09-26-2004, 10:48 AM
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Pixies Den Mother
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: No-Hockey Land, dammit!!
Posts: 11,897
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Any Mechanics Out There???
We have a 1994 Ford Aerostar (Please...no anti-Ford jokes) and yesterday it developed an engine coolant leak. It's leaking from the transmission bell housing, and it's not just a drip...it's draining out. 
We've never had a problem like this with any other vehicle.
Does anyone know if this is a busted radiator? A blown head gasket? Cracked head? Cracked block? Hubby's looked in his Hanes manual and his Chilton's book and neither seems to mention this problem. We really need to know what we're dealing with here. I'd appreciate any advice. Just don't tell me to buy a Chevy....we can't afford to buy ANYthing else right now.
Thanks in advance.
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09-26-2004, 11:13 AM
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gurly gurl
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Reality
Posts: 33,683
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I just had Mr. IWM read this, he's into cars and knows a lot about them...
He asked if it ran hot lately.
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09-26-2004, 11:25 AM
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Pixies Den Mother
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: No-Hockey Land, dammit!!
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Yes, yesterday, that's how we were alerted to the problem. But other than that, no, it's been running fine, the temp guage has been showing it perfectly normal and on the same notch consistently.
Thanks to Mr. IWM for any help.
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09-26-2004, 11:27 AM
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gurly gurl
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Reality
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We had a car at one time that this happened to. It ended up being a head gasket. So, unfortunately, it CAN be any of the things you mentioned above. Sounds like youre on the right track tho of ideas.
He's sorry that he can't help you more.
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09-26-2004, 12:00 PM
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Pixies Den Mother
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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Thanks IWM and Mr. IWM.
I really didn't want to hear that...LOL. He's still out there trying to figure it out.
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09-26-2004, 12:03 PM
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1 of 8,029,150,258
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I am NOT an auto mechanic in any way. At least not with newer vehicles. My love affair with the automobile was over a long time ago. lol I can only share some basics of what it DOESN’T sound like to me.
Quote:
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…..It's leaking from the transmission bell housing, and it's not just a drip...it's draining out…….
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If it is in fact engine coolant, draining from the trannie bell, it seems unlikely it is a radiator issue, which is (was) located at the opposite end of the engine and only connected by hoses. I assume the radiator coolant level has been dropping in relationship to the leak.
Head gaskets seal between the combustion chamber and the outer edge of the block, normally on top. If the internal portion of the gasket is leaking into the cylinder, giant clouds of white smoke come from the tailpipe when the water base coolant is vaporized into steam, so that seems unlikely. An outside gasket leak would be noticed at the top of the block, not from the bell housing. It would be the same for an external block crack, even around the freeze plugs. Maybe a closer look at the outside is needed to see if it is running back and down to the place from which it is leaking.
An internal block leak that didn’t go into the cylinder above the piston ring level, would have to be going into the crankcase. Coolant will show up on the dipstick if that is the case, but would still have to get past the rear main seal and the leak would also contain signs of an oil leak.
Good luck and I hope Mr. SS finds something simple is the problem. I’m sure the romance of crawling around under a vehicle is over for him too. 
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09-26-2004, 12:30 PM
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Pixies Den Mother
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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Thanks PF....I guess there's at least one hose he thinks may run from the radiator and could conceivable leak down into the bell housing area.
And head gaskets..........we're all too familiar with that issue. Have had them replaced on other Aerostars and on a Plymouth Voyager. He's also replaced one himself on an old Ford station waggon. It's not doing a lot of what a blown head gasket would do.
Don't know what to think at this point, but he's still out there putzing with it.
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09-26-2004, 12:49 PM
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Just want to enjoy life!
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,537
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Anit-freeze leak
The hose that looks like it would be close to there is probaly a heater hose, which would go to the firewall or a duct chamber for the heater core. PF pretty much covered the rest of the possibilities. If it deffantly is coming out of the bell housing and not running down the engine from above it would have to be a frost plug or a crack in the engine block. Not easy to diagnose without acually seeing it. Good luck, doesn't sound good in any of the possibilities.
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09-26-2004, 12:55 PM
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Pixies Den Mother
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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Hey, PF...........he just came in and he thinks there may be a couple of freeze plugs on the rear of the engine block and that it may be leaking from one of those. He can do the repair himself, but it's gonna be time consuming. He'll have to drop the trans to get to it. But at least it's not going to be prohibitively expensive.
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09-26-2004, 01:22 PM
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1 of 8,029,150,258
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I guess Cobalt and I think along the same lines about more than just Cheyanne. :grin: roflmao
Glad to hear it is something that won’t bankrupt you, but sorry to hear it’s going to be the $4 part that takes two days work to put in. Tell him to get some young-and-dumb-and-full-of-cum kid like we USE to be to give him a hand. 
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"If God didn't want you to play with it, He would have put it between your shoulder blades,..... not at the end of your arm"
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09-26-2004, 01:56 PM
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Freeze Plugs
There is a least one and maybe two freeze plugs back there. When he replaces them he needs to use some kind of sealant on them to make sure they do not continue or start to leak again. You only want to have to pull that trans once. it is a pain to have to di it a second time.
Best of luck
Sam
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09-26-2004, 02:42 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: uk
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the core plugs we call them over here should seal fine with out sealent but if theres more than one i'd do them all while your there  |
09-26-2004, 04:22 PM
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1 of 8,029,150,258
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by smoothballs
..... but if theres more than one i'd do them all while your there |
Good point. It is most common for them to rust thru from the outside. The others should get a good inspection and test if not automatically replacing them while you have access.
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PANTIES
the best thing next to cuchie
"If God didn't want you to play with it, He would have put it between your shoulder blades,..... not at the end of your arm"
Except for speculation, we ONLY have NOW and EACHOTHER!
real world of cyber people ~ Pixies ~ real people of the cyber world
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09-26-2004, 04:39 PM
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~getting by~
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Tis the season for car repairs. I have no advice SS other than I feel your pain and I lack a Mr SS to putz under my engine. I was on my way to school today when I came to a stop and my car idled hard, nearly died, I looked down and saw my temp gauge was rapidly heading to the red danger zone. Then only moments later the service engine soon light came on. I cranked the heat on high to draw as much heat off the engine as possible and made it to school and back home. I didn't notice any puddles under my car. But I have had some strange things happen lately. Like when going from Reverse to Drive my gas pedal sticks a bit and I have to give it a healthy tapping to get it to go. And then on Friday night I made a quick right turn into traffic and left a large white cloud behind me. Of course I'm not one to budget for car repairs, and am fearful of what the dealer will tell me when I show up with it at 7am tomorrow.
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09-26-2004, 04:53 PM
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<----Snappin' Pussy
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 106,936
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Hmmm this all sounds familiar SS
My mechanic reckons mine a head gasket on its last legs....a mere AU$1000 will fix it
Mine heats up when sitting and loses fluid....but intermittently.....its a damn pain in the ass!!
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