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Locating Coolant Leak

A

aequitasmurphy

New member
I've searched everywhere and can't find an answer. You guys have helped me out a ton in the past. I have an 06 GP, and have a coolant leak I can't locate. I just changed the radiator out as it had a major leak. I started noticing coolant missing after everything was back together. The leak seems to be coming from behind the motor on the passenger side, all I can see is it leaking on the floor from under the car. It doesn't leak until there is a pressure, I did a pressure test and confirmed it, and all hose connections are fine. I already have metal elbows so it's not that for sure, and my heater core is bypassed currently, no leaks from the bypass hose. Water pump is not leaking, and lower radiator hose is fine. I noticed some coolant on a drip pan prior to my radiator failing, so it's possibly been around for a bit. Any help would be appreciated, thank you again.
 


Maybe try cleaning everything (including the rad. support area) off with some high pressure water and then go from there. Hard to tell where something is leaking if it's already been covered in junk. Did you bleed the cooling system after all those repairs?
 
FordMan77 said:
Maybe try cleaning everything (including the rad. support area) off with some high pressure water and then go from there. Hard to tell where something is leaking if it's already been covered in junk. Did you bleed the cooling system after all those repairs?
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Yeah, cooling system has been bled. After having issues in the past I bleed as well as use a no spill funnel just to make sure. I drove it around tonight and whenever I parked there was no coolant leaking. Looks like it only happens while the car sits and cools down or when you pressure test it. I'm baffled.
 
Your leak sounds like the same issue I am fighting with on my '06 GP with 3800 Series 3 engine. It is leakinging on the back side of the engine above the power-steering pump. Here is a list of things I have changed so far: Upper intake gasket, lower intake gaskets, water-pump, belt tensioner plastic lines to the updated alluminum lines.
I fill the system with coolant, bleed it, and it will start leaking as soon as the engine is running and while cooling down. I have checked around the tensioner tubes, clear around the water-pump, and they are bone dry, as are all of the hoses. Coolant runs out on the back side of the engine running off the oil filter housing and in that area like a rain forest. It will leak until the resevoir empties.
I can't really see anything on the back side of the engine, but would like a few ideas before I start tearing the thing apart again, or pulling the engine.
My gut tells me it is coming from the rear head, is there anything else back there that has coolant in it?
 


Check the timing cover gasket and the heater hose o-rings in the alternator bracket. I have had both this leak on me but could see both when the system pressured up.


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markpa said:
Check the timing cover gasket and the heater hose o-rings in the alternator bracket. I have had both this leak on me but could see both when the system pressured up.


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The heater hose o-ring area is dry, but I willsee if I can get a mirror back there to check it out.
 
I've heard the only other things that have coolant back there are a knock sensor and frost plugs, I really hope it's neither of those. A shop replaced the area where the heater hoses attach to the tensioner assembly. I felt all along there but it's dry. My leak is further back it seems as it doesn't get on my oil filter, although my front end was on jack stands at the time of the pressure test.
 
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I had a coolant leak on my 2000 GT that only you would leak when the car was off. It was the upper radiator hose where it met the thermostat housing. It was cracked and leaking where the two met. Only would leak when the car was off.


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Well, this afternoon I went back to work on the car. After looking the best I could with a mirror and flashlight, I could tell the leak was running down the front of the block off the left side of the timing cover and splashing off the oil filter housing and power steering pump.
I decided to pull the tensioner back off and then the front of the water pump. Now I have it narrowed down to two possible leak locations. The first wold be the water pump gasket allowing coolant to run back the long bolt hole and leaking back by the block.(Not real probable, but coolant did run out of the hole when I pulled the bolt out.) The other option is the seal between the front cover and the block. That may be where it is leaking and I will have to pull the front cover to get at it.
I would much rather just replace the water pump gasket and bolt it all back together, but it would be a real pain to have to tear it all down again if it still leaks.

Anyone else ever have the front cover seal start leaking on them?
 


Sounds like a timing cover gasket leaking. I just did one a few months ago.

Search for. "Bad water pump?" Thread For story. Takes a while but not to difficult. I don't know how to attach a link in tap a talk.

Scotty talked me Thru the whole process so the thread will be valuable for you to read.


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Thanks Markpa, the timing cover gasket was really bad. It looked as bad as the lower intake gasket I replaced a couple weeks ago.

Thanks again for your advice and the link to removing the front cover, it really helped!

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Yes. You have to love Dex Cool. Nice find. You saved yourself a few Benjamin's doing that yourself.


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Yes, I would rather have a few Benjamins in my pocket than slipping out of my fingers. And actually, the hardest part was the lower radiator clamp.. with the plastic fins right next to the outlet, I really struggled to get my pliers in there to remove and then to reinstall. Even tried some radiator spring clamp pliers, but there wasn't enough room in there for the ones I had.
But all is good now..
 
It appears that I have the same water leak from the Timing Chain Cover, however I am having difficulty locating the Link that you are speaking about in this thread. Is there anyway someone can direct me to the instructions mentioned in this thread? I greatly appreciate your assistance. FYI I already have removed the forward head along with gasket as I initially thought that was the issue however now I am not that sure. Thanks again.
 
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