Flushed Radiator on '14, Now Head Gasket Seems To Be Leaking

[JohnSKepler]

So, I didn't just think, "It's time to flush my radiator..." I wish I was that current with maintenance but I'm not. In fact, the water pump on my 2014 Limited (~20K miles) was leaking out the weep hole. I picked up a new waterpump and decided to just exchange the fluid and do a flush while I was at it. I went to my local Ford Dealer and got the correct flush and fluid for my 2014 Limited.

I performed the flush as indicated, removed the old water pump, and installed the new water pump. I was surprised how easy it was. I hadn't changed a water pump on a Ford since my old '66 Mustang with a 289. That was a real pain since it required getting all the old gasket compound off the block. This one, with the o-ring, went really quick.

I then refilled the system with distilled water and the Ford antifreeze. Everything seemed fine but I kept smelling fluid. I rinsed the engine compartment several times to wash away any old coolant that might be baking off. Kept smelling it and even started getting drips on the garage floor. I had a bit of trouble finding the source until I realized it wasn't leaking from the front of the engine at all, but from the back.

Upon crawling under and inspecting I found the bottom of the bell housing with a sheen of fluid and a few small drips hanging on. It's kind of hard to tell where it might be coming from but the lower, rear edge of the head gasket was definitely wet. Specifically, that little flat corner that sticks out. Dang. I've successfully done head gaskets before but I don't have the time or the back these days.

It running completely normal, definitely not hot, both the oil and the radiator fluid look fine so I've not yet breached the blood-brain, er, water-oil barrier, but I am definitely losing fluid, seeing drips, and smelling that yummy smell.

So my question: Why would a pump replacement and flush cause a head gasket leak? Is there somewhere else it might be leaking from under the coolant overflow or maybe heater hoses that's running down off the back of the engine? Any fluid will pick any crease and edge to drip down.

Thoughts?

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Intake manifold gaskets?

 

[Hamfisted]

Yeah pick up a cheap coolant pressure test kit at Harbor Freight or Amazon and definitely pressure test the coolant system before you go tearing into it. Feel around the heater hoses above too.


Radiator System Pressure Test Kit on Amazon

 

[JohnSKepler]

Intake manifold gaskets?

Do you think that's more likely than a head gasket? I don't know this engine and not everything I'm hearing is lovely. When it runs good it runs good but it's apparently a complicated beast. Though I still don't know why a fluid/pump change would result in a gasketed leak elsewhere... I'm always a tad wary of fluid flushes. It is possible that a very minor weep from the factory could be plugged by mineral deposits left behind by evaporating fluid. A flush might remove those deposits and voila - leak.

Yeah pick up a cheap coolant pressure test kit at Harbor Freight or Amazon and definitely pressure test the coolant system before you go tearing into it. Feel around the heater hoses above too.


Radiator System Pressure Test Kit on Amazon

Makes sense. If it's leaking it won't be holding pressure, will it? What should the pressure be?

I don't have a lot of experience with those radiator stop-leak products. Are they any good or is it just snake oil?

 

[dcsang]

Yeah pick up a cheap coolant pressure test kit at Harbor Freight or Amazon and definitely pressure test the coolant system before you go tearing into it. Feel around the heater hoses above too.


Radiator System Pressure Test Kit on Amazon

This is the way. Inspect the coolant crossover gaskets as they have been known to fail.

 

[Hamfisted]

Do you think that's more likely than a head gasket? I don't know this engine and not everything I'm hearing is lovely. When it runs good it runs good but it's apparently a complicated beast. Though I still don't know why a fluid/pump change would result in a gasketed leak elsewhere... I'm always a tad wary of fluid flushes. It is possible that a very minor weep from the factory could be plugged by mineral deposits left behind by evaporating fluid. A flush might remove those deposits and voila - leak.



Makes sense. If it's leaking it won't be holding pressure, will it? What should the pressure be?

I don't have a lot of experience with those radiator stop-leak products. Are they any good or is it just snake oil?

I would not recommend introducing any type of "stop leak" into the system. They generally clog up other passageways in the radiator and heater core and cause other issues to pop up. Do the pressure test and see where the leak is first. Then fix it the right way.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Do you think that's more likely than a head gasket? I don't know this engine and not everything I'm hearing is lovely. When it runs good it runs good but it's apparently a complicated beast. Though I still don't know why a fluid/pump change would result in a gasketed leak elsewhere... I'm always a tad wary of fluid flushes. It is possible that a very minor weep from the factory could be plugged by mineral deposits left behind by evaporating fluid. A flush might remove those deposits and voila - leak.



Makes sense. If it's leaking it won't be holding pressure, will it? What should the pressure be?

I don't have a lot of experience with those radiator stop-leak products. Are they any good or is it just snake oil?

Pressure should be on the rad cap if it's OEM. You can borrow the kit from Advance/Auto Zone. In the case of my 2011, the kit from Advance did not have a size that quite fit. The tabs on the one intended for my truck were a little too long. I was able to file them down a hair with a Dremel and then it fit perfectly.

Stop Leak products are generally a temporary fix and of course it's possible they could clog up your heater core. If you were going to use them, I recommend the tablets. They come in packs of 6. Use 2 and no more. In my experience, that will solve a very minor leak without the risk of clogging things up. You can use the other 4 as seasoning on your steak.

 

[JohnSKepler]

This is the way. Inspect the coolant crossover gaskets as they have been known to fail.

Interesting. Looks like there is a coolant crossover in the front and one in the back. That actually seems a little more reasonable point of failure than a head gasket, and a pretty ****-poor design if you ask me. Pulling the manifold should be a pain but not too bad. Might also be a good time to replace the spark plugs. I'm guessing the originals are still in there.

Question: how do I use a coolant pressure gauge to find the source of the leak?

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Interesting. Looks like there is a coolant crossover in the front and one in the back. That actually seems a little more reasonable point of failure than a head gasket, and a pretty ****-poor design if you ask me. Pulling the manifold should be a pain but not too bad. Might also be a good time to replace the spark plugs. I'm guessing the originals are still in there.

Question: how do I use a coolant pressure gauge to find the source of the leak?

It connects to the radiator cap and then you pressurize the system to the PSI printed on the cap. Ford advises that you maintain pressure for 2 minutes. If it drops, you have a leak somewhere. If you can see the fluid coming out externally, that's better news than if it's not holding pressure and you can't find the leak.

 

[Clemson82]

I had similar symptoms back in March on our 2014 Limited, at 99k miles. Smelled coolant, random drips here and there, but no overheating. Took it to Goodyear and the guy guessed (correctly) what the problem was before they even looked at it. He said they use cheap plastic on some of the hose connections and they crack, and that it's a common issue. I think it was at a cracked "T" connection. They replaced the parts (and hoses), flushed the coolant and refilled it. No leaks since then...knock on wood.

I can't remember the specifics, but he said something along the lines of how they could either replace it with OEM parts or with aftermarket parts. He said in this instance they recommend the less expensive aftermarket parts because Ford never fixed the issue with the OEM parts. I honestly can't remember which parts we told them to use though.

 

[Dennis_H]

My 2010 with the 5.4 had similar issue and was the crossover. Leaked just enough to occasionally see a drip or 2, but definitely had the smell. Thought it was the water pump, but it wasn't... I had already had the T-connector on the heater line replaced with an aftermarket metal connector.

 

[Hamfisted]

Interesting. Looks like there is a coolant crossover in the front and one in the back. That actually seems a little more reasonable point of failure than a head gasket, and a pretty ****-poor design if you ask me. Pulling the manifold should be a pain but not too bad. Might also be a good time to replace the spark plugs. I'm guessing the originals are still in there.

Question: how do I use a coolant pressure gauge to find the source of the leak?

It's pretty easy to pressure test the system. The test kits are cheap and you can use them on many vehicles you suspect of leaks in the future. The kit comes with the sscrew-on adapter for late model Fords.
Normal operating pressure for the system is 3-4 PSI, and cap relief pressure is 16 PSI .
Here's a video of a guy testing his F-150, but other vehicles are very similar to test.

Pressure Testing Your Coolant System Video





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[JohnSKepler]

I had similar symptoms back in March on our 2014 Limited, at 99k miles. Smelled coolant, random drips here and there, but no overheating. Took it to Goodyear and the guy guessed (correctly) what the problem was before they even looked at it. He said they use cheap plastic on some of the hose connections and they crack, and that it's a common issue. I think it was at a cracked "T" connection. They replaced the parts (and hoses), flushed the coolant and refilled it. No leaks since then...knock on wood.

I can't remember the specifics, but he said something along the lines of how they could either replace it with OEM parts or with aftermarket parts. He said in this instance they recommend the less expensive aftermarket parts because Ford never fixed the issue with the OEM parts. I honestly can't remember which parts we told them to use though.

Any idea where this T-fitting might have been? I'll start looking for radiator hoses and following them to their connection. I do know if is leaking from somewhere towards the back of the engine.

 

[Trainmaster]

By all means, check that plastic heater hose tee before doing anything. If that's not leaking it will.

 

[JohnSKepler]

I did some checking in the engine compartment and it is, without a doubt, the front crossover on the left side where all the videos point to a design flaw. Radiator fluid is clearly leaking around the gasket and running back along the engine, then dripping down the left rear head and transmission. Given the location of the leak I would guess it is the rubber gasket on the upper crossover, not the broken ****** on the manifold. Of course, it may well be both and the plenum between the cylinders might be full of radiator fluid, too. Pretty significant design flaw. On the older V8 designs the crossover was always cast into the manifold so you only had one gasket per side, not two.

Are there any cast aluminum intakes for the 5.4? If it has to come off I don't just love the idea of putting it back on with a known design flaw just waiting to manifest when I'm out in the middle of the desert or something.

 

[Hamfisted]

Well, glad you found this before you tore the heads off. Very common leak spot. I think the Fel-Pro gaskets are a little better than the OEM gaskets. Once the work is done you shouldn't have the problem again. When you pull the cross-over pipe off be sure to inspect the mating surface of the intake manifold side where they join and look for delamination of that contact surface on the plastic intake manifold side. If there's no delamination you're good to go and just replace the gaskets and reinstall everything. It's an all day job if you haven't done it before. Use a good torque wrench when retightening all the bolts. You're only working with aluminum and plastic, so you don't want to overtighten things.


Fel-Pro MS96696 Intake Gasket Set at Rock Auto

 

[JohnSKepler]

Well, glad you found this before you tore the heads off. Very common leak spot. I think the Fel-Pro gaskets are a little better than the OEM gaskets. Once the work is done you shouldn't have the problem again. When you pull the cross-over pipe off be sure to inspect the mating surface of the intake manifold side where they join and look for delamination of that contact surface on the plastic intake manifold side. If there's no delamination you're good to go and just replace the gaskets and reinstall everything. It's an all day job if you haven't done it before. Use a good torque wrench when retightening all the bolts. You're only working with aluminum and plastic, so you don't want to overtighten things.


Fel-Pro MS96696 Intake Gasket Set at Rock Auto

Can you get the crossover pipe off without pulling the manifold? I saw that on some earlier versions you definitely could not since the crossover bolts actually came in from the underside. However, it almost looks like you could get the pipe off without pulling the manifold on my '14. I know the bolts that hold it on are going through the top side. Just wondering if Ford did a minor redesign to make maintenance a little easier.

Can anyone recommend a good manual? Looks like it's time to spring for one.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Can anyone recommend a good manual? Looks like it's time to spring for one.

You can get a digital copy of the service manual on eBay for cheap. Then you can print pages as needed.

 

[Hamfisted]

Can you get the crossover pipe off without pulling the manifold? I saw that on some earlier versions you definitely could not since the crossover bolts actually came in from the underside. However, it almost looks like you could get the pipe off without pulling the manifold on my '14. I know the bolts that hold it on are going through the top side. Just wondering if Ford did a minor redesign to make maintenance a little easier.

Can anyone recommend a good manual? Looks like it's time to spring for one.

No, it's a teaser. The manifold has to come off.


Inspect the manifold for cracks or delamination video

 

[JohnSKepler]

You can get a digital copy of the service manual on eBay for cheap. Then you can print pages as needed.

Supposing I wanted a printed manual... Are the Haynes or Chilton manuals any good? My memory is that they are... slightly better than the owner's manual. Something like a Clymers would be great.

No, it's a teaser. The manifold has to come off.


Inspect the manifold for cracks or delamination video