I replaced my valave cover gaskets I went to start the truck, it just cranked, no fuel getting to the engine. A friend of mine who is a diesel mechanic stopped by, we both assumed that something was wrong with the fuel system. Then he came up with the idea to put some more gas in the tank (the guage said it had a 1/4 of a tank). The truck started right up after that, didn't even dawn on me that the guage was wrong. )

 

[snowman74]

If I were having this problem after doing all that work, the first thing I would do is get the water hose out and wash off all the areas that might have coolant. How are you going to know if it's sealed if there's still coolant pooled up in places, right? So, wash it off, make sure it's full of coolant/water and let it dry out overnight. If you have a piece of cardboard to lay underneath it, that might help you trace the leakage. If not, just check to see if it's still leaking after you wash it off. Then, recheck your connections, thermostat housing, water pump, radiator cap, hoses...etc...etc...

Intake manifold gaskets are a pain in the ass. If you have a carburated engine, it'll be a little easier...but they're still a few hour job. Worst case, it is the manifold gasket. To check, start the engine when it's cool, put on parking brake, open hood, open radiator cap. When it starts to heat up, if you see air bubbles coming up in the radiator, it's probably the gasket.

Snowman74 >-

 

[whitey]

If I were having this problem after doing all that work, the first thing I would do is get the water hose out and wash off all the areas that might have coolant. How are you going to know if it's sealed if there's still coolant pooled up in places, right? So, wash it off, make sure it's full of coolant/water and let it dry out overnight. If you have a piece of cardboard to lay underneath it, that might help you trace the leakage. If not, just check to see if it's still leaking after you wash it off. Then, recheck your connections, thermostat housing, water pump, radiator cap, hoses...etc...etc...

Intake manifold gaskets are a pain in the ass. If you have a carburated engine, it'll be a little easier...but they're still a few hour job. Worst case, it is the manifold gasket. To check, start the engine when it's cool, put on parking brake, open hood, open radiator cap. When it starts to heat up, if you see air bubbles coming up in the radiator, it's probably the gasket.

Snowman74 >-

yeah i've done this. i'm seeing a pool of coolant below thermostat/ bypass on top of water pump in that little "recess" there. i have rechecked and redone seals 3 times and thermostat and housing seal twice. i can watch it for hours and not see a drip at all. yet the next morning there is the pool again. i even added UV dye to the cooling system friday and this is the only area i can see an accumulation of coolant. i can't see where the **** it's coming from. i'm wondering if it's the water pump seal at the top somewhere near the water bypass. i did replace the water outlet with a brand new one.

the issue i'm having is one i think came with the truck. after a couple weeks of owning i noticed i was losing coolant little by little and this was before the heater core started going out. when i saw the wet area below thermostat i had to assume it was the bypass hose or the thernostat or housing or all three. now it seems it's getting worse after i replaced all this stuff. there is no coolant in my oil. the oil is spotless.

i've never dealt with a blown intake gasket would this cause the pooling? and also when you mention bubbles in radiator do you mean little bubbles? reason i ask is because before the thermostat opens i get like a boiling action. like with the cap off the radiator boils over a little bit then the thermostat opens and the level drops- which i thought was normal. the engine is not overheating i can see the thermostat open just fine and i can tell it opens after a few minutes of driving by watching the temp gauge. the problem is that i'm pretty much having to add coolant daily now. the overflow cannister which i filled friday to cool line was empty sunday morning.

after awhile of staring at things you start to go crazy thinking all kinds of things. at first i was thinking i had overfilled the system and it was releasing excess. now i see i'm simply losing coolant. this is the last thing i need to get right before (knock on wood) i can consider the truck very reliable and start on the little cosmetic issues and replace shocks etc before i knuckle down for my rebuild.

 

[whitey]

well we'll know soon what the issue is. i have a ton of computer repair calls to make this week and i cannot afford to have this going on. so i dropped the bronco at a highly recommended radiator shop. i fear it is the manifold gasket maybe leaking from the corner. if so i guess i'll have to eat the cost. i depend on the truck for my business- maybe not the smartest idea but, that's the way it is and it does run well and reliably. i could probably wing it but, why take a chance? the traffic in L.A. is **** and if it keeps going the way it is even if i carry a couple extra spare gallons of coolant - i can predict a bad situation. i'll just have to work a little harder to get the engine rebuild.

 

[whitey]

wow what an idiot i am! turns out the brand new goodyear upper radiator hose i installed had a split in it and that's what was causing the leak. don't know how in the F*&^ i missed that after seeing it so many tmes. good news. and worth the $20 for that and a pressure test.

semi bad news. during the pressure test a tiny leak was detected near the back of the intake gasket. but no coolant was leaking. he figures it has a good amount of time left. it would be a $400 repair if it goes. i got an estimate for a complete rebuild on the 302 from perfect engine in L.A. with new ignition parts essentially an almost new engine for a rebuild and installation and it's looking to be around $2500 so $400 is a big chunk of that.

thanks for all the input. i feel likea real *******.

 

[firelt90bronco]

We've all done something stupid like that. Once, when I was doing a brake job the rear shoes wouldn't fit in the drum. I spend all day checking and rechecking the springs and tensioners until I realized some a$$hole at Napa put 3 secondary shoes in the box and only one primary.

 

[snowman74]

I wouldn't feel stupid at all...sometimes you just gotta play with it a while to figure out what's wrong. Even pros don't get it right every time. I use Gates Rubber Hoses all the way around my engine. Replace every three years or so...even if it doesn't need it. I also replace my serp belt once a year...and carry a spare. I've never had any probs with Gates hoses. I think Napa hoses are all made by Gates. I also replace the hose clamps every time. I keep a few different sizes in the console for spares. I also carry a couple quarts of oil and a jug of 50/50 water/coolant. You know what they taught us in Boy Scouts...Be Prepared. So, I be prepared. And on more than one occassion, it's paid off big time. Does anybody else carry around an emergency repair kit? What do you have in it?

Snowman74 >-

 

[firelt90bronco]

I wouldn't feel stupid at all...sometimes you just gotta play with it a while to figure out what's wrong. Even pros don't get it right every time. I use Gates Rubber Hoses all the way around my engine. Replace every three years or so...even if it doesn't need it. I also replace my serp belt once a year...and carry a spare. I've never had any probs with Gates hoses. I think Napa hoses are all made by Gates. I also replace the hose clamps every time. I keep a few different sizes in the console for spares. I also carry a couple quarts of oil and a jug of 50/50 water/coolant. You know what they taught us in Boy Scouts...Be Prepared. So, I be prepared. And on more than one occassion, it's paid off big time. Does anybody else carry around an emergency repair kit? What do you have in it?

Snowman74 >-

Yeah I carry a kit in my center console. I have a NAPA tool set, 2 quarts of motor oil 2 quarts of ATF and an empty jug for water. I also have jumper cables, flashlight and other various hardware.