99 Taurus Wagon Duratec coolant leak

[zorobabel]

This has been one of those days...
First I realize that there's something horribly wrong with my DSLR and it's out of warranty. Then I go down with my bike.
And when I get home, I see a small pond arround the Taurus (driven by my wife). Apparently the leak occured close to home, and thanks God for that, or my wife would have driven it until the engine would stall.

I've identified the source of the leak. See these photos please:

hose location:
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=IMG_0331.jpg

worrying T joint (not that visible):
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=IMG_0337.jpg

leak:
http://s295.photobucket.com/albums/m...t=IMG_0341.jpg

I've drained most of the cooling fluid - though the leak (or should I say hole?). I'm amazed of how that rubbing happened, those parts are hardly in motion. Only the hose could move as the pressure would build up when starting the car - I think.
Please help me with cheap solutions on fixing it. I don't want to go to a mechanic just yet.
Has anyone changed that hose? I'm scared that I might have to change the whole T joint assembly. Could only that hose be changed? Do you have any part numbers? Is there more to removing that plastic ( to gain acces) than it looks? Any special tools?

I thank you in advance for your help!

[tripletdaddy]

I tried figuring out what you have and what to replace it with through Autozone.com, and they weren't as helpful as I wish they were, but if it is reasonably doable, I'd just replace it. Based on the info I could get of the hoses they have available, it is very possible you have separate hoses going to the T. Give AZ a call, they should be able to give you more info if you can't get it here. What size is your engine? That didn't appear to be a typical hose. Does that connect to an oil cooler? Where does it go? The plastic air dam near it should just come off with screws I thought, possibly some plastic push in trim connectors that can be removed with a trim tool or screwdriver and pliers, but may need replacement.

If you don't want to replace the whole hose, would it be possible to cut your hose at the point of the leak and insert a barbed hose connector and hose clamps? I don't like plastic connectors, but metal is better, brass is best. Be sure to remove all of the damged hose and if necessary, you can splice in either a piece of metal tubing or pipe or heater hose possibly from the clamp I see in your pic to a splice at the leak. I'm not familiar with your year, so I'm not with the T-hose either. I couldn't tell much about the T in the pic. Is it all one piece or can it either come apart or you can splice into it for your repair? You probably also want to insulate your new installation so that future rubbing doesn't occur. The engine and transmission shake, shift and vibrate causing the hoses to rub on the frame. All of this may be stop gap if you suspect your hose has a short life left. If so, then don't set yourself up for a future disaster with much worse consequences, and just go ahead and replace it. If that three legged monster has to be replaced as a single unit that makes it even worse expecting the full replacement to be annoying and time consuming as it appears to be in a lousy, tight and cramped location. Sorry.

[zorobabel]

Wow thanks, I really like the connector idea, it seems the most simple way. The only problem would be with the hose being bent in that area. Will look into it!
Thanks!

[zorobabel]

Ok, I think I kind of fixed it. Autozone wanted me to take the whole hose to them after I told them that their database is wrong. I believe the hose is called lower radiator hose, and it's a "three legged beast" not just a straight hose like they said. I was unable to take one end of the hose out, so I ended up buying a 3/4" plastic fitting. I couldn't get a brass fitting, and I barely found this one too. I hope is doesn't melt . With the hose "reconditioned" I called a friend and set out to buy coolant - ESE-M97B44-A.

The last thing I expected was not finding the right coolant.
Walmart and Autozone had that Dex-Cool (WSS-M97B44-D forbidden by the manual), had some Pennzoil stuff that didn't mention the Ford standard, only some other standards that I don't recall, same for supertech stuff.
There was another cheap brand, kind of no-name, that mentioned both ESE-M97B44-A and WSS-M97B44-D. But I didn't buy it because the manual says "Do not use a Dex-cool engine coolant or an equivalent engine coolant that meets Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D".

Now I ask you, what engine coolant do you use in your 96-99 tauri ? And where do you buy it?
And another one: how bad would it be to just fill up the coolant system with new one without flushing it? I think most of it is drained, but I'm sure there's more somewhere...

Thanks!

[tripletdaddy]

Originally Posted by zorobabel

Now I ask you, what engine coolant do you use in your 96-99 tauri ? And where do you buy it?
And another one: how bad would it be to just fill up the coolant system with new one without flushing it? I think most of it is drained, but I'm sure there's more somewhere...

Well, I feel your pain. It is a bit of a catch 22 and a conundrum all rolled up into one. Thanks Ford!?! I like to research my answers, but I'm tired so, I will suggest you use the Ford search for the antifreeze using the Ford part number and other trademark names to help narrow down your search. I know I have read this pita issue, but not sure which forum, with my first guess for the windstar and then here. I vaguely recall that Zerex still has the old green stuff. I think a formulation has been made that trully is a safe replacement that will meet all specs. Originally, I think the new stuff wasn't compatible with the engine innerds. That stuff was discussed in the thread I recall. Unfortunately, it seemed that conflicting info was given until someone tried to finalize it all. I want to say it was in the Windstar forum and the poster is Wiswind who dealt with the issue.

On flushing, I think some of it I have observed it to be personal preference but also dependent on the condition of the system. If it's been 3 years since the last flush, then since you're drained and willing, do it. If you feel the sytem has a lot of buildup like soap scum or powdery stuff, then it's overdue. Several recommend getting the splice in kit that I've seen by prestone that allows you to flush out the system with a garden hose to get all the old out and hopefully also flush out any loose debris. It would be recommended to use a chemical cleaner. I tend to like the kind you need to leave in awhile, but in a pinch, the light duty in and out I guess is good. To get most of the coolant or water out, disconnect lower rad hose, upper at thermostat, heater hose and blow out, not worth getting the stuff trapped in block. Depending on how well you drain it, you may want to put straight coolant in for the first half of the system capacity, and then add distilled water. I do this because when you water flush the system, the trapped water that can't be drained out will dilute whatever you put in. So if you put in the recommended 50/50, it won't stay that when it mixes with the trapped water. Clearly, you want to put 50/50 in the overflow reservoir, but if you know that you have much more coolant than water, I will just top off the reservoir with distilled water as the system burps out any trapped air. I also like going higher with the antifreeze so in a jam, I can add water and not worry at all about the coolant being too dilute.

From what I could figure out in your pix, the leaking hose didn't look big enough to be the lower rad hose, but maybe tees into it. What I saw in the foreground has it with a hose clamp connecting to a hose with a metal crimped end. Typically they don't exceed 3/4" ID leading me to believe it is something else. It doesn't look big enough and it's in the wrong place to be a lower rad hose. They NEVER cross the front just behind the air dam. It's got to be something else like, oil cooler line, bypass or heater retrun lines, or something else. You will have to trace that hose from the T to its origin to be able to id it. If it goes to where the upper radiator hose connects to the top of the engine, or the back of the engine, then it would be a bypass hose. Typically, the heater core hose comes from the same part of the back of the engine, also tied into the lower intake manifold, goes to and from the heater core through the firewall, and returns to the water pump, all along the firewall, but your mystery hose could be the return line from the heater. Good luck!

I found this sticky in the Windstar Forum that addresses what you are talking about some, but you will have figure out what applies to you as I haven't tried to deal with this on my 95 and older vehicles.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=672854