Please read this quick while I have it apart

[sparks57]

I'm still battling this drip-drip-drip coolant leak on the pasenger side up by the front corner of the engine below the return housing.



I have the return housing off, again , and I cleaned it up a little bit better, but before I put it back on...



What else could be causing this drip-drip-drip leak that only happens until the engine warms up a little?



The weap hole on the water pump is fine, the thermostat housing was redone and is definately not leaking...



Was it just that maybe the return housing wasn't sealed well? I am going to put a layer of RVT outside the oring on the casting to back up the o-ring.



Any thoughts?

 

[sparks57]

C'mon guys! Chime in with anything... yes, no... . whatever.



I've got it cleaned off sitting on the bench and I have some cruising to do tonight!



I looked at the front of the block, but that's useless... the whole front of the engine is trashed because of a timing case crack... so I don't know about anything on the front of the engine.



So are those the only two fixtures that would be able to cause a leak that drips off of the very front right corner of the engine, and stops when the engine warms a tad?

 

[bgilbert]

headgasket leak? crack between front two valve covers? Chris I have no idea... Bill

 

[sparks57]

Uh, head gasket is not leaking... crack???



This leak is definately down on the bottom half of the engine.



Does anyone know where the weeper hole is on the water pump? Someone who knows a lot about these engines was trying to help me a while back and said the weeper hole was not leaking, but I'd like to know where it is so I can double check.



If it's leaking, I'm gonna be mad as h-e-double hockey sticks because it was work done by that same dealership that screwed me over... they replaced the water pump a year ago, there is no reason why it should be leaking this soon.



Hopefully it's just the return housing...



But in the mean time, any more ideas?

 

[1stgen4evr]

leak

Unless you have a small leak to the outside at the head gasket on the corner but I think I remember that you ruled that out earlier. Have you done away with the engine lift bracket? Have you cracked a bolt hole at some time? There just isn't anything else up there. Does the thermostat houseing have a crack? Seems backward to leak when cool and not when warmed up. I looked at my 93 and I don't see a thing that looks even suspicious. Slap her on and go cruising. It must be getting late in that part of the world.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[dpuckett]

CB,

Take it to a car wash, and wash off the front & top of the engine real well, then keep an eye on where it is coming from exactly. THe only things I can think of are- head gasket, t-stat housing, o rmaybe a hose fitting, either heater return or radiator. Get it cleaned off, and get back with me in the morning. Did you ever get that head gasket thing figured out? Or is this still it?



Cruising? This is only Wed, all the ricers dont come out of the woodwork till Thursday, and then only a few.



Daniel

 

[bgilbert]

How far down, is your block heater leaking? Mine was a ways back, had to tighten up the hex screw holding it to block. bill

 

[sparks57]

I have cleaned the engine before. .



Ok:



Crack: NO

Head Gasket: NO

Block heater: ??? Didn't think that had anything to do with coolant...

Hoses: NO

Cracks on housings: None that I can see... still have lift hoop.



Still waiting for a explanation on where the weeper hole is...



Thanks everyone.



Edit: And for the leak stopping when the engine warms a little... that makes perfect sense to me if the leak is behind a casting... when the engine warms the metal expands and the casting makes better contact to the block... just a thought.

 

[dpuckett]

The weep hole is on the bottom side of the neck of the WP- just behind the pulley. Kind of have to shine a flashlight up from underneath, and hold yer tongue just right.



Ummm..... [how to put this w/o bursting his poor little bubble... . ], the block heater heats the water (coolant), it is an integral part of the system. if it leaks, you have trouble, eventually.

-DP

 

[bgilbert]

Freeze plug leaking? Block heater takes the place of a freeze plug, it warms the coolant in the block... isnt the water pump down below the level of the t-stat housing? yeah where the heck is the weep hole, you're gonna make me go outside w/flashlight and mirror now . . Bill

 

[sparks57]

Oh... sorry, I had a senior moment.



Freeze plug? Is the the plug on the side of the block behind the water pump? It's tight.



Where exactly is the block heater, and where do I check for a leak?

