Coolant Leak. Intake Gasket?

[exbass94]

94 Explorer 4.0 OHV - I have a small coolant leak. I thought it was coming from the heater hose, right where it connects to the engine, near the thermostat. I replaced the hose and it appears to still be leaking from that area. It seems the only other place it could be leaking from is the lower intake gasket. Would/could a bad gasket cause a coolant leak? Does coolant flow through those gaskets?

The leak doesn't appear to be coming from the hose after all. Instead, it appears to come from the area to the left of the hose, closer to the valve cover.

 

[RonD]

Yes, coolant flows from one head to the other through the lower intake manifold.

And yes, that is a common leak point on the 4.0l

 

[SenorNoob]

I second that statement!

 

[exbass94]

Well that sucks. Of course it couldn't be a simple new hose; that would've been too easy. Not looking forward to replacing intake gaskets.

 

[RonD]

I have had hoses with pin hole leaks that sprayed coolant to another place, so leak was at the hose not "the other place"