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Coolant leak coming from block heater area

20K views 20 replies 6 participants last post by  Dallasmn26 
#1 ·
Has anyone ever had an issue with their block heater connection leaking coolant? It seems to be leaking pretty bad, but just started leaking a couple days ago. There is coolant all over the block around that area, I'm not sure what else could cause that bad of a leak?
 
#3 ·
It doesn't seem to be coming from the head. And if the head gasket is blown, I doubt it would leak coolant that bad if at all. If anything, it would be leaking from the last frost plug closest to the firewall on the head. I will try to look closer today after work, its a very tight fit in there, makes it difficult to see anything.
 
#9 · (Edited)
No you do not. And you do not need to pull the turbo either. You do need a tool to reach that back bolt. (See pic below)

The updated "Oil Cooler to EGR Cooler" hose is blue. The hose can be taken off without removing much. Simplified, drain the coolant, remove the CAC intake tube, cut the EGR cooler hose in half at an angle, (you don't have to cut the hose) remove the 2 bolts on the EGR cooler supply port housing cover, remove the EGR cooler supply port housing, and then remove the part of the EGR cooler hose attached to the housing. Now, remove the other half of the hose. The full procedure for the removal and install is written below:

Removal:

Drain the engine coolant. ( Just need to drain a gallon or so. Drain into very clean container and re-use)

Loosen the clamps and remove the charge air cooler (CAC) intake pipe.

Cut the oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose at an angle. (Don't need to cut the hose)

Remove the 2 bolts and the EGR cooler supply port housing cover.

Remove the EGR cooler supply port housing and the part of the oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose that is still attached. ( Here you can pull or pry gently the housing and it will come out)

Twist and pull the oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose to remove it from the EGR cooler tube.

Rotate the oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose 90 degrees (1/4-turn) and remove it from the EGR cooler supply port housing. ( The hose "clicks" onto the housing, when you get the old one off, you can practice with the new one as to how it will work and needs to slide on the tube you cannot see.)

Installation:

Clean and inspect the EGR cooler supply port housing O-ring seals.

Install new O-ring seals if necessary.

Lubricate the inside of the new oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose with clean engine coolant and slide it onto the EGR cooler tube far enough so it will not interfere with the installation of the EGR cooler supply port.

Make sure the dual index marks (flat edge) on the hose are facing up.

Lubricate the EGR cooler supply port housing O-ring seals with clean engine coolant and position the EGR cooler supply port on the engine.

NOTE: Use a commercially available Torx bit, such as Matco® BTX30B, or equivalent, and a torque adapter to tighten the EGR cooler supply port housing cover bolts.

Position the EGR cooler supply port housing cover and install the 2 bolts.

Tighten to 10 Nm (89 lb-in). ( I just did mine as tight as I could get them.)

Slide the oil cooler-to-EGR cooler hose onto the EGR cooler supply port housing and rotate it 90 degrees (1/4-turn) until it locks in place.

Install the CAC intake pipe and tighten the clamps.

Tighten to 12 Nm (9 lb-ft).

Fill and bleed the engine cooling system.

4c4z-8592-AA Hose ........$50.80
3c3z-9n693-FA O ring ......$ 6.18
3c3z-9n693-EA O ring ......$ 6.50
 

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#12 ·
Shove some paper towels or something under that area to keep from dropping your wrench down there. It makes the job a lot longer than it should.

I have done this, and it took 2 hours, mainly because of the above issue!!! A Ford tech who told me how to do this, does these in 20 minutes.


The other one:
 

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#14 ·
They do not have clamps.

The end that slides on to the tube that is under the turbo plate has an O-ring, need to wet it with fresh coolant to help it slide on.

The end you see, also has an o-ring, but also needs to be "locked" on to the tube coming from the oil cooler.

When you have all the parts out, you can take the old hose off by twisting it to "unlock" it from the housing, then, take the new one and practice locking it to housing so you know how it needs to slide under the turbo bracket. My first picture shows 2 white lines are visible. That is how the finished installation needs to look.

Again, this isn't difficult to do, just that blasted bolt is tough to get out if you don't have the right tool to get to it. I didn't, thus, I cussed.
 
#16 ·
I'm told that the oil cooler aluminum housing is leaking coolant on my truck. Is this possible and how hard is that to change. Would it be a gasket or does it crack. They said I have to buy a new housing.
 
#17 ·
Well, you are the first one I have heard having this issue. And I'm not saying that it can't be cracked. Can, or did they determine exactly "where" it is cracked?

Here is a shot of a New oil cooler.
Ford Engine Oil Cooler for 6.0L Diesel

How long since your EGR delete?
 
#18 ·
They said it was corroded inside and pitted. What would cause corrosion? I do run the red CAT ec-1 coolant but only for about a year. Must have been the ford gold that corroded it the first 60,000 miles.
 
#19 ·
could be the o-rings in the housing causing the leak at the cap, i had to use two pry bars to get that housing off, and on an 03 the torxs bits are a t-27, i used a 1/4 wrench with a torx bit eletrical taped to it to get the bolts for the housing off, my hose actually came apart while trying to remove it and i had to cut the internal clips of the oil cooler housing, if you have any question you can pm me ill be more than happy to talk you through it, i just did mine last week
 
#20 ·
^^^ hands on knowledge on that issue. I was wondering if some one had been in there when doing the EGR delete and managed to cut on o-ring, or didn't get new ones to replace with. If it were me, I would try the o-rings first, unless of course a person would want to use it as a reason to get a new oil cooler.

How do they know it is corroded and pitted? Did they take that cap off? If so, did they get a new o-ring for it?

Here is a list for parts for the EGR hose and o-rings

4c4z-8592-AA Hose ........$50.80
3c3z-9n693-FA O ring ......$ 6.18
3c3z-9n693-EA O ring ......$ 6.50
 
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