Coolant leaking. Funny story.

So I got this Blazer real cheap. From the outside looks almost perfect. Inside even better. Runs like a top. Or so I thought. One day park it step out of it and coolant is pouring out from bottom . Spend weeks with everybody I can find to try and find where leak is. No such luck. Frustrated I buy that sealant yuo have to drain the radiator. fill with sealant and water. then let it run for 1 1/2 hours . Then drain and fill. Result No leak. For about a week. then slow drips and gradualy pouring out again from top to bottom i went over every hose . nothing. So I fill overflow. Then take out therostat. fill radiator and engine . Let it run for an hour. under all the pressure water starts spraying out of the leaky hose. it was the return from the heater in to the engine. Replaced it for $23 No leaks. let it run for an hoyr stayed at 160 dagrees. Color me Happy. All the BS i went through to find the leak, the first 100 times. took about an hour to take off. run to advance auto and return and replace. Oh and those squeeze clamps SUCK!!!! Ended up buying the screw driver ones Made life 100% easier.

Just to let you know, don't EVER use that leak seal stuff again.

It will plug up the pasages where the coolant is supposed to go.

Does more harm than good.

That is a funny story. :rofl:

Good job on finding that pesky leak.

The one that will have you farting kittens is when the lower intake lets go. I had my radiator hoses and the lower intake all break loose at the same time, then a week later, my water pump, radiator and both upper and lower hoses decide they wanted a better life in the scrap yard. Glad to know you got it fixed though, and pray that you never get deeper than your knees into these trucks. They are made like watches - many small, tiny parts overlapping others - and then some pretty big ones too that have to be moved before you can do much of anything else. And agreed - those pressure clamps are more painful than an abcess to deal with. I got me some screw-type stainless bands and never looked back.

Oh, and BLT is on the money again. As soon as you can, perfrom a radiator/coolant flush and remove the block plugs to let everything drain out. Put them back in after giving them 3 turns of fresh, new teflon tape so they seal again. Refill with fresh 50/50 mix of coolant to water after the flush water comes out clear. Stop leak has a nasty habit of collecting in tight places inside the block, seals and the heater core leading to more trouble than it's worth. Though I had *one* GM dealership mention stop leak to be added as part of regular maintainence - just about every one I asked after him and three garages winced and said "Heck no. Don't do it." One went as far as explaining why, and one of the reasons being that stop leak likes to eat plastic seals which hold the intake and other internal seals together. So get your baby cleaned out ASAP and you should be just fine.

If you plan to use your heat in the winter never use stop-leak. It blocks the heater core. Get that cooling system flushed as soon as possible

If you plan to use your heat in the winter never use stop-leak. It blocks the heater core. Get that cooling system flushed as soon as possible

I agree.

Wow I had no Idea. But it actually makes sense. Ill clean the system out ASAP. Now im so paranoid. im gonna go down and do it right now. thanx guys.