Engine Coolant leak from bell housing

TIGGER

Founding Member
Mar 6, 2000
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Portland, OR
Coolant light came on in my beater 96 GT. I guess it has been coming on for a couple weeks but the wife just let me know about it today:rolleyes:

Got home and let it run in the driveway for about 20 min. Looks like it is leaking from inside the bell housing. Is there a freeze plug in the back of the block? It does not look like it is coming from up top but I am not 100% sure. The rear of the intake on the driver side, like where the last bolt is, looks to be a little wet. Passenger side is dry but the bolt is missing :oops: But the intake is dry though. It’s been 15 years since I pulled the intake on my original 4.6. Is there something under the intake that can leak? I do not see anything seeping at the back on the engine so that is why I am thinking freeze plug. Any insight would be appreciated.
 
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There are two freeze plugs in the back of the block
They rarely leak
There is a coolant pipe under the intake from the waterpump that is a common leak
O ring into the rear of the pump housing
Coolant hose at the rear sometimes the tube itself rusts out
 
thanks I’ll take a closer look under the intake. I’ve only owned this particular car for a year. It has been 15 years since I replaced the intake on my first 96 and I have forgot all what was under it since I have not had to fool with one since.
 
Right. Quite reliable actually. Go to the wrecking yard and get some bolts. You should be able to find some good new looking ones easy. don't forget to get the tube if you can find a good one. I use clear silicone on the tube connection in addition to the o ring
 
Came home tonight and charged my bore scope and then went out and started the car. Under the intake looks wet but not super wet. Around the water pump looks dry but as you go back it gets wetter. I let the car idle for about 30 min and the stupid thing didn’t leak. No dripping like yesterday. Also I think that rear bolt from the intake that is missing is broken in the head. Stuck a small screwdriver in the hole and it goes about to the bottom of the intake and stops. I will play more with it tomorrow if it does not rain too much.
 
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Tooled the car around today and when I came home it was dripping. Took my bore scope and looked under the intake. What is there looks to be oil and not coolant to me. My scope is cheap so it hard to maneuver but the coolant tube looks dry
 
I would still assume that it is coolant leaking due to the coolant light that came on?
The aluminum piece in the front of the intake that holds the thermostat is a common leak point
The bolts come from underneath so you have to remove the manifold to get to the bolts
The plastic deteriorates and the manifold will likely need to be replaced
Jippo china manifold 109.00 on ebay
If the tube is dry it is the maniform or the gaskets
I rarely pressure test cooling systems as it can do damage
However if yours leaks you only need about 5psi to make it leak
Borrow (rent) one from checkerpepzone or use a rag and some compressed air and finesse
I replace about 3 of those manifolds a year and I usually order the Jippo
 
To verify what it is leaking
Wick it up into a clean white rag
Cram the rag down in there with a long screwdriver
Let it sit for long enough to wick most of it up
Do this several times
When you are done use some brakleen and do it some more
When it is spioffy clean then you are ready for the above pressure test
A mirror and a real good flashlight is what I use
You are just about to have some fun
 
Correct there is still a coolant leak that is dripping from the bell housing. What is currently under the intake manifold looks to be oil not coolant. And it is only towards the rear of the engine block. Up front by the water pump is dirty but dry and oil free. I will try your white rag trick and see what I find. I have a snap-on coolant pressure tester but I only have the adapters for a radiator. Nothing for the 4.6 coolant reservoir.
 
Well back to the two freeze plugs in the rear of the block
Pull any inspection plate it may have and if none pull the starter and get a mirror
Bottom of auto trans should have a big inspection hole?
Oh and a 96 GT should not be considered a beater
If you have coolant coming from the bellhousing area and the rear of the valley is dry
Pull the trans out after a thorough visual inspection
Thank god you did not pull the intake yet
 
Well this one had the drivers side creamed by a garbage truck when it was parked. Previous owner replaced the door, bumper, and fender but just beat out the 1/4 panel. But it’s a real bright tangerine GT coupe with a 5 spd and black leather. One of supposedly 139. It’s the brother to my Tigger car in my avatar. I had to do the brakes all around and rebuild the front end last month. Everything was worn out. And I hate the wheels.

I am in the middle of doing a water pump on my Escort GT. Once I’m done with that I will pull the brother in the garage and pull the starter and see if I can see something with my bore scope before I rip the transmission out.
 

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Sounds good
What year Escort?
Okay so it's kind of a rebuild (the mustang) You keeping the orange?
If you are good enough to replace the belt and pump on a 1.9 or 2.0 Escort
You are sure up to the mustang problem
I have never seen those freeze plugs leak at the rear of the block on a 4.6
However electrolysis can eat them up sometimes
GM had trouble with voltage in the coolant
So did 96 Taurus (rusted freeze plugs in 5-15k miles)
Electrolysis is serious business but fords usually are grounded well enough to have no trouble with that
Dodge Omni comes to mind with rear wheel bearing failure due to static electricity buildup
Fix was ground straps on the rear coil spring (struts) to the car body
Mustang Police cars used to have ground straps all over them
Lower arm to frame in the front, rear axle to frame and both motor mounts were grounded
There may be a few ground points on your Mustang in the area of that wreck damage
Go thru the grounds with the help of the EVTM for your Mustang showing the location of each
I found my EVTM for 89 Mustang
I will post a pic of the grounds page and look for a 96 one
 
It’s a 94 Escort GT so it has the 1.8. It’s probably the 5th time since new that I am doing the pump/ belt. Had it break once. Glad the 1.8 is not an interference motor.

