Think I got a BIG problem - Need Help!
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Think I got a BIG problem - Need Help!
I took off the air intake hoses coming from the filter this morning trying to locate the spud so that I could set the timing. What I found was NOT what I was wanting to see. There was a pool of coolant sitting on top of the water pump, just to the side of the dizzy. I took some paper towels and soaked up all of the fluid and then cranked the truck and let it idle for a few minutes. Sure enough, there is coolant leaking (a small seep) coming from, I think, underneath the head. It's so cluttered down there, I just couldn't tell if it was coming from the head, the intake, or where? I checked the oil and there is no sign of coolant in the oil. A couple of questions please: 1) Is there any place else that coolant could be coming from down there other than the head? 2) Is it even feasible to try and remove the head to replace the gasket, if in fact that's what it turns out to be? It looks like it would be awful labor intensive. I just think I'm gonna be sick 
. Don't know whether to just try and sell the truck for parts or buy a rebuilt engine and put in it. Either way, I'm gonna be out a lot of money I think. Any ideas, help, words of encouragement much appreciated.
. Don't know whether to just try and sell the truck for parts or buy a rebuilt engine and put in it. Either way, I'm gonna be out a lot of money I think. Any ideas, help, words of encouragement much appreciated.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
Lets see, your truck leaks coolant and you want to replace the engine or sell the truck for parts?
Seems a little drastic to me.
Cylinder head gasket set (pair) is about $70
water pump gasket is about $2
water outlet gasket (the thing your thermostat is in) is about $2
Intake manifold gasket (which gets runined when you take your heads off $10
Thats not even $100 worth of gaskets...
Seems a little drastic to me.
Cylinder head gasket set (pair) is about $70
water pump gasket is about $2
water outlet gasket (the thing your thermostat is in) is about $2
Intake manifold gasket (which gets runined when you take your heads off $10
Thats not even $100 worth of gaskets...
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I didn't think the parts would be that much to start with. Its never the price of parts, it's the price of labor to have it done. I really doubt I have all the tools I would need, and I don't really have the time nor a place to try and tackle something like this. And to be quite honest, I don't know if I have the skills to tackle it. The engines today are not like the ones I grew up with. This trucks engine compartment looks like a maze of electrical wires, hoses, and such. I'm afraid I would have to have a shop do it for me, and I'm certain I would be looking at at least a $500-1000 bill for labor to remove the intake, head, replace the gasket and put everything back to gether. Since I only paid $1100 for the truck....well, you know. Maybe you're right. Maybe I should try to do this myself. It's not my daily driver, but it's awful scary looking in there.
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since you already spent 5 minutes or so evaluating the source of the leak...how about taking it somewhere to see what a mechanic thinks and get an estimate?.....pretty hard to diagnose the problem from your description.....or.... throw in some silver seal before giving up?
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: New Jersey
It's only scary looking because of all the accessory bracketry. If you can be organized, and have a ratchet set, you have just about everything you need to do the water pump at least.
As you take the bolts out, you put them in ziplock freezer bags and write on the back with a sharpie what the bolt is for. Put the alternator bolts together, the AC compressor bolts together, and so on.
If it is the heads leaking, then you need a torque wrench. A cheap solution to that is to buy a $55 one at Home Depot, or rent one from an auto store. There is a local family owned auto parts store here in town that has loaned me (for free no less) various tools I didn't want to rent, as a thank you for doing business with them rather than autozone, napa, and other such places that are within a mile of them.
Hoses and wiring is also easy.... put a piece of masking tape on the connectors and sharpie them with where they go. Then you can't mess it up during reassembly.
Sometimes taking a few digital pictures of things before taking them apart, and printing them out for reassembly helps too.
As you take the bolts out, you put them in ziplock freezer bags and write on the back with a sharpie what the bolt is for. Put the alternator bolts together, the AC compressor bolts together, and so on.
If it is the heads leaking, then you need a torque wrench. A cheap solution to that is to buy a $55 one at Home Depot, or rent one from an auto store. There is a local family owned auto parts store here in town that has loaned me (for free no less) various tools I didn't want to rent, as a thank you for doing business with them rather than autozone, napa, and other such places that are within a mile of them.
Hoses and wiring is also easy.... put a piece of masking tape on the connectors and sharpie them with where they go. Then you can't mess it up during reassembly.
Sometimes taking a few digital pictures of things before taking them apart, and printing them out for reassembly helps too.
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Just sitting here thinking, but if the heads/gasket were leaking, wouldn't there be evidence of water in the oil? I mean, if the gasket is so far gone that it allows water to leak out, wouldn't it also be able to somehow get into the oil? I can't find any signs of water in the oil.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
No, my brothers mustang did the same thing. Just a tare in the gasket let it out and not a spot in the oil it was weird.
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Originally Posted by 93f250-44cepeks-olf-olf
Are you sure it's not one of the hoses leaking?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Easton,Ks
Originally Posted by crawdad
No, it's not a hose. I cleaned up the area real good and then stood there and watched it slowly seep out while the engine was running. It actually looks like it may be coming from underneath the intake manifold, but I didn't think an intake would leak coolant, so I just assumed it was the head gasket.
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From: southeast Ohio
Seriosly if it were the gasket the coolant woud be running down the side of the block not colecting on top the water pump. It only leaks under pressure right? What you mite have is a hairline crack in the hose or its just the thermostat housing gasket an EZ fix with simpel tools.
Johnny in SE Ohio
Johnny in SE Ohio
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Originally Posted by j0hn3e
Seriosly if it were the gasket the coolant woud be running down the side of the block not colecting on top the water pump. It only leaks under pressure right? What you mite have is a hairline crack in the hose or its just the thermostat housing gasket an EZ fix with simpel tools.
Johnny in SE Ohio
Johnny in SE Ohio
Originally Posted by WALJON
I had this problem before on a 91 351 does your truck run funny or too hot some times?