 

[bgilbert]

Not 100% sure if there are any along the fuel side of the engine but along the exhaust side of the block are a row of freeze plugs, and in the place of one of these plugs in the block heater. Sounds to me someone needs to get the flashlight or shop light and a creeper and service manual and get familiar with ones equipment jeez. . lol. . If the BH is all green or looks like algae is growing on it then it needs tightened. Bill

 

[bmoeller]

If the block heater is in the same place as the 2nd gens, it is to the left and a little above the oil filter.



Is the engine oil cooler leaking? It is behind the oil filter.



http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/cooling-sys/weep_hole.htm

 

[phillips5]

Follow the electric cord the you plug in it will lead you to the block heater. I think without looking that the block heater is closer to the middle instead of up front

 

[dpuckett]

phillips5 is right about the block heater placement; almost under the turbo outlet flange on the manifold. Real easy to see, esp if you have a 5spd, and no auto transmission cooler/ heat exchanger lines in the way.



I dont remember seeing any freeze plugs on the left side of the block. I replaced the tappet cover gasket the other day (got to coating the underside of the pickup with the leak), and saw the pushrods and tappets, but no freeze plugs.



Dont feel bad, CB; I had a 84 Ford 6. 9 blow the block heater out the side of the block, and lost all the coolant, in Iowa, and a guy told me I rpobably blew out a freeze plug. Having just been taken for a ride by a shop, and I'd never heard of them (thoght it was probably right down the list from blinker fluid) I laughed at the guy, and told him "I'm not THAT gullible. " Ended up costing a bundle to get it towed to fiancee's dad's. Put a freeze plug in it, and drove it back home.



Daniel

 

[flightmedic]

CB,



So far I have not delved too far into my truck. So you'll have to take my generalities.....

I once had a chevy ( alot of good stories start out like this) and I changed out the waterpump. Got a little crazy when putting the RTV on and had a little leak from "blowby" where the RTV was too much.

Also, on the same car, (for that matter the same water pump) the leak started again after a about a year. I nearly killed myself trying to figure the problem out. I kept telling myself it couldn't be the pump, but sure enough it was. Once I finally exhausted all the hard stuff, I found the weep/drain hole and there was my evidence.

So points I am passing on... Start at the simplest and progress from there. Be systematic in this approach, and above all don't buy re-man'ed stuff from your local one stop car supply place. Oh yeah, and RTV doesn't follow the adage of "if a little is fine, alot is better"

 

[sparks57]

Thanks guys... I haven't found any leaks anywhere... in any of the places you were suggesting.



Hopefully just backing up the o-ring with a ring of RVT will stop the leak.



I spent the evening scrubbing down the engine so if the leak continues, I can diagnose it easily.



Tomorrow morning I'll start back up on the project.



Also on the agenda:

•3200rpm governer

•New driver's side door bushings

•New belt so I have a spare

•New idler pulley assembly

•And if I can find a machine shop to clean up the wheel in my starter, I'm going to install the Larry B starter contact kit I have.



It's going to be a LOOOOOOONG day!

 

[RGT]

I find I have much better sealing using that red gell, anaerobic(?) gasket sealer, Loctight 511 or something, it's raining and I don't feel like running out to the shop, it's called "gasket eliminator"it sets as soon as all the air is removed from it in the presence of metal... . so you can put things right back into service, no waiting

 

[sparks57]

Thanks for the tip, I've got high temp rvt, so I'll just use what I have.



Wish me luck guys! It's raining here, and my truck doesn't fit in any standard garage, so I'll be getting wet!

 

[GGott]

Hi Chris, There are 4 freeze plugs and the block heater in the kit from Cummins. The block heater on my truck is in the front hole. The freeze plug on the back of the block is a tough one to change. Have an article from June 1990-Rod & Custom mag. about the history of the tune "Hot Rod Lincoln"- and the real grapevine hill is none other than that twisty old road up the hill from Lewiston. Charlie Ryan who wrote the modern version, and still has the original V12 Lincoln powered coupe, tells about the song, early rodding, and the Lewiston hill. Sorry for the long post, I'll mail it to you if you wish... . Love Idaho!.....