This was my very first “getting my hands dirty” with no one to hold my hand, really exciting...
I’m chasing a coolant drip. Doesn’t drip on short runs when the engine remains cold. Engine does not overheat (for now?), but leak starts once engine is warm and, I think, it’s accompanied by a peculiar whining/humming sound, something between a jet plane winding down and a mosquito (how vague is that description?!?!). The whine occurs only when you get off the gas pedal and, I think, at lower speed, like slowing down before an intersection, for example. Frankly, I don’t know if this whine was there before the leak, so it could obviously be something unrelated (another project maybe, yay...)
Back to the leak. It doesn’t seem to go on for much longer once I park. It comes down through the front skid plate. You can’t see it from above (I looked everywhere, including below the fan). I haven't lost a lot of coolant, only topped the plastic tank once and now it stays at almost the same level, but I haven’t driven much either.
So, I warmed up the engine (heard the whining sound) removed the front skid plate and saw it coming along the edge of the fan shroud, where it meets with the radiator. It also came down under the lower radiator hose, but the hose and clamp look fine otherwise, so me thinks it’s coming from above the hose, like the rest of it.
I loosened the three (or the four) bolts on the driver side of the fan shroud and, while under the truck, pushed the shroud slightly away from the radiator. It seemed that the leek is somewhere behind the shroud, as I look from down below, along the edge where it meets the radiator.
Question 1: So, this looks like the radiator is leaking somewhere down there, right? I can’t see anything green under the fan from above though. Is this a common problem, I couldn’t find anything in the forums.
Almost forgot, here’s the last piece of the puzzle. I put my finger in the coolant below the radiator cap and I discovered this substance that looks like paste made out of beige/grayish chalk like material. Then I notices that the same substance, but this time hardened, was all along the edge between the fan shroud and the radiator, down below, exactly where the leak was coming out of.
Question 2: Is this some Stop Leak substance? I also then noticed that the bottom of the radiator has green stains that could be rather old, but I’m not sure. My logic being that if the PO put a Stop Leak this is not a new but a reoccurring problem. The lower edge of the fan shroud was also rusted, with thin sheets separating and coolant caught between them.
So here are the last questions (and do I have questions?):
Question 3: How likely is a radiator leak in this (lower) area repairable?
Question 4: I know that Stop Leak is not the preferred solution by many, but assuming it was done already by the PO, will using more of it make any difference, in terms of potential damage, at this point (my gut feeling being that adding more Stop Leak means more chances for it clogging the wrong spots).
Question 5: What kind/brand of Stop Leak do you think that is, having in mind the description above. Guessing I should put the same kind, if I go this rout.
Question 6: With a leak like that, can I just keep toping off with water or 50/50 until I get myself to attempt a more thorough solution (i.e., radiator repair/replacement).
Thanks much for reading all of this and sorry for the long post, I’m just a noob trying to be thorough...
I’m chasing a coolant drip. Doesn’t drip on short runs when the engine remains cold. Engine does not overheat (for now?), but leak starts once engine is warm and, I think, it’s accompanied by a peculiar whining/humming sound, something between a jet plane winding down and a mosquito (how vague is that description?!?!). The whine occurs only when you get off the gas pedal and, I think, at lower speed, like slowing down before an intersection, for example. Frankly, I don’t know if this whine was there before the leak, so it could obviously be something unrelated (another project maybe, yay...)
Back to the leak. It doesn’t seem to go on for much longer once I park. It comes down through the front skid plate. You can’t see it from above (I looked everywhere, including below the fan). I haven't lost a lot of coolant, only topped the plastic tank once and now it stays at almost the same level, but I haven’t driven much either.
So, I warmed up the engine (heard the whining sound) removed the front skid plate and saw it coming along the edge of the fan shroud, where it meets with the radiator. It also came down under the lower radiator hose, but the hose and clamp look fine otherwise, so me thinks it’s coming from above the hose, like the rest of it.
I loosened the three (or the four) bolts on the driver side of the fan shroud and, while under the truck, pushed the shroud slightly away from the radiator. It seemed that the leek is somewhere behind the shroud, as I look from down below, along the edge where it meets the radiator.
Question 1: So, this looks like the radiator is leaking somewhere down there, right? I can’t see anything green under the fan from above though. Is this a common problem, I couldn’t find anything in the forums.
Almost forgot, here’s the last piece of the puzzle. I put my finger in the coolant below the radiator cap and I discovered this substance that looks like paste made out of beige/grayish chalk like material. Then I notices that the same substance, but this time hardened, was all along the edge between the fan shroud and the radiator, down below, exactly where the leak was coming out of.
Question 2: Is this some Stop Leak substance? I also then noticed that the bottom of the radiator has green stains that could be rather old, but I’m not sure. My logic being that if the PO put a Stop Leak this is not a new but a reoccurring problem. The lower edge of the fan shroud was also rusted, with thin sheets separating and coolant caught between them.
So here are the last questions (and do I have questions?):
Question 3: How likely is a radiator leak in this (lower) area repairable?
Question 4: I know that Stop Leak is not the preferred solution by many, but assuming it was done already by the PO, will using more of it make any difference, in terms of potential damage, at this point (my gut feeling being that adding more Stop Leak means more chances for it clogging the wrong spots).
Question 5: What kind/brand of Stop Leak do you think that is, having in mind the description above. Guessing I should put the same kind, if I go this rout.
Question 6: With a leak like that, can I just keep toping off with water or 50/50 until I get myself to attempt a more thorough solution (i.e., radiator repair/replacement).
Thanks much for reading all of this and sorry for the long post, I’m just a noob trying to be thorough...
