You can save on costly repairs by repairing coolant leaks yourself.
A vehivle engine requires complete coolant circulating wrapped up the radiator, hoses and block passages in trail to grip the engine within ordinary operating temperature. Due to the broad unit of Trimmings, seams and seals in the saturate cooling manner, the odds are giant of your machine eventually springing a leak. Finding and repairing some or all of the leak points can seem daunting. Even the vehicle owner can narrow down precise leak points and perform the repairs himself, using some basic steps and incomplex ability tools.
Instructions
1. Close the engine up to acknowledged operating temperature and shut it off. Uplift the hood. Disconnect the abrogating battery cable. Lift the front half of the vehicle with a floor jack and abode two jack stands under the frame near Everyone turn. Lift the rear of the vehicle and dwelling two jack stands under the frame near Everyone spin. Cast for any green-colored coolant puddles on the floor, then hint the leak upward for its source.
If leakage occurs here, you will need to replace the water pump assembly, using a socket and wrench.6. Examine the radiator bottom and side tanks for leakage at the seams. If found, the seams will have to be welded shut by a radiator shop.
3. Scrub the neck Trimmings with a wire brush, removing all rust and scale. Interchange any radiator hose that break through cracked, collapsed or swollen with the exactly replacement hose. Alternate stripped or rusted hose clamps. Employment a slot screwdriver to secure the clamps in settle.
4. Peep the heater hoses at the water pump and heater core in the identical fashion. Bag a shop glassy to gaze under the sprint and gaze the heater hose connexion at the heater core. Disinfected the Trimmings with a wire brush and tighten the Trimmings with a screwdriver. Alter any damaged clamps or wick hoses. Provided the heater core container fins leak, you Testament accept to remove and alternate the heater core. Check the heater core shut-off valve for minor leaks. Replace the valve if the top valve seal leaks.
5. Examine the water pump gasket and shaft bearing weep hole. If the gasket shows leakage, try tightening the water pump mounting bolts with a socket and wrench. If the leak persists you need to remove the water pump and replace the gasket. Look under the water pump shaft for the small weep hole, which contains a seal inside the pump.2. See the upper and lower radiator hoses where they connect between the radiator and the the thermostat neck and the baptize pump neck. The hose ends should be securely fitted with hose clamps, with no coolant leaking from any connexion. Loosen the hose clamps with a screwdriver and pull the hoses free of charge.
Look for pinhole leaks in the fin cores. Any leak in the fin cores will have to be soldered or welded by a professional.
7. Look at the thermostat on the intake manifold for leaks around its gasket. If a leak appears, use a socket and wrench to remove the thermostat housing bolts. Use penetrating oil on stuck bolts. Use a gasket scraper and wire brush to clean both mounting surfaces. Insert a new gasket and set the thermostat housing in place. Insert the bolts and tighten them with a socket and wrench.
8. Refer to your owner's repair manual for the location of the engine block freeze plugs on your vehicle. Slide under the vehicle with a shop light and look for the freeze plug mounted in the side of the engine block. A leaking freeze plug must be replaced with a new one.
9. Use a drift punch to place against the outside lip of the freeze plug and strike the punch with a hammer, forcing the freeze plug out. Clean the plug hole with a wire brush and rag. Insert a new freeze plug over the engine block hole and tap it in with a hammer until flush.
10. Twist the radiator cap off the fill neck. Inspect the inside copper gasket for rust and deterioration. Make sure the pressure relief valve on the cap functions properly, opening freely and closing in the lock position. Replace the cap if it does not form a tight seal and hold radiator pressure. Replace the cap with the proper pressure rating.
11. Place a can of Bar's Leaks in the radiator, according to directions. This sealant works well for minor leaks, especially on engine areas that contain metal to metal surfaces with gaskets. Run the engine for several hours to let the Bar's Leaks chemically react and seal the leaks.
12. Examine the mating surface between the intake manifold and engine block for any gasket leaks. Coolant will usually puddle in the valley pan. If the leak appears minor, torque the intake manifold bolts with a torque wrench, according to manufacturer's specifications. If the leak persists, you must pull the intake manifold off the engine and replace the gasket.
13. Examine the cylinder head, or heads in the case of a V6 or V8, for coolant leaks around the edges. Leaks in this location will appear as a steam or high-pressure spray. The best procedure for stopping a cylinder head leak involves removing the head and replacing the head gasket. Head gasket leaks often warp the cylinder head, so the head will have to be milled at a machine shop before re-installation.
14. Check the plastic overflow tank for leaks at the hose fitting and the plastic seams. If the tank has a cracked seam which leaks coolant, remove the mounting bracket bolts with a socket and pull the tank off. You can repair small cracks in the plastic with plastic adhesive and a small patch. For very large holes that cannot be patched, purchase a new aftermarket tank and install it.
