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Radiater leak behind R Battery

br44

Member
43
0
6
Location
California
Hi guys.

Got myself a major Radiator leak behind my rear battery of all places. It looks like it is right behind the tray. Before I move the tray, what can I expect to find besides Black widow spiders? I need to get this thing rolling because I am moving soon. Any ideas?

Tom
 

rod

New member
165
2
0
Location
Alabama - The Heart of Dixie
Sounds like either a radiator hose going to the heater core or the heater core itself (although most of the time the heatercore will leak inside the passenger floorboard)

It might be where the hose is connected to the heatercore, check and tighten the clamps on the hoses.
 

DokWatson

New member
359
0
0
Location
Wasilla, Alaska
Borrow/rent a radiator pressure tester. I had a leak that wouldn't show up until 16PSI built up in the system. It blew back from the front of the radiator onto the firewall and looked like a heater core leak.
 

NICK_M1009

New member
138
0
0
Location
Brown City, Mi. (The Thumb)
There is three or four studs sticking out of the firewall. If you dont have time to fix it right loop the heater hose and eliminate the heater core for now. Or like stated above it might just be a hose.
 

br44

Member
43
0
6
Location
California
nopics


oh man I wish i had a camera!
From what I can tell, it is dripping from behind/below the battery tray at the perfect position for me to not be able to see it. I am really squeamish about sticking my hand back there because there is 2 or 3 Black widow egg sacs hanging right behind the battery. When the Truck is running it is dripping quickly. When the truck is off, It drips very slowly. I am pretty sure its not spraying from the radiator.


EDIT: Found a puddle on the passenger floor... Heater core huh?
so now what... New heater core or can I salvage it?
 
Last edited:

ralbelt

Active member
1,056
9
38
Location
West Warwick, R.I.
For a quick cheap fix get a 3/4 to 5/8 hose connector and connect the two heater hoses together. Cost about $1.00 and 10 min. time. Got mine at NAPA.
 

Barrman

Well-known member
5,182
1,618
113
Location
Giddings, Texas
BR44,
It sure sounds like a heater hose or heater core. Both can leak in the places you mentioned. Others have been right on telling you the problem area.

If you are new to these trucks and to working on your own stuff. You would be well ahead to start reading the manuals. The -20 tells you how to take it apart and the -20P shows you drawing of the parts you need to take apart.

If you have a spider problem, take a long transmission funnel, stick the hose of a vacuum in the big end and sweep the small end around the spider area. It will suck them all up without your hands getting within a foot of the area.

I would suggest you get a flash light, a rag and something soft. Put the something soft on your radiator/front valence top. Climb up there, put your knees on the soft thing and one of your hands on the cowling between the windshield and the firewall. Use the flash light to follow the two black hoses that run from the front of the engine back to the firewall under the fuel filter. Wipe off the silver clamps at the hose ends, the hose ends themselves and the copper pipes sticking through the firewall that the hoses are around. Figure out if one of them is the source of the coolant leak. If one is, use a straight edge screwdriver to tighten the clamp some.

Wipe the area down again and wait for a drip. You could also have a broken or cracked hose, cracked heat core inlet/outlet or just a bad clamp. You and us won't know until you get in there and look around.
 
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