I've had a slow coolant leak increasing over the last month or 2 and finally got around to pulling the skids to take a look. Looks to be the bottom coolant hose on the oil cooler. No biggie. The OEM and after market replacements replace the entire lower rad hose that include these two oil cooler hoses as a single p/n but is there any reason I couldn't just snip an inch off and button it up and pocket $100? Looks like the original clamp has been replaced with a worm clamp and torqued down with an impact.

I guess I can try to clamp the hose if I snip it and refit but if I replace the entire hose based on the location I assume I'm going to dump basically all my coolant and I'd like to recover it so I'll use a big bucket. Also, I've never done what is effectively a flush like this so what is the refill/burp procedure? I've read about filling up the hoses directly if possible which should be manageable at the top of the rad for at least this hose.

 

you prolly want to replace that whole hose section mainly because the plastic T sections in the middle are more likely to break then the hose itself.

 

turns out it's leaking from somewhere higher up. I cut off 1" and re-clamped it and there's no difference so I looked higher up and it's wet up there. I can't see anything wet higher than the interface between the oil cooler and the block, but I can't get a great look at the water pump even with the top of the rad shroud off. Seems like there's a bunch of posts with similar leaks and some end up being the water pump. Does anyone know if the "figure 8" gasket in the diagram attached is an oil or a coolant connection? If it's coolant, that could be a source of the leak but it seems like it would be oil going into the block.

 

That gasket is oil, I have replaced them and they are cheap, OEM is like $15 or less. If you are working on things, its a good idea just to do it.

 

thanks and will do. But the immediate problem is the coolant leak. Any idea what would be dripping down here? Is it likely all the way up at the water pump or could it be something else? I wouldn't think it would be the fin part of the cooler since it's downstream of this.

 

Remove the fan and look. Could be water pump, crossover coolant t-stat housing assembly or even that annoying coolant line behind the pump/under the intake manifold.

 

can't get the fan off. Soaked it in PB Blaster and have the 36mm wrench and water pump holder from autozone. Tried leverage and BFH blows and only have a busted nipple on the tstat housing to show for it. Turning the fan nut CW/right when facing it. Gonna try propane tomorrow, but any other suggestions? It's not rusted, at least not anywhere I can see.

Very unfortunately I don't have an air hammer or the tools for that--that looks to be the easy way out.

 

Sometimes they are just on really tight. I have not had an issue with one, yet..... I you really can not remove it, then you just have to work around it to really locate that leak. But if you have to remove the pump, it needs to come off anyway to get in there.

 

I returned the tools to autozone and ordered the kind that is basically a bar to hold the pulley bolt from Amazon. The AZ tool is the type that clamps by hand and has a very cheap ratchet mechanism to hold and it was very precarious and kept slipping. I’m hoping the other style makes this a bit easier. Truck stays out in the cold, and I think that might make things worse as well. Definitely will when that thing finally gives up!

I put an inspection camera down there as well as I could and it’s pretty wet around the pump in general. Looks to be a big-*** paper gasket as well so clearly aftermarket and maybe it’s just degraded. I have the AC Delco replacement in hand so hopefully it’ll go quickly once I get the tool.

 

I paid an indie a half hour to bust the nut loose. Drove it home and it tightened up again, but this time my Hello Kitty Fan Clutch Wrench from Amazon could pop it off. Got access to everything and found the water pump seeping. Good news, finally. Had already gotten the AC Delco unit so threw it in and buttoned it up and no more leak. Did overheat at first but I think I got the big burp and now have heat and a stable temp. These things always seem to put up a good fight when bleeding the cooling system.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice.