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Our “new” 1993 Ford Ranger 2.3 L, 1026945 mi has an elusive coolant leak unable to pinpoint where it’s coming from yet with smoking coming up from the EGR tube down where the exhaust manifold is. The smoke is to the back passenger side under the hood. The Heater Core is up and to the right and is a-ok… this is coming up from down under. I am having a tough time finding a diagram of the cooling system. The visible coolant leak onto the ground comes when the car is at operating temperature under the block it seems. The smoke concerns me especially as I do know coolant is flammable. Anyone experience something like this? I don’t know where to begin and finding diagrams of the cooling system is like pulling teeth. Any help appreciated.
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Suggest you pressure test the cooling system.
You can usually rent the tool from auto zone,
Or you can purchase one on line:
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=radiator+pressure+tester+kit&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=28635237567&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7469083138369322470&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3lzk8xuadc_bAt which point you can begin to track down where the leak is coming from.
update, just brought it up to temp, and it is an oil and antifreeze drip. Yesterday we had the coolant run down in front of the truck at a convenience stop, clearly green coolant. Here now in trying to duplicate, it’s oil with the green tinge of coolant. But more oil than coolant. blown gasket somewhere? It’s low, below the manifold where the singular slow drip is coming. And when it is warm and given gas.
There appears to be oil droplets and gunk bits in the antifreeze reservoir but the oil case looks free of antifreeze. Oil Cooler or water pump? the leak is in the general area of the oil filter and where I believe the oil cooler would be, the water pump I believe is behind the radiator fan in the front. too far from the leak drip. All the coolant hoses in this truck look new, they can’t be more than 6 months tops.
Is there oil residue inside the radiator?
Unless you have a oil cooler that is some how piped into the radiator, I doubt that came from the factory.
More likely an issue with:
Head gasket
Cracked or warped head
Cracked blockhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPDL76?keywords=head gasket test&qid=1454108425&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
That will only tell you if you are getting combustion (exhaust) gases(not oil) leaking in to the cooling system due to a bad head gasket, cracked/warped head or cracked block.
How does it tell if you have a leak from an oil passage possibly due to a bad gasket (head and/or intake), cracked/warped head or cracked block to the cooling jacket?I first thought the horror of a cracked gasket or head when I saw that mix, and this is the test the mechanics use to confirm the need is great to do a head job and see exactly which it is. However, the test came clean, so it is not always the case an oil and coolant mix is indicative of a head issue, but can be symptomatic of other issues. In researching I found other causes of oil and coolant leaks. Water pump and Oil Cooler being the two I am studying up on now. I just wish there were some diagrams of the system for it’s taking apart to get to the root of the problem. The confirmation will be in finding it and having the issue fixed BEFORE we have a cracked head. I have found some videos and instructions on the replacement of water pumps, but not on oil coolers, what the oil filter is screwed into. Anyone having done this type of work and can help describe how to get to it is most appreciated.
The reason you can not find any instructions or videos about replacing the oil cooler is because the 2.3L ford motor does not have one..
This what a external oil cooler is…If there is a water jacket internal in the block that runs along the oil passage.. it will be cast in the block itself and not serviceable.
Also a water pump is designed to circulate coolant through the water jacket of an engine and has no direct breach into the engines oil system.
If there is a breach between the 2 behind the water pump, you have a crack causing it
I’ll repeat this question again is there any evidence of oil in the radiator?
Is there any signs of coolant in the oil?
If so, you have a breach … be that a bad gasket, cracked/warped head or block.
You seem to insist that a negative result in exhaust gases in the coolant is a clear indication you need to look at other causes..
That test will only show that there is no breach between the exhaust stroke/valve and the water jacket….Nothing to do with oil getting into the water jacket.Interesting, to the universe at large…why are they selling them for the 1993 F. Rangers 2.3L? Ok, it could be a simple as a cracked o-ring or as costly as a new head if this is the case. The prior owner wasn’t one for torquing to specs, a big dude who did all his repairs and the EGR Tube can attest to the extreme tightness everything was put in. The oil and coolant he changed before we signed off on it. Hopefully it’s not ruined on the inside if this is the case:
http://www.vfaq.com/mods/oilcool.html
Yes, I stated before that I found oil in the coolant reservoir but no coolant in the oil. This is what refined my search to the oil cooler.
In getting to it, if he put an external on, where is that usually mounted? Didn’t see anything that looked like an extra radiator…and second, would an external remove the need for a new block provided it’s confirmed once I get down to it? In other words, would this external fix the problem if the cooler part internally is confirmed bad?
Interesting, to the universe at large…why are they selling them for the 1993 F. Rangers 2.3L?
You can purchase oil coolers for many makes and models and many have no interface with the cooling system they are air cooled…
Fact is, yours did not come from the factory with one and if it does have one it is aftermarket.
This is what a factory oil cooler looks like and is water cooledOk, it could be a simple as a cracked o-ring or as costly as a new head if this is the case. The prior owner wasn’t one for torquing to specs, a big dude who did all his repairs and the EGR Tube can attest to the extreme tightness everything was put in. The oil and coolant he changed before we signed off on it. Hopefully it’s not ruined on the inside if this is the case:
http://www.vfaq.com/mods/oilcool.html
If you read ..
1989 & 1990 turbo DSM models had an air cooled oil cooler…
On 1991 and later turbo cars, an engine coolant to oil heat exchanger type was used.
These are TURBO models which require that specific equipment
Yes, I stated before that I found oil in the coolant reservoir but no coolant in the oil. This is what refined my search to the oil cooler.
The reservoir receives fluid from the top of the radiator, and what floats on top of water???
Suggest you look under your oil cap and see if there is any butterscotch pudding deposits there.I have to get down into it to see what’s happening there, so my question right now is, is there coolant in the block that serves as an oil cooler? Any cut-outs of the internal workings of the block?
Just an interesting page in my searching… will see if he did something like this
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/OilCooler.shtml
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