radiator pressure test
2003 explorer v6. The vehicle does not have a radiator cap, only a cap on the recovery tank. I have a very small leak causing loss of coolant at the rate of about a gallon every 2500miles. The tank never goes empty, but takes almost a gallon to fill when low. Can a pressure test be performed through the neck of the recovery tank? And, does anyone make an inexpensive adaptor to fit on the tank to perform the test?
2003...is time to get out the Gates rubber catalog and strategically replace ALL the hoses, now...in fact should be done every two years~ forget about the testing, go ahead and replace the old hoses....they aren't going to get any younger and one could consider maintenance costs...
...see if the waterpump isn't dripping out the weep hole...my damned MINI has only 34,000 miles on it and is dripping coolant out the weep hole already~
...hey OJ...just realized it's you! god be with you, my man~!
I can remember a cone shaped goodie that "locked" somehow by puffin' up with air pressure from one of these mechanics tools dealers...will start shoppin' for ya` if you'd like~
http://www.tooldesk.com/automotive/PBT70888-Private-Brand-Tools-PBT- 70888-Cooling-System-Pressure-Tester.aspx
Mosy likely the thermostat housing leaking or the radiator leaking. Those are the two most common issues with explorers. You can get a pressure tester to fit the jug just have to get the right adapter. Dont randomly replace hoses they are not needed every two years replace them as needed if they are not brittle and about to fall apart and/or leaking leave them be. It is a unnecessary expense. Have the system pressure tested pinpoint the leak and replace the right part dont take judge roys advice its generally not good he has like 4 accounts and boosts his score and gives bad answers.
No problem with the water pump, as I replaced it a month or so ago when the leak appeared. Do not see any drips on the ground which appears to be coolant. There is a drip near the drivers side door which comes from the back portion of the engine compartment, but the water is not hot, only tempid Checked the motor oil, no water seems to be present. No discoloration in the water in the recovery tank which would indicate the presence of oil or other contaminants. Just driving me buggy, expecially since I just recently dropped in a reman. engine and it runs great.
I have seen the ford pick ups do this. What happened with mine is the head gasket had blown.the newer motors will not get water in the oil.i am not sure where the water goes but if this is the case most likely when you drive around a while your plastic cap will have some pressure on it when you unscrew it. I drove mine till the wrench light came on and motor went to limp mode.Refilled it with coolant went to dealer and 2k later all is fine :-( except for wallet
Problem solved. Ran all over the place and finally found a loaner pressure tester which would fit the recovery tank. I should have suspected where the leak was coming from when I was looking over the entire system. The leak was coming from the chicken @#$% plastic thermostat housing bolted to the intake on the top of the engine. As I looked, the only thing that keeps it from leaking is another skinny piece of rubber which smashed against the intake when the four bolts are tightened. Obviously this piece of engineerying is for the sole purpose of having it fail so it can be returned to the dealership for service. The little chicken @#$% housing, which takes five minutes to replace was ninty bucks.
OH, the reason I could not find the leak is because the leak was so small the water would run down the top of the engine, then onto the head then dribble backward toward the tranny and finally drip on the ground. Most of the water was evaporating before it hit the ground. Had to pump the thing up to almost 18 pounds so it would leak quick enough to run down the front of the engine.
