I keep getting a coolant smell from my 88 its a 302 with fuel injection. It runs great but I keep getting a coolant smell. Ive found a I found a connection just below where my radiator cap goes on there is not anything attached but it clearly accepts a hose. I have a a 5 speed so no trans cooler both those outlets are blocked. I was thinking of pluging it with some JB weld but wanted to see if anyone had an idea what the heck that connector is used for its hole. Oh and its not the over flow hose that is connected this one is lower down the side of the plastic tank. Any knowledge would be awsome.

 

Is your coolant smell inside the truck or can you smell it under the hood only?

If it is inside the truck I'd lean toward a leaking heater core.

I have no idea what that other outlet would be though.

 

only under the hood. Im thinking it might have the wrong radiator in it. It dosnt seem cobbed at all the truck is in great condition and was well cared for. I dont want to close off that hole to find out I need it.
Thanks
Michael

 

I replaced the heater core and this seemed to fix it for me. I couldnt find any seapage inside the truck or outside the truck but could smell it from time to time. After reading how the heater core is a 10 minute (45 mins with kids and the occasional gulp of soda) fix and a 25 dollar part I thought what the heck. I also did the replacement of hoses and rad flush so it was another 30 but now no smell.....

 

My truck has smelled like that for the last 2 years, usually I only notice it right after I shut it off. I've never found any leaks in it and it never seems to lose any coolant. I might have to look into the heater core myself after reading this. But it hasn't seeme to affect anything, just the occasional whiff of antifreeze.

 

Check on top of the engine, specifically around the themorstat housing, could be that gasket, or hose leaking. If it's on top of the engine, good chance it's evaporating right away and all you get left is the smell.

Best way is to look for discoloration on the bottoms of the hoses. OR take a screw driver and give each hose clamp you find a little "snugging up". You may have one that just needs a 1/8 turn. Colder is always when everything starts leaking.

Happy hunting. You may want to get a pressure pump and pressurize the cooling system then look for leaks.

 

I think ill try the pressure test it will tell me what i need to know. Im going to rent one.
Thanks a ton. Ill let you all know what I find.

Michael

 

Please do, maybe you'll save me the trouble. lol

 

the nipple under the rad cap goes to the hose to the overflow jug. DO NOT fill it with JB weld!!! that is where the pressure is released

 

When I got my replacement radiator --there was a short piece of rubber hose and a small hose clamp included with the radiator and it should be placed on that opening below the overflow tank opening and the radiator cap- and the clamp installed. This short hose has only one opening-the other end is closed. I dont know what the opening is for--but the radiator that I used is for an automatic equipped truck-and mine is a manual transmission truck-like yours. It seems that ALL replacement radiators have auto tranny coolers--even the replacement radiators for manual transmission trucks. And this opening apparently isnt needed for manual transmission trucks. Or perhaps other vintage trucks use this opening that is closed on my replacement radiator.

Apparently your truck has the same replacement radiator and has this unneeded opened that should be closed off.

Just get a hose with one end and a clamp and close that opening in the driver's side radiator tank. Without the hose installed-coolant will come out-this opening has nothing to do with the automatic transmission cooler assembly in the driver's side radiator tank .Nor does this opening have anything to do with the overflow opening that connects to the overflow reservoir.

 

phoneman91
Bingo thanks big time. It seems it is the same after market radiator that you have too. Ill have to find that hose piece to clamp that off. I love this truck and want to keep it as long as possible. When I get a chance Ill put some pictures up of my baby.

Thanks so much
Michael

 

If you smell coolant you have a leak and you need to find it. I've had numerous leaks on numerous cars that don't end up dripping to the ground. I've seen two different water pumps leak at the weap hole but it leaked so slowly that it didn't get to the ground.

The overflow bottle for my 98 Taurus is pressurized and develops stress cracks every couple years. I just installed the 4th bottle this past weekend. The latest crack was so tiny it leaked maybe a tablespoon in a month. To find the crack I cleaned off all the dried coolant and ran the vehicle. Once the coolant warmed up it started sweating out of the top of the bottle. It actually looked like the bottle was sweating.

I've had hose clamps that were just not tight enough and coolant slowly leaked from the hose.

I also had a crack in a plastic radiator tank that just barely leaked. It was under the hose so It was hard to see. When the plastic tanks crack it's usually the "hot" side. That's what the radiator guy told me when he replaced the tank. He says the plastic is better these days.

Anyway, my point is that it could be any of a number of things. You just have to sniff it out.

 

The extra port on the radiator neck is used on my 90, 4.9
The hose going to the heater core has a "T" a few inches away from the engine. The t reduces the hose size, and that small hose goes to the radiator neck. This allows a small flow of water any time the engine is running, regardless of the temperature. It acts as the waterpump bypass hose on the 4.9. The water has to move to let the thermostat know it is getting hot.
I have seen the port plugged with a rubber nipple and hose clamp, when I was wandering the Upull yard.
Frank

 

This is interesting information. I always wondered about that opening on my replacement radiator. But the thing is--the 4.9 and the v8s use different radiators. Arent the hose locations in the radiator tanks different between the gas V8s and the 4.9 six??

 

I6 and V8 radiators have the inlet/outlet on opposite sides from one another. The 94 351 I bought connected this port on the radiator to the coolant outlet on the throttle body, whereas on my 87 302, the coolant outlet on the throttle body just goes to a tee in the other heater hose.