Yes keeping this 96 orange. It was originally going to be something for me to drive to work that I didn’t care too much about. Was going to do the bare minimum to keep it going. I drove it for a few days after purchase. Left it home one day and the wife drove it and it was all over from there. I never got it back. Like me, she prefers 3 pedals and coupes. Her convertible, while it is a GT, it’s an auto. Now it’s basically my convertible as she has maybe driven it maybe 3 times this year.

The plan for the Brother is to keep it going till I get my Tigger car fixed. Once that is back on the road I will most likely sell the vert and start on the brothers cosmetics. I have a parts vert that I will donate the 1/4 panel. That will most likely be a while though as I’m always wrenching on other stuff instead of my Tigger car.

Again I appreciate you input on the electrolysis. I had to do the heater core on the vert in august. I bought the car with 67k. It now has 124k and much to my surprise the heater core had been replaced once before. Makes sense now since there was stuff loose and missing on the dash. Anyway. The heater core I took out was copper. The OEM motorcraft one I put in is aluminum. I read someone’s thread that they grounded their aluminum heater core to prevent electrolysis. I didn’t do it but I wonder if I should now?
 
Old cars had ground wires on the rear of the cowl at the heater core
66 T bird for example
At least the 1.8 is a bit easier
Proud of you
You would make it on the line
You need no help from me
Seeing as you are as good as you are
I will include a link when I get to my other computer
That talks in depth about electrolysis
A good read
Wives rule don't they
Mine drives my Benz
I would not worry about adding a strap at this point
Just check the voltage in the coolant once in a while
When it gets over .4 volts replace it as the additives used to control it are gone
 
Thanks I appreciate the comment. Been wrenching since I was 14 when my mom gave me her 67 Coupe(I still have it) I’m turning 50 on Friday:cautious: I’m pretty much self taught. I am by no means an expert but I have done my fair share of wrenching thru the years.

When I was in High school I wanted to be a mechanic. Then in shop class I went on an internship to a local Ford dealer for a semester. I learned quick that if I did it for work I wouldn’t wrench for fun anymore. I followed in the family business and got my engineering degree instead.

I pretty much fix all my cars. I fix my family’s cars. Lately it’s been one thing after the other for this or that. I’ve made tons of mistakes thru the years but I learned from them all. I’m all about finding root cause and actually trying to fix something instead of replacing it. Something my uncle Frank taught me. the newer cars with the electronics are proving to be more of a challenge.

You have taught me a couple things already I wouldn’t have thought about like checking the voltage in the coolant. I am going to try that on some of my cars and see what the difference is just for my own knowledge.
 
Tigger, I wish I knew more about engineering. My dad and brother are both aeronautical engineers. College showed me I was already doing what I wanted to do. So I went for fun and kept wrenching. That TFI tester I put on here on the unrelated tech thread was came up with by an asset student or his teacher. Engineering is one of the few better professions than mine. I have a friend who is a Dr. and one that is a lawyer. We joke that plumbing is above our pay grades, Back to your car. I would clean it the best you can in the rear of the valley with rags and long screwdrivers bent antennas. Then pour a little hot water in the rear of the valley. Watch it leak. See if it is the same leak. Borrow a pressure tester CheckerPepZone give it a few pumps. I dabble in plumbing when needed and have only called a pro once in 20 years. Inspect the rest of your freeze plugs. I think it might be a deteriorated plastic intake and the oil you see in the front may be on top of some coolant. I took auto body in college for a couple quarters. Bought rags and lead for cheap and the instructor gave me some 69 Mustang service manuals. I taught him and his friend how your car will run with the battery disconnected if the alternator is good. He was so happy he started giving me old stuff they needed rid of. My 2nd dad was a Dr. of education. He did not insist but sure did want me to get educated. So I am still doing it. Learning to sew now. I bought a good industrial machine tht will sew 3 belts thick of leather. I am going to sew up tuck and roll leather seats for my 56. BTW love the OR coast and Portland area. I live near SLC and will turn 62 soon. I too like the Tangerine
 
Electronics multiplexing is a hoot. Noticed only 3 wires into the master switch on a friends 2012 ram 1500. Joked with him how the BCM knows the difference between the signal wires strength et al. It's like plumbing, if there is poop coming or TP the controller knows it. Piss on em. With todays scan tools most big trouble ends up at the dealer. I have a 60 pin breakout box but no 105. Quit using it after I welded nails to my dvom and ground them down so I can back probe connectors when needed. I used to do some oscilloscope testing on early BMW fuelies. A guessing game indeed