Coolant leak

If it's leaking from the weephole, nothing you add to the coolant can stop that from eventually dumping all of your coolant out in short order. The impeller seal is failing when that happens and it's not something you can plug. I changed the waterpump out on my 1976 thunderbird on the day after christmas quite a few years back. -10 degree temps and leave it be said, I wasn't pleased. The car dumped it's coolant outside Grandma's house on Christmas Day.

A radiator leak, I've had temporary success with bars leak.

Yeah, it has been known to work on a RADIATOR. Not on a water pump or lower hose. Just crawl under there with your flashlight and look up. They'll be a stain around the weep hole if that's where it's leaking. Could be you just need to tighten the lower hose clamp(s). Or all the clamps for that matter.

Great info guys. I'll crawl around under there tomorrow when there's some more daylight... then I'll start saving my "benjamins" for the inevitable repair job. (Sheesh!)

I'm one who believes that you only cause later problems when you add any kind of stop leak to the cooling system , even if it's a small reduction in the cooling of the radiator , or the heat transfer of the heater core. If i recall correctly there is a small elbow hose ( about heater hose sized ) and approx. 5 inches long that is prone to leaking just above the waterpump that you should inspect along with the other places the others suggested. And should be replaced whenever the waterpump is changed. As far as the pepper , i think it actually did stop a few leaks according to the older crew at the hunting camp. ( i'm no spring chicken by the way )

I wouldnt use anything stop leak wise in your cooling system. You can plug your intake air heater, which is the 5/16" hose running from your intake to the water pump, or the 5/16" metal line running along the top of your radiator, as well as various other places.

IF you have to replace your water pump for a failing seal, you want to do a couple of other things for your engine as well.

1. TOTAL SYSTEM FLUSH. This thing is an 87 and I bet it has never had it done. Take all hoses loose and run water through every component while the system is drained. Flush with clean water from a hose until the water coming out of the system doesnt have anything in it (clear, and no sediment). You can use a clean white bucket and just keep sampling the water coming out of the system. Flush the engine block with the water pump removed so no sediment remains in the new pump. Flush the supply and return for your intake air heater, as well as your heater core. Dont forget to flush out the radiator as well... LOL
2. REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT.... Now is the best time to do it with the system down for repairs anyway, its the perfect time to put a thermostat in, and save yourself from having to crack the system open later. If the thermostat is anything like the one I put in a 91 Bronco with a 351, you will want to do it without the water pump in the way...

Just my $0.02....

Ford Tech

I don't like stop leaks ether, but when your in the boondocks and need to get home, yes ground black pepper will plug a pin hole in a radiator or a freeze plug, but be prepared for a terrible stink. For larger holes in the radiator or a freeze plug, the tobacco from two or three cigarettes will get you home, and now I have really dated myself.

That said, there are certain cars on the market that require a stop leak in the cooling system, some Cadillac's required it, as well as few Buick's. Detroit recommended it for a couple engines. On the foreign front, French Chryslers with aluminum blocks, Renaults, and a few English and German fords did as well (the German 2.8 V-6 used in Mustangs and capris for one, not the 2.8 used in Rangers)

Whitelightning

I have a '94 F-150 302 and had a similar leak. It turned out to be the timing chain cover gasket, a little more involved to fix. A friend of mine with a '95 F-150 had the same problem.

Just a suggestion for something else to look for...

Good luck.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

I recently replaced the original water pump on my 82 302 F100. Also replaced thermostat and hoses.

Should have done the flush as previously mentioned.

The lower bolt on the thermostat housing was a little difficult to get to, even with water pump removed.

Just a suggestion for something else to look for...

Good luck.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

I believe the same thing... I did the pepper thing on my radiator once, it worked for a little while, but eventually gave. It is a good temporary thing when in a pinch. Stop leak products, avoid like the plague, it gunks things up, you anti-freeze will never look the same, it only works about 1/2 the time, and the radiator shop will charge more when they go to rebuild or recore.

Have any of you guys ever watched "MythBusters"??? They did a special on this very thing! What really worked, even on a larger leak was cracking an egg in the radiator. They took a carpenters awe, jabbed a hole in the thing, sizeable I might add, and added the egg, sealed it up slicker than snot.

This info, as it might be interesting, I do not think it applies to you anyway. I would do as the other suggested and check your hoses and clamps firstly. If it is a weep-hole, you can keep adding until you can afford to fix it, or have the time.

I'm sure you have the problem solved by now, but I wanted to give my .02 cents anyway, with some interesting info none the less....

Doug