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  • mel_horn

    Dec. 31, 2009 3:07 p.m. mel_horn Dork

    Oh, berkeley. ..Now it's my turn.

    2002 Windstar 3.8, 110K miles.

    Took it on a run (30 miles) yesterday and noticed the heat wouldn't get warm.

    Temp gauge never got above 1/2 way. Starts and runs as usual. Exhaust does not smell nor does the heater.

    Replaced coolant in reservoir. Started and ran again and got under to see WTF was going on. I have coolant dripping down on the firewall side of the engine as well as some on the radiator side, but I think that might be migrating along the oil pan from the back. This coolant is not hot.

    Unfortunately my coolant pressure tester doesn't have a Ford adapter.

    Anything epidemic to this engine (perhaps manifold gaskets?)?

    And dare I use the NAPA blue sealer with this engine...?

  • John Brown

    Dec. 31, 2009 3:20 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

    There is a coolant bypass hose on the intake that leaks.

    Heater cores go bad often.

    The intake manifolds can leak on the rear of the #2 cylinder bank (firewall + driver side)

  • mel_horn

    Dec. 31, 2009 3:33 p.m. mel_horn Dork

    Thanks, John. I did find evidence of leaking behind and slightly lower that the throttlebody but the big problem is it's berkeleying hard to see. I will look in that area tomorrow. (Is that hose rubber or a metal line?)

  • belteshazzar

    Dec. 31, 2009 3:49 p.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

    backflush the heater core. sounds like you have the leaks under control.

  • John Brown

    Dec. 31, 2009 4:13 p.m. John Brown MegaDork

    Rubber IIRC

  • iceracer

    Dec. 31, 2009 5:28 p.m. iceracer HalfDork

    Once you get the leaks fixed, don't forget the thermostat.

  • mel_horn

    Dec. 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. mel_horn Dork

    iceracer wrote:

    Once you get the leaks fixed, don't forget the thermostat.

    Absitively. Rad (really coolant reservoir) cap too.

  • mel_horn

    Jan. 1, 2010 11:04 a.m. mel_horn Dork

    John Brown wrote:

    There is a coolant bypass hose on the intake that leaks.

    And that was the culprit.

    Actually it is a metal tube that connects to a rubber hose and then passes under the two upper manifold halves (plastic plenum), makes a 90 deg bend, it then goes into a hole in the metal part of the manifold (o-ring). Right before the 90 deg bend there are two holes slightly larger than the period at the end of this sentence. I'm at a standstill until Monday anyway, whether I try to get it welded or go to Ford and get a new one...

    Thanks guys!

 

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