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Possible Coolant "Leak"?

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Gary Lewis

Possible Coolant "Leak"?

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Guys - I know y'all are tired of my ramblings in Big Blue's Transformation, but I need some creative thinking and I believe I'll get more help in a new thread than buried 288 pages down in that thread.

I've been chasing a coolant leak and this morning I was greeted with another small puddle under the truck. So I modified a radiator cap such that it would keep the air in when I pressurize the overflow fitting. What I did was to remove the little check valve and the seal that fits down into the neck. That means that the air will be held in with the seal at the top of the neck. It works fairly well, but that top seal wasn't designed to hold pressure so it leaks some - which is important to this story.

I put 9 psi to it and suddenly got quite a few drops out of the radiator support. But I've pulled the shroud and radiator loose so I can see the front and back of the radiator and I can't find a leak. And the drops have pretty well stopped.

But then I noticed that the open cell weather stripping I put on the edge of the shroud is wet, as shown below. And it occurred to me that I've spilled coolant as I've been filling the radiator and that foam is right below the neck of the radiator.

QUESTION: Is it possible that the foam is the source of the "leak"? That I'd saturated it with coolant and it has been flowing down and dripping into the core support, which is normally right below it. And then when I put air to the system the leak pushed more coolant out of the foam?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

1986F150Six

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

As air is added [9 psi], do the hoses move the radiator such that the foam would be squeezed?

Gary Lewis

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

I didn't notice any movement, but it is possible the bottom moves in the rubber supports. I really wasn't looking at that. The top can't because it is bolted to the core support.

Can't check it out at the moment as I have everything loose.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

Ok, I have Plan B: I think the lower radiator hose was leaking at the radiator and it saturated the foam. The clamp wasn't quite as tight as it could/should have been.

You can see the coolant marks all over the hose in the pic on the left. And the pic on the right shows that the foam above that corner isn't saturated, and there's been some spray - which would happen if the hose was leaking.

Thoughts? What am I missing?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

grumpin

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

I was getting a leak from my bypass hose after replacing the radiator and all hoses and clamps.

I’ve had to check all clamps two or three times now, and will again soon.

Makes me grumble and wonder if we can get good hose clamps anymore. Looked into tension clamps but haven’t found any that I like.

Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona

Gary Lewis

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

Yes, I'm surprised that the lower hose clamps weren't TIGHT. They were when I put the truck together, so I'm not sure why they were tight when I checked before the trip and weren't after the trip.

But it looks like that may have been the source of the dribbles I've been seeing. I think the lower hose/radiator connection leaked just enough to load up the weather stripping and put some in the radiator support. And those two places have been dribbling a little bit as I move the truck around with the lift.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gsmblue

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

I always find I have to go back and check hose clamps a few times after changing a hose.

Did the leak stop?

1985.5 F-150 XL Explorer standard cab 5.0 EFI AOD 4x4
Daily Driver. We call her Eunice the Ute.

1982 Bronco XLT Lariat 351W AOD 4x4
Code name Esperanza, or Espy to her friends. Please see my Project thread for the blow by blow.

1984 F-350 XL Centurion crew cab 460 T19 4x4
"Eylza Dual-little"

Gary Lewis

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

I don't think it is leaking any more. But I've not driven it anywhere long enough to prove that yet. However, I backed it out and let it come up to full temp yesterday, and this morn it has sucked coolant out of the reservoir and filled the radiator nicely. And there aren't any puddles on the floor of the shop. So I think it is tight.

Hopefully we'll take it into AR and MO this fall to see the trees turning and I'll find out for sure then. But all of the clamps are now TIGHT.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

1986F150Six

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

I have never known anyone who has done major engine work, no matter how meticulous they are, to not have to deal with at least one leak. It amazes me to know that the automotive manufacturers can put out millions of cars without leaks???

Gary Lewis

Re: Possible Coolant "Leak"?

Administrator

Yes, it is amazing they don't have problems. They really have gotten their processed down to a science.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile