95 3.8 Windstar coolant leak *help*

[Bluntz|]

I will be as detailed as possible as i sit here wondering if i should cuss ford or wether i failed my mission.
The van blew a serpentine belt, the cause of that was a water pump pulley that seized up, melted belt and it broke.
Im deep into this mission, i changed a water pump on a taurus and it was a sinch so i went into this not cocky but thinking it shouldnt be to difficult a job. Boy was i wrong!
So, not mentioning the new learning process of having to raise the motor and what not, here is where i stand, i changed the water pump, when i went to fill it up (the radiator) i was immediately discouraged as water went in the top and out the bottom, not direct flow but it was definately noticably leaking bad. and i hadnt even turned the van on yet. So immediately i was suspect of water pump gasket, and i did the job over using precise detail to ensure that the gasket was on correctly, and i even went over all the bolts again after i was done to ensure everything was tight.

It is still leaking. Right now i have nothing but straight water in the radiator, the thermostat is definately bad so my next options are this, im gonna put correct anti freeze in, im gonna throw some bars leaks in, and i am gonna change the thermostat.

I dont have a lot of hope for this. If any of you guys can point me in the right direction i would appreciate it. or just give me some pointers.

Thanks in advance.

[wiswind]

I guess I would try to find out where the water is leaking from......kinda hard to know what to say, when one does not know this.

It can be pretty tough finding the source of a leak....but give it a try....

[Bluntz|]

As of right now it looks like a bolt is leaking, so i will get a torque wrench tomorrow and test the bolts.
Do any of you know if the bolts need to be coated with some sealant material or anything? If so all or only a few?
Thx for the responses.

[mdmears]

My 96 3.8L had a major coolent leak. A trickle of water was coming from the front of the motor. I thought it was the water pump but I also learned that it might be the timeing cover casket ( an even more major repair task). As a last resort I put in A bottle of bars leak, the stuff with aluminum in it, after two days still leaking, but the next day, no more leaks !
It has now been three months without a leak of any kind.

[Bluntz|]

Well guys im at the end of my rope.
The situation is still severe. As of now i went to change the thermostat, well the bolt came out hard and almost stripped towards the end of it.
So, thinking i am doing the right thing i get a nice shiny new bolt, slap her in, about 3/4'z of the way i am meeting resistance, and i am using a torque wrench set at 70 or 80 pounds i believe. well the next thing you know it snapped.
Guys this mission is overcoming me.
I cant pay to have this done no more on principle.
I need to accomplish this on my own, the bolts all the way around the water pump are tight as they need to be. there is still alot of water coming out, almost as if there is a bolt missing but this is impossible as i checked the old and new pump and am 100% certain all the bolts are on.
So today i do this,
-Tap out the broke bolt from the thermostat
-replace fix and seal thermostat and housing
-pull the bottom hose off the water pump and reseal it with gasket juice


Does anyone else have any other recomendations?

[Bluntz|]

As i read my post i forgot to mention i have a leak under the water pump somewhere _*That i cannot see*_ and that is the cause of most of my agony.
I bought a mirror and will try to find what i can but so far it is a no visibility situation.

[CoachKarl]

Hello Bluntz,

Have you used the "Search this forum" box yet? My story about a coolant leak should come up front center. I did fix it myself. I did it in my garage. It put the van out of action for two weeks, and it cost me $400.00. How bad did things get when you blew the serpentine belt? Heat wise, I mean? If your engine superheated, (Temp gauge maxed), you've probably warped a head. This can be fixed by removing the offending head, taking it to a head shop for a complete overhaul ($135.00 / head) and reinstalling with the new "more better" felpro mls headgasket kit. Now this is no walk in a park, but, it can be done by you, in your garage. If your game.

First, FIND THAT LEAK! I diagnosed my headgasket problem by traced my leak to the block/head connection by following a white residue trail from the drip point to the front side of cyl #4. The headgasket had failed because the head warped due to excessive heat. (Caused by my bypass hose failing).

Karl

[yotermanic]

Sounds like a front cover, they're pretty common, especially on the 95s. Also, on the t-stat, for future refrence pretty tight is good enough, but if you must use a torque wrench 15-20lbs is probably about right, not 70-80. I'd take the front cover to a shop 'cause it's a pain and the studs like to break. Good luck.

[CoachKarl]

also . . .
pay particular attention to the INCH lbs.

12 Oz put me onto the fact that Haynes lists inch pounds next to foot pounds. My best guess (and 12 oz) is that 1 FOOT lb = 12 INCH lb.

Karl