Upper radiator hose blowing off
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Upper radiator hose blowing off
I have a 2002 Ranger XL with the 2.3L DOHC engine and a manual tranny, lately I have had 2 issues with the cooling system. Last year the radiator developed a leak at the joint between the tanks and the core, I replaced the radiator and a few weeks later, the top radiator hose blew off while driving on the freeway. It happened when I downshifted to pass someone up. This year I've had to replace the radiator twice, this time due to, according to the radiator shop, an electric arc continually zapping the radiator and creating a hole in the core..
The top radiator hose blew off again while driving on the fwy..I have 2 clamps on it and I have to check it every few days to make sure it is not sliding off. I've had to readjust it twice in two weeks and retighten. BTW I replaced the hose about a month ago. Is the water pump generating excessive pressure? In order to get the most out of the 2.3 I have keep the revs up..maybe the water pump is pushing too much water and the pressure is building up too quick....any ideas? Has anyone experienced this before. I did a search and came up with nothing.
Thanks
The top radiator hose blew off again while driving on the fwy..I have 2 clamps on it and I have to check it every few days to make sure it is not sliding off. I've had to readjust it twice in two weeks and retighten. BTW I replaced the hose about a month ago. Is the water pump generating excessive pressure? In order to get the most out of the 2.3 I have keep the revs up..maybe the water pump is pushing too much water and the pressure is building up too quick....any ideas? Has anyone experienced this before. I did a search and came up with nothing.Thanks
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,461
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From: Abilene Kansas
first off welcome to FTE forums, please take a moment to read and understand our forum rules.
back to your question, you have got some major issues if your radiator hose is blowing off. you have pressure in the system that shouldnt be like that. your radiator is prolly trashed and not letting something flow.
Matt
back to your question, you have got some major issues if your radiator hose is blowing off. you have pressure in the system that shouldnt be like that. your radiator is prolly trashed and not letting something flow.
Matt
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Cypress, CA
Highly likely you have a head gasket issue - compression into the water jacket causing more PSI in the cooling system than it can handle. I have used the wand from the smog machine and put it in the radiator to have it "smell". Guess what!
Have seen this more frequently on Toyotas than Ford. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Russ
Have seen this more frequently on Toyotas than Ford. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Russ
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If it's a head gasket, wouldn't that also cause coolant to leak into the cylinder along with the pressure being forced into the waterjacket? There is no coolant loss, or any other symptom I associate with a head gasket failure.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,940
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From: Eastern WA
There are several indicators of a bad head gasket. Odds are, if you have a bad headgasket you'd see excessive water vapor from the tailpipe on cold starts and on cool mornings. The coolant level in the the burp tank would rise more than normal, due to the combustion gasses and pressure forcing an abnormal amount of coolant to be expelled into the radiator. The coolant level in the burp tank may not return to the correct level that it should be at for a cold engine. Also, you may smell the oder of exhaust in the coolant as well as see small bubbles. Yes, you most likely would experience coolant loss.
*If there is a suspicion of a head gasket failure or any other coolant leak, you can always borrow/rent the device that pressurizes the cooling system and do a test. For now, I'd begin with the cap. Think of it like a safety valve that should vent the excess pressure, even if such pressure is somehow caused by a restriction.
*If there is a suspicion of a head gasket failure or any other coolant leak, you can always borrow/rent the device that pressurizes the cooling system and do a test. For now, I'd begin with the cap. Think of it like a safety valve that should vent the excess pressure, even if such pressure is somehow caused by a restriction.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 769
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From: Moneta, VA
Most likely the cap, I like to run the lowest pressure on I can find. Why car manufacturers like to push up the psi to 16 lbs, I don't know. The boiling point elevation is minusule at best. I don't think it's nessesary with today's antifreeze. I am currently running a 13 lb. on my Ranger, the lowest pressure one I could find that fits. It's for a Windstar. On all my other cars, I run a 7 lb.
I've heard of improperly installed head gaskets leading to excessive pressure in the cooling system. In that case, it was a Ford 302 and the rear water pump cover seal was blowing out. I guess it could be a head gasket. But replace the cap first before anything else. I've had caps malfunction on older vehicles and the top of the raditator balloned out. The cap appeared okay, but it wouldn't release the pressure for some reason.
I've heard of improperly installed head gaskets leading to excessive pressure in the cooling system. In that case, it was a Ford 302 and the rear water pump cover seal was blowing out. I guess it could be a head gasket. But replace the cap first before anything else. I've had caps malfunction on older vehicles and the top of the raditator balloned out. The cap appeared okay, but it wouldn't release the pressure for some reason.
