Radiator 95 4.0

[Shotokan1509]

Negative temps this morning, started the truck and was letting it warm up. Came outside to a slow drip, passenger side 95 4.0 auto. I need to really look at it after work to rule out hoses, etc. IF it's the radiator itself, are there any brands better than others? I assume I have the 2 row with the auto trans?

 

[metalmacguyver]

might it have been a little freeze up perhaps? if you dont have enough antifreeze in the water, it is possible for it to freeze and rupture something or cause excess pressure that would lead to a leak.

 

[Shotokan1509]

might it have been a little freeze up perhaps? if you dont have enough antifreeze in the water, it is possible for it to freeze and rupture something or cause excess pressure that would lead to a leak.

Well it LOOKS like theres enough anti-freeze level and mixture wise, but my father had just asked the other day if I had checked the effectiveness, might have bit me in the rear that I didn't do it on the spot. I'll really look it over when I'm off work, I love how my vehicles like to bite it during the neg temps.

 

[metalmacguyver]

its damn near impossible to tell if there is enough antifreeze in the coolant by looking at it. i know that i couldnt. they make a little tool for testing it. basically its a little pippet with some little plastic balls in it and you read it by looking at how many balls float versus how many sink. they are cheap too and available at any parts store.

 

[pillen140]

ther is also the turkey baster style, with a needle, usually works best. works on density of antifreeze, will tell you what percentage of water versus antifreeze

 

[MAKG]

Yes, but the radiator is getting replaced. Drain the coolant (including the block) and replace it with 50/50. Then you KNOW how much coolant is in there. For the future, never top off the coolant with water. I like to keep an extra gallon of premixed 50/50 around for that purpose.

Frozen coolant can cause serious carnage. Can you get one of those stick-on oil pan heaters, or store this thing in an above-freezing garage?

 

[Shotokan1509]

Ok now I'm stumped... got it up to temp parked and no leak, Heat off/heat on full blast (like this morning) nada, drove it around and still nothing? I can see the lowest corner passenger side of the radiator looks slightly damp but it has not changed at all after running for half an hour. It's still only 12 degrees out?

FYI I top off with 50/50 (sometimes straight antifreeze if its only a tad and colder out, without temp problems.


As far as garage.. no go, thats grandmother and fathers spots, mom's car is on the street with my truck which kills the heater idea.

 

[Shotokan1509]

Found the antifreeze checker.. 5 floating balls means good to -40F. Truck ran for a 45 minutes atleast without another single drop falling.

 

[pillen140]

check the water pump, they usually leak a little before blowing up, to let you know they are going bad. or could it have a head leak or intake leak. you can buy a coolant leak test kit, with floresent dye and a special light to see where it is coming from. or do a pressure check, that is usually pretty cheap at a repair shop. take about a minute.

 

[metalmacguyver]

Yes, but the radiator is getting replaced.

he said that it was only getting replaced if that was where it was actually leaking from. why replace the rad if the problem is a leaky hose?

 

[Shotokan1509]

Found the antifreeze checker.. 5 floating balls means good to -40F. Truck ran for a 45 minutes atleast without another single drop falling.

Start the truck this morning, runs for 10minutes to warm up and starts leaking again! It must be the lower corner of the radiator because the upper hose is completely dry, I do not see any wet spots down the side of the radiator. Guess I am dropping in a new one

 

[Shotokan1509]

Drain the coolant (including the block)

How do you drain the block?

 

[Jon Boy]

just unhooking the lower intake hose (going to the motor) usually drians the block good enough, unless you want to get anal about it then you could use compressed air blown in from the upper return hose i guess.

 

[MAKG]

Every block has one or two drain plugs, and the lower hose will leave quite a lot left in there.

They are generally at the back of the engine underneath the exhaust manifold(s). One on each side for a V-type engine. As a rule, they aren't very easy to get at.

If you ever pull one of these after having "drained" the cooling system, you'll find out just how much you missed.