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  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

Heat Exchanger Leak? Need some help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike92GT
  • Start date Start date Feb 15, 2006
M

Mike92GT

Founding Member
Jan 23, 2002
583
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0
Florida
Feb 15, 2006
#1
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #1
I'm more of a pushrod guy, but I'm helping a buddy with his car. He has a '04 GT that he put a built 32V motor into. It also has an Eaton set-up off an 03-04 Cobra. Lately he's been smelling coolant, but can't seem to find a leak. Today I was looking at it and noticed that there was no water in the heat exchanger tank. After filling it, we fired it up, and after about a minute it started running rough and blowing white smoke out of the tailpipes. I'm guessing that the heat exchanger is leaking coolant into the lower manifold? Has this ever happened to anyone? I think we're gonna pull the blower off tonight and see how it looks.
 
M

Mod Man

New Member
Mar 10, 2004
77
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0
Feb 15, 2006
#2
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #2
I havent heard of that happening yet. But it is possibly. If it is give me a shout tomorrow at the shop. I might have a 1 or 2 laying around that i can get rid of cheap...Hope that it isn't that though.
 
M

Mike92GT

Founding Member
Jan 23, 2002
583
0
0
Florida
Feb 15, 2006
#3
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #3
Well I got the intake / blower off. I don't see any obvious signs of leaks from the heat exchanger itself. There are two metal tubes with O-rings on each end that connect the heat exc. to the water neck, and they run through the lower intake. It appears that it was the o-rings that were leaking. We're gonna replace them and see what happens. Thanks
 

Gearbanger 101

Straight Outta Locash
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 10, 2002
9,457
1,377
234
Ontario, Canada
Feb 15, 2006
#4
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #4
If it's not the O-rings, have you guys ever considered a bad head gasket? What's the oil look like? Have you done a compression test? Any bubbles in the radiator?
 
M

Mike92GT

Founding Member
Jan 23, 2002
583
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0
Florida
Feb 15, 2006
#5
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #5
I'm pretty sure it has to do with the heat exchanger. It didn't start running bad and blowing smoke until I filled up the empty heat enchanger tank, which is seperate from the engine coolant. The oil looks good. I'm hoping to have it fixed by tomorrow, I'll keep you posted.
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Feb 15, 2006
#6
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #6
mike sounds like the heat exchanger to me. like mod man said i have yet to see one go. but your tell tail sign is the fact that it did not blow white smoke untill you filled the heat exchanger tank.
 
M

Mike92GT

Founding Member
Jan 23, 2002
583
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0
Florida
Feb 16, 2006
#7
  • Feb 16, 2006
  • #7
Just a quick update. We got everything back together and got it running. No more leaks and everything seems to be running good now. It turned out to just be the O-rings that connect the heat exchanger to the water neck. When removing the old ones they broke because they were so brittle...
 
0

03SteedaGT

New Member
Oct 27, 2003
82
0
0
Knoxville, TN
Feb 17, 2006
#8
  • Feb 17, 2006
  • #8
Yup the o-rings on the Z tubes need to be replaced anytime you pull them out. cheap insurance. glad you got it fixed
 
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