I bought a 92 'bird 3.1 about 2 weeks ago. I noticed that it was losing coolant. Called the PO, he had replaced the radiator and water pump. I figured that he didn't tighten the the clamps correctly. I noticed that I had a leak in the lower rad hose(seeping near the clamp), I decided to replace both hoses. Long story short, I bumped the radiator while taking off a hose clamp (stupid spring type). My radiator is now draining coolant out of what i think is the drain plug hole, but I didn't notice a plug falling. Is the drain plug above the hose, that's where this leaking orifice is. this doesn't make sense to me, usually rad plugs are near the bottom. Does anyone know of a slick way of taking off the hose clamp under the water pump ? Wish they would have replaced the clamps with the screw type.

Thanks a ton
Scott

 

Sure... squeeze the ends and slide it off. Very very eeeeeeeeeeezy usually, from underneath.

Don't replace those with the worm-gear type, unless they're damaged. The squeeze type is better.

THINK... with the screw type, you tighten it, and then if the hose shrinks, it's loose. Eh??? Therefore, you have to tighten the bejesus out of it, just to keep it from leaking; and they usually leak after a little while anyway, from being so tight that the rubber gets squeezed, and need re-tightened on a regular basis.

THat's why the factory doesn't use em. (one reason, at least)

But with the squeeze type, GENTLE pressure is applied, but if anything shrinks, the clamp shrinks with it. No leaks.

All you gotta do, is put em where the squeeeezy part, is eeeeeeezy to get to. Piece o cake.

The drain plug is at the very bottom somewhere. Won't be above the hose.

The leak is either because you broke the nipple off the radiator when you "bumped" it; or, one of the fitting above the rad hose (trans cooler most likely) is leaking; or, it's leaking at the WP, and running down the hose and dripping off, making it LOOK LIKE it's leaking there, even though the leak is REALLY somewhere else.

 

The problem is one of the "ears" of the spring is almost against the water pump, and it is very hard to get pliers on it, when I do, the pliers slip.
I'll go take a few pictures of what is leaking on the radiator. The best I can describe it as, is a nipple that looks like it should be plugged or have a hose on it. I barely touched it with the channel lock handles ,they slipped off the spring clamp and hit the nipple. I'll go snap a few pictures because they are better than my explanation of a vehicle that I'm not very familiar with yet.

 

Btw, It was leaking here. I know because it was coming out like a stream, like the stream you would get if you removed the lower radiator hose, just out a smaller orifice. but here's some pictures to further explain.



Any ideas of what this nipple is ? or why it was shooting out coolant ?

Scott
sorry for double post, hit reply instead of edit.

 

Well that's not the fault of the clamp; it's the fault of the installer. Don't hate on the part, hate on the idiot that put it in wrong. But you're smarter than that, you won't make the same mistake.

Looks like a knockout where you'd put the "low coolant" sensor, in cars that use the same radiator (it fits ALOT of cars) but also have that system.

You can prolly put a cap over it, with an appropriate spring-type clamp, and never have to think about it again. They have caps hanging on cards in the coolant aisle at AZ, Advance, O'Reilly's, CSK, PepBoys, etc. Not to mention, REAL parts stores.

 

Thanks a ton for your help. I figured I would have to cap it because there are no threads, just wanted to be sure.