Coolant Leak

superchicken94

Registered User
I have coolant leak on my 94 SC. I am not sure yet where it is coming from, front of engine, not thermostat housing but close somewhere. The water pump does NOT make noise. I am thinking pump gasket or timing chain gasket.
Question, if I get in there and discover it is the intake manifold, should I do the head gaskets at the same time? Car has 113K and runs great. No indication of blown head gasket. Car also has small oil leak in same area. Too much stuff in way to see where it is coming from. No coolant in oil or oil in coolant.
Any clues or advice?
Larry
 
My guess is the timing cover

If the head gaskets have never been changed than go for it. It's not a hard job but it'll take the better part of your weekend.
 
Oil and coolant leak could defiately be the intake gasket. And even though its not a head gasket failure, there will still be coolant leaking into you oil at your lifters. My car had a small leak in the intake gasket. The guy i bought it off said it lost a half gallon every couple hundred miles. By the time i got the car it all but rusted through one of the intake bolts. And after the t-stat opened it would drip coolant into the oil and #4 cylinder. Pretty nasty stuff. If you do not plan on doin the heads then clean the engine where the intake meets the heads. Clean the rocker covers as well. As soon as you pop the intake off, all that crap will fall into your heads.
 
I am pretty sure it is not the radiator as the drip is always back under the the timing cover. Usually not more than a tablespoon or two and not every time it is driven. Also pretty sure it is not the intake as there is no water in the oil.
I will start taking parts off tomorrow and be able to tell for sure. The oil leak is one drop coming off the crossmember every time the car is parked overnight. I never have to add oil between 3000 mile changes, not even low on dipstick.
 
Intake manifold help

OK guys, I started taking off parts and the intake is the culprit. I have been looking at that manifold, blower, intercooler tubes, etc. I have some questions.
1. Does the blower come off by itself or with the intake manifold?
2. How do you get at that nut on stud at the bottom of the driver side accessory bracket?
3. What kind, brand of gaskets do you like. This engine has never been apart. I don't know yet if I will do the head gaskets as I don't believe them to be bad.
But, having the engine this far apart and Not doing it would really pizz me off if they blew right after I got it together.
 
The blower comes off without the manifold.

You need to remove the powersteering pulley to reach the bolt you talk about on the accessory bracket.

Felpro will work just fine, can be found over at rockauto, supercoupe performance or ask XR7 Dave.
 
OK, I have to go buy a PS pump puller, need one anyway.
If the blower comes off first, does the waste gate and throttle body come off with the blower? Does the lower IC tube have to come off or just loose?
Ford sure put a lot of bolts in hard to get at places. I guess if it was easy, anyone could do it. Glad to have your help.
 
OK, I have to go buy a PS pump puller, need one anyway.
If the blower comes off first, does the waste gate and throttle body come off with the blower? Does the lower IC tube have to come off or just loose?
Ford sure put a lot of bolts in hard to get at places. I guess if it was easy, anyone could do it. Glad to have your help.


The bypass valve comes with the supercharger. The lower intercooler tube is bolted to the accessory bracket so you'll need to at least remove that bolt. If you do a head job than yea you'll want to remove it for sure.
 
Heres what i do. Remove the intake, throttle body, cowl, egr valve. Label and disconnect vaccuum lines. remove the intercooler. Remove the top ic tube- 4 bolts on the top of the sc and 1 nut under the alternator. Remove the accessory belt. Remove the power steering pulley. Remove the nuts holding the lower ic tube and the ic tube. Remove the sc belt. Remove 3 bolts on the sc. Remove the sc and plenum. Disconnect fuel rail. Remove bolts holding the fuel rail and fuel pressure regulator. Pop out the injectors and rail as a unit. Remove the sc pipe off the intake manifold. Make sure you drain the coolant and hand turn the water pump. Also clean up the top as stated before. Remove the t-stat housing. Remove the intake manifold. You'll have 2 intake gaskets and 2 rubber oil seals. My felpro kit came with intake gaskets, oil seals, ic o-rings, tb gasket, iac gasket
 
You need to remove the powersteering pulley to reach the bolt you talk about on the accessory bracket.

No you don't, it might make it a little easier to get to but not absolutely neccessary. The right combination of socket, swivel and extension it can be done. I removed the black power steering support bracket as has many others on this site, it's not needed. If you plan on that then go ahead and remove the pulley and unbolt it.........throw it as far away as you can.
 
Heres what i do. Remove the intake, throttle body, cowl, egr valve. Label and disconnect vaccuum lines. remove the intercooler. Remove the top ic tube- 4 bolts on the top of the sc and 1 nut under the alternator. Remove the accessory belt. Remove the power steering pulley. Remove the nuts holding the lower ic tube and the ic tube. Remove the sc belt. Remove 3 bolts on the sc. Remove the sc and plenum. Disconnect fuel rail. Remove bolts holding the fuel rail and fuel pressure regulator. Pop out the injectors and rail as a unit. Remove the sc pipe off the intake manifold. Make sure you drain the coolant and hand turn the water pump. Also clean up the top as stated before. Remove the t-stat housing. Remove the intake manifold. You'll have 2 intake gaskets and 2 rubber oil seals. My felpro kit came with intake gaskets, oil seals, ic o-rings, tb gasket, iac gasket

Do you know what the part # is for the gasket kit? I bought a FELPRO FEL MS94045, got home unpacked it, looks to be for a standard 3.8 No intercooler o-rings, no intake air gasket. Are the intake gaskets and end rubber seals the same or not? It does have 6 little o-rings, I assumed they were for the fuel injectors. They are pretty small, look like the fuel rail to injector, NOT injector to head. Can you just pop the rail off the injectors and leave them in the head? What is easiest and will I need new o-rings for the injectors? Also having trouble disconnecting the fuel lines to the rails. I popped the retaining clip but they did not pull apart, I did not want to break anything.
Thanks
Larry
 
Do you know what the part # is for the gasket kit? I bought a FELPRO FEL MS94045, got home unpacked it, looks to be for a standard 3.8 No intercooler o-rings, no intake air gasket. Are the intake gaskets and end rubber seals the same or not? It does have 6 little o-rings, I assumed they were for the fuel injectors. They are pretty small, look like the fuel rail to injector, NOT injector to head. Can you just pop the rail off the injectors and leave them in the head? What is easiest and will I need new o-rings for the injectors? Also having trouble disconnecting the fuel lines to the rails. I popped the retaining clip but they did not pull apart, I did not want to break anything.
Thanks
Larry

HS9642PT-1 should be the one
 
You need the right fuel line disconnect tool. I got a kit and am not real sure what size tool it is. Anyway, the retaining clips dont hold it together. I remove my injectors with the fuel rail so i didnt hit 1 with the intake. Definately replace the o-rings. And clean out the injector ports. Pipe cleaners and carb cleaner work great
 
OK, the gasket set will be here tomorrow. The manifold bolts were a bitxh to get out, especially the ends. I had to work them out a little at a time for fear of breaking one. I have researched this forum for bolt torque spec and sealing of threads. Some say use RTV, some say no RTV use high temp sealer?? Is this like permatex #2?

The bolt torque spec is also confusing. Spec 11 ft/lbs? or one said spec for 94 was 13 ft/lbs then 18 ft/lbs in two steps. That seems more reasonable. It probably took 45 ft/lbs to get them out due to the sealer and crud on the end bolts.

I also put in new plugs and wire and wouldn't you know, I am now not sure of the order on the DIS. Found a picture once but now cannot find it again.

How do you guys reseal the IC tubes?

Thanks
Larry
 
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