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Elder User
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From: Cypress, CA
I have seen circumstances where the water, even under 16psi would not leak through the head gasket but 9/1 compression would. Change the radiator cap but IMHO 16psi will not blow off your hoses or tank seams.
Standing by for the results.
Russ
Standing by for the results.
Russ
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,907
Likes: 39
From: suburban atlanta
Are you sure that you got the proper replacement radiator? If it was an aftemarket product, then it may have a different sized upper inlet, requiring a different sized hose from stock.
Other than that, you build pressure on the upper hose by having back pressure in the core/tubes. If the 'new' radiator was not actually new, but 'rebuilt' by your radiator shop, they could have either the wrong core or a smaller number of tubes, either of which could cause backpressure.
Obliviously, the hose was not coming off before you replaced the radiator, or you would have told us, right?
tom
Other than that, you build pressure on the upper hose by having back pressure in the core/tubes. If the 'new' radiator was not actually new, but 'rebuilt' by your radiator shop, they could have either the wrong core or a smaller number of tubes, either of which could cause backpressure.
Obliviously, the hose was not coming off before you replaced the radiator, or you would have told us, right?
tom
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The factory radiator began to leak from the area where the core meets the tank..those little "clamps" began to separate, but the hose never blew off. I started having the hose blowing off after I replaced the radiator with a remanufactured one... Btw, is the 13psi windstar cap an exact fit for the external reservoir tank my ranger has? If the cap is failing, it would not relieve any pressure at 16psi..so who knows how much pressure is actually building up to cause the hose to blow. In the mean time I replaced the hose clamp.
Logistics Pro
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From: suburban atlanta
If you replaced the upper hose at the same time... was it a good brand, such as Gates or a "zoneAway special" made heaven knows where out of who knows what? In other words, was it actually designed to FoMoCo specs? or a generic.
The 're-man' might have a slightly undersized fitting, allowing for a loose fit.
Was it easy to slide the hose over the fitting? It should have some natural resistance.
Dunno about the cap, but if it is a brand name, you should be able to look in the app book to see cross reference. Generally, if it seals well into the neck of the tank, whatever tank, it should still relieve at the proper pressure. Take it out and look, you'll see a spring, which holds the big disc with the rubber gasket down on the inside of the rad fitting. That spring determines relief pressure. If it can move inside the neck, and it must if you can put it in, then it should relieve fine.
Any more ?s?
tom
The 're-man' might have a slightly undersized fitting, allowing for a loose fit.
Was it easy to slide the hose over the fitting? It should have some natural resistance.
Dunno about the cap, but if it is a brand name, you should be able to look in the app book to see cross reference. Generally, if it seals well into the neck of the tank, whatever tank, it should still relieve at the proper pressure. Take it out and look, you'll see a spring, which holds the big disc with the rubber gasket down on the inside of the rad fitting. That spring determines relief pressure. If it can move inside the neck, and it must if you can put it in, then it should relieve fine.
Any more ?s?
tom
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Moneta, VA
Originally Posted by shoccwave
Btw, is the 13psi windstar cap an exact fit for the external reservoir tank my ranger has?
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2003 f150 radiator clamps slipping off
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About 2000 miles back my factory squeeze type upper radiator clamp slipped off and dumped all my coolant. I wasn't towing anything, just driving down surface streets on a cool day. I replaced the hose, clamps and thermostat. Today the lower radiator hose blew off and dumped coolant after I had taken a 200 miles trip. Luckily it was in my driveway when it blew off. I don't like the factory squeeze on clamps, but I had never heard of anything like this before finding this forum. I wonder if there is a problem with too much coolant pressure or too weak of a clamp. Has Ford got a problem that they haven't told us about. Maybe we need to investigate this further if so many people are having the same problem. Lucky for me, I was close to home both times and was able to put a bandaid on it to get it to the shop. Oh yeah, my truck has the V-6 engine and runs great other than this hose clamp issue.
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About 2000 miles back my factory squeeze type upper radiator clamp slipped off and dumped all my coolant. I wasn't towing anything, just driving down surface streets on a cool day. I replaced the hose, clamps and thermostat. Today the lower radiator hose blew off and dumped coolant after I had taken a 200 miles trip. Luckily it was in my driveway when it blew off. I don't like the factory squeeze on clamps, but I had never heard of anything like this before finding this forum. I wonder if there is a problem with too much coolant pressure or too weak of a clamp. Has Ford got a problem that they haven't told us about. Maybe we need to investigate this further if so many people are having the same problem. Lucky for me, I was close to home both times and was able to put a bandaid on it to get it to the shop. Oh yeah, my truck has the V-6 engine and runs great other than this hose clamp issue.
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