Huge Coolant Leak

nghtshd88

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Coldest day of the season so far and found a huge puddle actively dripping under the passenger side of the bellhousing. Looks like it would be directly under the glove box.. I literally just replaced radiator and rest of the system not too long ago.. no idea what this would be. Hoping not the heater core..

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On the lift and shop tells me its most likely the heater core, hoses are dry. Referred to a shop that specializes in this heat/ac. I assume its not going to be worth the price and bypassing it will be easier. Not sure if i want to remove the dashboard, one thread on here says its a 4hr job apart and 4hrs to replace. Unfortunately it is winter.

I know there is a tube that runs under the intake manifold but that was recently replaced with the rest of the system. I assume there is an orifice on top of the trans? Not sure why the core would leak there and not inside.

I also noticed without the heat on it is not really leaking. Does the DCCV cut off coolant to the core when not leaking?

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V6 OR V8?

I'm not sure if the dccv completely shuts when the datc is set to off but possibly. Try putting the heat setting at the lowest to see if it stops the leak.

Did you look at the end of the three metal tubings if the leak is coming from there? Right in the back below the heater core just folow the rubber hoses from the core to where it joins to the metal tubes
 
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Follow the number 13 theres a rubber elbow where it joins to another metal tube further behind the engine
 
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The DCCV can't shut off all coolant to the core, because the return line is always open, and the system being pressurized would force coolant out of the core the whole time the engine was warm.
Coolant from a heater core leak would come out of the AC condensate drain tube.
Coolant from a leak at the front of the engine or under the manifold will come out around the transmission bell housing.
 
Coolant from a heater core leak would come out of the AC condensate drain tube.
Coolant from a leak at the front of the engine or under the manifold will come out around the transmission bell housing.

Where is the AC drain tube exactly? I did not see that. Never have actually.

This was by the bell housing and I just noticed the oil filter dripping antifreeze as well but the leak in back is dry right after driving.. for now..

The car was parked nose up tilted to the right so it would explain the passenger side leak by bell housing before. The degas level barely dropped.

Motor reaks of anitfreeze and noticed a drop or three drying by the thermastat housing on the hose that goes to the lower radiator.... nothing on the manifold.

It seems it likes to leak once luke warm? I had this same issue though barely as bad a year or two ago which took me forever to find.. and it was the O-ring between the two plastic thermastat parts.. I bet the coolant cap from being so hard to turn was enough to break the O-Ring seal again when I changed the radiator. Had to use Channel Locks to remove it.

I went from DCCV to Radiator now possibly the O-Ring again. I knew after the radiator it would find the next weakest area.

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I had a problem leak on my 04 once, sameish area. It would not leak while I was looking at it, even using a pressure tester. I tried it engine cold and engine hot. I would only leak while driving. I thought it was the o-ring at the back of the thermostat, but I eventually convinced myself that it was not. I removed the whole assembly from the front of the engine, and cleaned the coolant ports on the front and put tack seal on every gasket/o-ring. That did stop the leak, but I was never 100% sure exactly were it was or exactly what I did to fix it. (I had also replaced all the plastic in the front again, with no change in the leak.)
 

It took me about a year or two to find this leak.

Another member reports doing this every 2yrs or 3 times already. I bet this is it again. Would explain the coolant in front.

I would love to replace it with the Jaguar housing which uses the yellow clip to solve this before I don't feel like removing the manifold so will resort to the O-ring and sealant once again.
 
If i were you i'd clamp the heater core inlet hose and the return hose shut with vice grips to see if it still leaks and if it does then its not the heater core. Then from there just check every hose
I had a few leaks happen and one was from a bad oring on the thermostat housing cap
 
I had a few leaks happen and one was from a bad oring on the thermostat housing cap

See my post above. Yes. Im not sure why the caps get so hard to turn? Probably the pressure of turning that with pliers was enough to break the already weak seal that is now under full system pressure now that the radiator isn't leaking. I just noticed some white residue around it and the old sealant popping out. Will change this O-ring anyway.
 
