Hello everyone, I joined several months ago, and posted once on the audio forum, but haven't really introduced myself. I've been reading and learning for quite a while and love this FTE.
I bought my 99f250 xlt cc short bed 4x4 5.4l in 2004 after looking for a much older truck. I just wanted what I call a "wood getter", an old truck for running to the dump and going for fire wood. I was looking for a mid 80ies to mid 90ies but in my price range didn't like what I was finding. My 99 is a telephone company truck that saw a lot of time in the mud. It was quite dirtly, but underneath the dirt it was a pretty solid truck and the price was right.

It was a great decision, I Love my Truck! One of the things I am studying now is engine rebuild or replacement options, the truck had 15x,xxx miles when I bought it, and close to 175,000+ now, so its not a daily driver. The problem is the cooling system had stopleak in it when I bought it, and lately the level has started dropping. I recently changed the water pump and all hoses, found a pin hole leak in the intake gasket area underthe thermastat. The head is pitted just slightly. I cobbled it back together and put new stop leak in it. Its holding for now. I thought about taking the head off and getting it welded, but figured with the miles I would just be opening a can of worms.

When it goes I do something, almost looking forward to it. I feel like a kid again want to play with the truck all the time. Any way thanks to everyone for all the good info and opinions about our trucks.

 

Welcome to FTE, acertm.

Not sure about welding up the heads to fix the pinhole leaks. Can that be done on an aluminum head?

 

Hi redford, I talked to a shop about it, they can grind it out and fillthe hole, then surface the head, but I don't think I'm at that point yet.

 

Welcome to FTE

Talk to your dealer. If it's what I'm thinking it is, the pin hole is in the head, just below the thermostat?

Ford has/had a kit, contains epoxy and a piece of pipe of some sort. You insert the pipe with epoxy into the head, and the epoxy seals up that hole.

 

Hi Krewat, Thanks for the info, I've actually read that post before, this forum is soooo great! My problem is actually in the sealing surface of the head where the intake gasket seals around the water jacket just behind the thermostat. Sorry I wasn't more clear in my original post.

I thought about using jb weld and trying to dress the area, but I was afraid of making the problem worse in dressing process. What I did was use a daab of rtw to fill the pit, then wiped it around the entire jacket.

After torking the I torked the intake back on and left it over night. Then took it off to see how it would work. I planned to replace the gasket a second time, but when disassembled it the gasket was glued in the water jacket area and the sealing bead looked like it could be retorked, so I didn't disturb it and just retorqued the intake.

I know it seems pretty hokey,but I figured if it works, it works. I don't see any leakage in that area, and with as much as the level has gone down I think I would see the evidence.

I know the water pump instructions said that it could weep when first installed. Ofcourse you can't see the weap hole behind the pully, but I have never had a new water pump actually weep so much that you can see the reservoir level visably go down. I've driven problably a total of 100 miles, in three trips and lost a half gallon of coolant in that time.

So thats my story, if you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them. Thanks again. Anyone elses thoughts are really welcome too.

 

Maybe the system wasn't bled enough and the coolant wasn't leaked out, just the air pockets filled up?

 

Good point, did you monitor how much you put in?

Oh-yeah and welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome man!!

 

hi gentelmen, you may be correct. I bought 5 gallons of premixed antifreeze, I had just over 4 gallons in when it seemed full. I started the engine and shortly after it had a big burp and lost maybe a pint. I assumed the thermostat opened because the resevoir drained real quickly then it all came up. I had never seen a system act like that before. After that I topped it off and had 1/2 gallon left. I did the bleading procedure several times (squeezing the upper hose to expel air). I figured i had 17.5 qts in and the balance 1.5 qts were coolant water trapped. I guess I'll just watch it. I had hoped to go sans radiator sealer, but oh well. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

Hi, thanks milleroutdoors

 

Welcome to FTE. All knowledge exists here.