strange leak

Do you have a newer radiator? One with plastic side tanks? Its not uncomon to see the seal between the tank and fins leak when it gets cold out.

no, i belive it is the original.

Hi, I got '94 Tbird LX V8, 61K mi. with similar problem.

The (Mickey Mouse) rad. has plastic on each end, alum. fins in middle.

Any info re diagnosis and repair (if possible) would be appreciated:

1.) Is there a seal on each side of the alum. fins? 2.) Can rad. be disassembled to replace seal(s)? 3.) Etc, etc.

Thanks, Puddin'

i will check, but i think it is the factory one

I'm willing to bet you have a 3.8l engine. If so, it's head gasket time.

CJB

Could be a water pump. Look for coolant seeping out of the weep hole on the water pump.

I've had the same problem with a 95' Escort radiator. It only leaks in cold weather while the engine is warming up. The leak stops when normal operating temperature is reached. The leak is caused by the seals (O-rings) located between the plastic tanks and the aluminum core on each end. When the temperature is below about 40-F the seals don't have enough resiliency. They leak until the rubber material warms up and becomes flexible. Ford does make a repair kit with new seals but the problem is the locking tabs on the aluminum core which hold the plastic tanks, can crack and break when you try to open them up. There's no way to repair the tabs if they break off. I've been wondering if there is some kind of radiator sealant I can use that will stop the seal leaks without causing any problems to the cooling system in general, particularly the heater core. The solution of course is to change the radiator. I just haven't got around to doing it.

The location of the puddles will tell a lot. Front, back, side?

Semi-digital dash? Digital speedo, analog fuel and temp, amp & oil lights? Looks amazingly like this: ?

's just the oil change reminder. It comes on every few thousand miles.Just push Trip and Trip Reset at the same time, 3 beeps later it's off again. If you love your Cougar, and plan on keeping it for a while, come visit us at a while, register (it's FREEEEEEE!), and start asking questions.We'll leave the light on for ya. :)

"Another Ford Engineering Masterpiece!!!" :-)

I've been wondering as well.

Sitting on my desk (for weeks now) is a bottle of "Bar's Leaks (Original Pelletized Formula) Stop Leak". I'm afraid to put it in the rad.: the only additive I've -ever- used is FI cleaner.

Advice on use/implications of such additives would be much appreciated.

Yeah, the nice, nice guy at the rad. shop wrote me a nice, nice estimate. For $500. Wonder iffen I could raise it diving for lost change in the sofa cushions ...

Cheers, Puddin'

leaks are in front

oil does need changed, thanks i will change oil this weekend.

88 cougar has a coolant leak. it only leaks on real cold nights without the car even been running for days. i fill it up, start it and look for leaks when its running and no leaks. not a lot, just a puddle or two. could this be related to my service light being on? ___________________________________________

Sometimes a water pump shaft seal will leak a little when cold, then seal up when heated, or the leakage is small enough to evaporate when the engine is running. If this happens, a dose of water pump lube/seal additive in the radiator may slow down the leak, but eventually the leak will increase and the water pump will need to be replaced.

You could try radiator stop-leak, but it is not as effective on the dynamic seal in the water pump as it is on fixed gasket seals, and it may reduce cooling performance.

A leaking water pump will not activate any service light.

Good luck.

Rodan.