Hello,
Bought a 95 Ford F-150 with the 302 V8 engine. I have been noticing that I am loosing a lot of fluid and was thinking it was the radiator. However, I noticed this pipe is missing a hose and the hose has been bypassed. I believe this goes to the transmission can anyone verify this? Thanks.

 

The hose below the radiator cap with the plug in it is supposed to supply warm water to the throttlebody to aid atomization during cold weather.

The metal lines below that are for the transmission cooler. I hope the previous owner did that because they installed an auxiliary air to fluid cooler in front of the radiator.

 

Thank you rla2005. There is no other cooler to the transmission that I can see. How could I fix this? Not really sure where the pipes go that he cut. Can't really find any schematics of the system.

 

Basic block drawing:



The diagram is showing the air to fluid cooler in the upper left of the photo.

I know the F250/350 usually have the radiator mounted cooler then an inline air-fluid trans. fluid cooler mounted in front of the radiator. F150/Bronco that may be optional.

At the very least you should have some sort of cooler installed. Most use the radiator cooler and an even larger aftermarket cooler in front of the radiator. If that truck has been running around with no cooler for very long the transmission may be toast.

 

What fluid are you losing a lot of: antifreeze for ATF?

Suppose it's possible that the trans cooler in the radiator is bad so the PO bypassed it.

 

Look at your transmission. From the factory there would be two steel lines running out of the side towards the front of the truck. If you have a factory auxiliary oil cooler then one line will run to that cooler (in front of the condenser which is in front of the radiator) and the other will go to the radiator. Then between the radiator and the aux cooler there will be a third line.

If your truck does not have the factory aux cooler then both lines will come out of the transmission and run direct to the radiator.

If the previous owner did what I think he did, both lines now come out of the transmission and run to an aftermarket cooler.

All you have to do is follow the lines out of the transmission and see where they go... then you'll know what you're working with.

Edit: And I see RLA beat me to it with a picture which explains the two possible factory configurations nicely.

 

Thanks for all the quick help. My4Fordtrucks I am loosing antifreeze fluid. I fill the reservoir jug to the cold level but in 3-4 days the reservoir is empty. I will crawl under the truck this and see where these lines go to now...hopefully there is an aftermarket cooler. Just curious, could I drive the truck several hours without any coolant or coolant system cooling the tranny or would it have broke down by now? I have owned it 2 months and have driven it almost daily 30-50 miles per day. Thanks again everyone.

 

Ehh... it really depends on how you drive the truck and what the weather is like. On the highway you MIGHT be okay but around town I cant see that happening without overheating the transmission.

However... if you didn't get a flashing OD light (on the end of the gearshift) then you might be okay. Because overheating the transmission will set a fault code and cause the light to flash.

 

Thanks dixie460...I will keep an eye on the OD light. It looks like I do have an air cooler installed...still can't find where the leak is. Let it run for 15 minutes and nothing obvious...could be leaving through the exhaust I guess.

 

Maybe the coolant reservoir or the hose going to it that is leaking? I'm pretty sure I have the same problem but haven't taken the time to check it.