Ford F-150 5.0L Coyote V8: 5 Most Common Leak Points
While mostly reliable, the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 used in modern day Ford F-150 pickups has a few problem areas that can cause coolant leaks.
While the good old fashioned naturally-aspirated V8 used to be essentially the de facto choice for most Ford F-150 owners, times have certainly changed. These days, Ford offers a full line of EcoBoost engines – including the PowerBoost hybrid – in its popular pickup, though the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 remains a popular choice for many – particularly enthusiasts. However, as is the case with most every engine on the planet, the Coyote still has its quirks.
That includes, of course, coolant leaks, which can sometimes be difficult to locate the source of. Luckily, in his latest video, Brian Makuloco of the FordTechMakuloco YouTube channel has taken the time to show us five of the most common culprits when it comes to coolant leaks in Ford F-150 pickups equipped with the Coyote powerplant.
Upper Radiator Hose
As Makuloco points out in this video, the most common leak point that he sees in Coyote-powered Ford F-150 pickups stems from the upper radiator hose, or more specifically, where that part connects to an adapter via a clip. There’s a spring lock holding them together with an o-ring inside of it, making for a convenient quick connect setup. Unfortunately, that also means that it’s far more likely to leak over time. On the bright side, fixing this problem requires only replacing the o-ring – not the entire hose.
T-Connector
The next most common leak point comes from the T-Connector seen here, which goes from the upper radiator hose to the thermostat housing and has a quick connect as well. As is the case with that same hose, there’s an o-ring inside that tends to wear out and leak over time.
Coolant Bottle
Makuloco points out that while he rarely sees coolant leaks develop from the coolant bottle itself, that particular part also has a quick connect hose that runs from it to the inlet for the water pump, which again is one of the more common culprits for leaks in Coyote-powered F-150 pickups.
Water Pump
Speaking of the water pump, leaks from that component are usually pretty easy to discover due to the fact that coolant tends to “shoot out” once seepage develops, according to Makuloco. This typically happens via the small “weep hole” that our resident technician points out in this clip, and as one might imagine, requires replacing this particular part if a leak develops here.
Heater Hoses
Finally, Makuloco points out that heater hoses can also develop leaks in Coyote-powered Ford F-150 models over time, though these aren’t quite as common as the aforementioned issues. These leaks typically stem from where the heater hoses connect to the heater core – and yet again, are caused by worn-out o-rings in the quick connects that hold them to that part.
As Makuloco notes in the video, the Coyote V8 remains a solid engine that’s largely reliable, in spite of these rather annoying coolant leaks. Unfortunately, however, Ford doesn’t seem to have solved them in today’s pickups, as they tend to apply to 12th through 14th generation F-150s, however.
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