When my taurus had a bad heater core, it sent up non-stop vapor to the entire air distribution system, and would condense on the windshield very badly. I would take a guess that if your interior windshield is not steaming up whenever you run in cold weather, your problem is elsewhere.
 
Hard to see but after cooling down the entire manifold is under a puddle of coolant and the O-Ring once again is blown.. $8 fix but sucks.. bad design. 3rd time replacing.. I will hopefully find the Jaguar housing with yellow clip for next time if there is one. If you look at the top of it you can even see what looks like something was forced out if it.. i assume either these pieces were defective or just the design sucks or both. Still dont understand why the Jag housing has the clip and ford doesnt.

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ALL coolant parts are FORD. Just like my ford alternator that needs to be replaced again (bad bearing). Almost wonder if some aftermarket parts arent as bad now. Perhaps the plastic was a bad batch or warps over time. Or the LS usually has so many leak points it never blows for most people. Its like the system needs a weak point to relieve itself. Almost afraid to fix it and the next part blows.
 
I was sent the wrong o-ring (marked with the correct part number) once before. One of the problems with Ford (and probably everybody else) is that after a part is no longer used in production of new cars, they bid out production of the replacement parts, and no longer have tight quality control on the parts. Eventually, they may become just as bad as aftermarket for this car.
If I hadn't traded off my LSes, I was probably going to try the Jag coolant parts the next time around. Unfortunately, I don't think you can tell if they will really fit or not except by trying it. You might have to change a hose or two as well to get it to work.
 
Not sure where tasca gets their parts from but I waited a good week or so for my recent coolant part order and it seems this one is now waiting. If I didn't get an aftermarket radiator id still be waiting..

Ordered a common JLT intake for my mustang in November and as of today they don't even know if it left production yet.

I think going forward I will try my luck with AF and other known brands. Just not Doorman..

So far have a good 60-70k miles on the Delphi COP's almost 6yrs later and if I recall only 1 was a dud.
 
Not sure where tasca gets their parts from but I waited a good week or so for my recent coolant part order and it seems this one is now waiting. If I didn't get an aftermarket radiator id still be waiting..

Ordered a common JLT intake for my mustang in November and as of today they don't even know if it left production yet.

I think going forward I will try my luck with AF and other known brands. Just not Doorman..

So far have a good 60-70k miles on the Delphi COP's almost 6yrs later and if I recall only 1 was a dud.
30k on my Spectra COPs without a hick-up not one single misfire on Forscan since install....when a person is at the mercy of Aftermarket parts it sure makes life easier when they work
 
Replaced the $7 o-ring and the two gaskets on the crossover piece that bolts to the face of block. Screws seemed very loose once free.. the o-ring had a date of July 2021 stamped it so its still new. Poor design.. I assume the crossover piece expands over time from the pressure of the o-ring and helps it leaks easier. Next time will be replacing the crossover if its not obsolete..

Have replaced every single coolant part except hoses to core and heater. Hopefully with a fully pressurized system again it doesnt blow that next..

I guess at this point in time you literally have to replace ever piece dccv radiator aux pump otherwise youre just chasing a leak..

Crankcase hoses soundsed like they were cracking to pieces. Found the passenger side for $16 new.. the driver side TB to evap canister is OBSOLETE. Found one used on ebay for $50. Doesnt like something you can fab up due to the way it connects to the TB.

Probably should have replaced manifold to TB gasket and TB gasket.. next time..

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With that o-ring... it should be lubed with a little coolant so the elbow seats fully and properly in the crossover. Half the time... if you install it dry... it will end up leaking.

Best to assemble the crossover pipe and elbow first (after lubing the o-ring) and installing everything as an assembly.

89 inch pounds of torque on the bolts. Almost all cooling system bolts are torqued to 89 inch pounds.
 

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