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Need Coolant System Help BAD

1K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Baja 
#1 ·
For the last week or so my truck has been slowly losing water in the overflow bottle. I have noticed that this happens more when driven at night. However, about 3 days ago my truck started sounding like it had a squeaky pulley but I can't find one that appears to be the culprit. Tonight on the way home my “squeaky pulley” was louder than ever I could hear it in the cab. I also watch my temp gauge go from around 180 degrees to about 140 and then start cycling the closer I got to home. I can find no leaks or anything my father in-law seems to think that it might be the water pump going out and that sound like a good guess but I am not seeing any visible leaks. Therefore I am wondering if anyone might have seen this before and could help me to identify my problem. Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
there is a weep hole on the pump, but it may not leak enough to actually drip to the ground. It could end up on the serpetine belt and that might be the source of your noises.
 
#3 ·
Take a long screwdriver, long wooden dowel anything long and solid ( a mechanic's stethoscope is best) and place it on each part turned by the belt. Don't place it where belt touches it, but near the belt and place your ear on the end of the long whatever you have. Keep going from water pump, alternator, AC compressor, idler pulley and tensioner pulley and you will track down your source of noise. You can also remove the belt and give each pulley a spin and feel for problems (roughness when spinning), but I prefer the stethoscope trick since that keeps tension on the pulley. Trust me, when you hear the problem it will jump out at you.

The cycling up and down of the temp gauge is reported as a normal thing with these trucks. Once in a while a truck won't do it, but many do.

The best way to find the water leak is to pressurize the whole system. Pressurize when cold if possible that way water won't turn to steam before you see it. Since you have a very slight leak, you may have to add dye to system to help locate the leak.

I have seen where you'll add coolant to overflow tank a time or two and then the system will stabilize and you won't add anymore. Since you just got this truck, this is a possibility.

Unfortunately, as stated above, little leaks like this can be frustrating to find since it may not even make it to the ground for you to see. Sometimes they will only leave a powdery looking stain on the side of the engine.
 
#4 ·
Well after much more driving and finding the engine getting wetter and wetter but not puddling I finally found my problem.(Only after driving the truck to Kinston, NC at 70mph) My radiator has a place right directly infront of th efan that is squiting coolant into the fan thus covering my engine in coolant. So after I get my radiator changed I'll see what more problem come up thanks again for all the input.
 
#5 ·
The radiator is easy to fix. If it is the stock 3 row copper one, it is a really good one, one worth repairing. I have repaired many of them, all successful. Cheaper than buying a new and not as good, one.
 
#7 ·
Before I describe the process, exactly where is the leak? Different locations require different solutions and I don't want to go through all of them at once.
 
#8 ·
It's in the fins right in front of the fan when it gets up to operating temp it squirts into the fan.
 
#9 ·
I have done this a few times, unfortunately, and it has always worked reliably, never failing. Remove the radiator. Using needle nose pliers, pull out all of the fine fins that surround the water line where the leak is. You will need to remove enough so there is clear line at least 2" on either side of the leak. It is easy to pull, just yank it out. Using diagonal cutters, cut about 3/4-1" of the line out where the leak is. Using the pliers, open the line so it is round instead of the flat profile it is now. Using a toothbrush or Q-tip and solvent, clean very well the interior of the line, very important. Make up a batch of JB Weld, Marine-Tex or any epoxy paste and push a good ball of it deep inside the water line. Using the pliers, shut the last 3/8" of the line and fold it over. There should be a bulge after the fold over. With the rest of the epoxy, cover the folded line well. Add a second coat if you want. Done. My biggest repair using this method is I once smashed my fan into the radiator in the middle of nowhere in Mexico. In the field, I pulled out a salad plate size of fins, cutting about 10 lines and capping them off that way. Took 2 days and it held for over a year before I got around to replacing the radiator. There was zero difference in cooling performance. I have used this method to repair leaks in the intercooler too.
 
#10 ·
So do the fins come out across the radiator or just where the leak is and then do they go back in or throw them out leaving a hole to access the sealed tube thanks for your advice
 
#11 ·
By the fins, I mean the thin little corrugated metal that makes up of most of what you see. That is the "radiator" part. The water lines or water jacket is inside. You will be pulling out the corrugated part and tossing it. No worries, you will not be compromising the radiator one bit. When you are finished, there will be a hole where the corrugated metal was. You can fill it if you want but it is not necessary. You should not have to remove more than 5" or so. Remember, I took out a whole salad plate worth and it made no difference. If I still have the picture, I will post it.
 
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