Antifreeze pouring out of 258 84 CJ7

Here's the deal:

Just bought this Jeep from a guy and 10 miles after I bought the Jeep I
stop at a light and steam pours out from the hood. Upon inspection,
the steam is coming from the very back of the engine. All of the
heater hoses look good and the freeze plug is intact. I can drive it
about a mile before it heats up and starts steaming and I loose almost
all of my antifreeze.

I welcome any and all suggestions!

Patrick

pkaser wrote:
> Here's the deal:
>
> Just bought this Jeep from a guy and 10 miles after I bought the Jeep I
> stop at a light and steam pours out from the hood. Upon inspection,
> the steam is coming from the very back of the engine. All of the
> heater hoses look good and the freeze plug is intact. I can drive it
> about a mile before it heats up and starts steaming and I loose almost
> all of my antifreeze.
>
> I welcome any and all suggestions!
>
> Patrick
>
Blown head gasket.

--
..boB
Arrived: 2006 FXDI, Red.
1997 HD FXDWG - Turbocharged Stolen 11/26/05 in Denver
1HD1GEL10VY3200010 CO License J5822Z
2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92
1966 Mustang Coupe - Daily Driver
1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast.

I've run my hands along the heads and dont feel or see any coolant. Is
there any place else that may be leaking? The engine runs perfectly.
Also, the steam seems to becoming from the coolant hitting the exhaust
(bell housing is covered in coolant) and coming up from the back of the
engine, but Im not sure that that is where the leak is. There is no
discoloration in the overflow tank either...as green as green gets.

I would hate to replace the head gasket and come to find out that wasnt
it.

On 9 Apr 2006 20:28:44 -0700, "pkaser" > wrote:

>I've run my hands along the heads and dont feel or see any coolant. Is
>there any place else that may be leaking? The engine runs perfectly.
>Also, the steam seems to becoming from the coolant hitting the exhaust
>(bell housing is covered in coolant) and coming up from the back of the
>engine, but Im not sure that that is where the leak is. There is no
>discoloration in the overflow tank either...as green as green gets.
>
>I would hate to replace the head gasket and come to find out that wasnt
>it.


Check two things here. First make sure the the thermostat is not stuck
closed and if it is not, the radiaitor may be plugged. You do not want
to overheat that engine much because it can warp the head. I would not
be in a hurry to tear engine down to replace head gasket right now.
Besides, if head gasket is blown, the head will be warped too and need
to be milled flat again because they do not just blow for no reason.
-----------------
The SnoMan
www.thesnoman.com

I highly recommend you get the Haynes CJ manual. It isn't expensive and
it is right on for almost everything, especially the wiring.

Your intake manifold has coolant running through it. The long intakes
and exhaust manifolds will come loose sometimes. It would be worth
checking. They tighten up starting in the center and going out in a
spiral pattern like tightening up a head gasket.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

pkaser wrote:
>
> Here's the deal:
>
> Just bought this Jeep from a guy and 10 miles after I bought the Jeep I
> stop at a light and steam pours out from the hood. Upon inspection,
> the steam is coming from the very back of the engine. All of the
> heater hoses look good and the freeze plug is intact. I can drive it
> about a mile before it heats up and starts steaming and I loose almost
> all of my antifreeze.
>
> I welcome any and all suggestions!
>
> Patrick

I will try tightening the manifolds right now and report back to you.

Thanks!

I havent tried tightening the manifolds yet. I crawled under the jeep
and I can't see ANY PLACE where the coolant is leaking out. I let it
run for a minute and nothing.

The majority of the antifreeze was on the drivers side (and the ground)
and was covering the master cylinder. Could this may have been caused
by the guy I bought it from filled the radiator fluid while cold and
antifreeze overflowed from the top and covered everything and it just
took the exhaust and the block to heat up to evaporate it off?

I have the Haynes manual for the jeep and have been scouring over it
all day looking for places that this leak could be coming from.
Unfortunately, there isnt much detail on the cooling system other than
water pump, thermostat and basic diagrams. It doesnt even show the
coolant temperature sensor on the 258.

Speaking of which, where is the coolant temperature sensor? It doesnt
work so I am not sure if the enigne was even over-heating. Maybe I
will start by fixing that first to monitor the temperature.

I again appreciate all the input!

You are describing a pinhole leak that likely needs the engine fully hot
to **** a small stream out. A heater hose is suspect. The one from the
manifold on the drivers side across to the firewall on the other side.
Or a pin hole in the rad can shoot the fluid back there. My battery
kept getting covered with antifreeze. I couldn't find the leak for a
long time. It was one of the rad cores that needed full hot pressure to
**** this little stream out....

The temperature sender is at the drivers side top of the head at the
back with a purple wire on it.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

pkaser wrote:
>
> I havent tried tightening the manifolds yet. I crawled under the jeep
> and I can't see ANY PLACE where the coolant is leaking out. I let it
> run for a minute and nothing.
>
> The majority of the antifreeze was on the drivers side (and the ground)
> and was covering the master cylinder. Could this may have been caused
> by the guy I bought it from filled the radiator fluid while cold and
> antifreeze overflowed from the top and covered everything and it just
> took the exhaust and the block to heat up to evaporate it off?
>
> I have the Haynes manual for the jeep and have been scouring over it
> all day looking for places that this leak could be coming from.
> Unfortunately, there isnt much detail on the cooling system other than
> water pump, thermostat and basic diagrams. It doesnt even show the
> coolant temperature sensor on the 258.
>
> Speaking of which, where is the coolant temperature sensor? It doesnt
> work so I am not sure if the enigne was even over-heating. Maybe I
> will start by fixing that first to monitor the temperature.
>
> I again appreciate all the input!

On Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:15:19 -0400, Mike Romain >
wrote:

>You are describing a pinhole leak that likely needs the engine fully hot
>to **** a small stream out. A heater hose is suspect. The one from the
>manifold on the drivers side across to the firewall on the other side.
>Or a pin hole in the rad can shoot the fluid back there. My battery
>kept getting covered with antifreeze. I couldn't find the leak for a
>long time. It was one of the rad cores that needed full hot pressure to
>**** this little stream out....


You are going about this wrong because you are assuming that the
cooling system is working properly when it may not be. Work the
problem before you start looking for gremlins. About 10 miles is all
it would take to overheat if thermostat was stuck or radiator plugged
up. Drive with heater on full blast and I will bet it takes longer to
overheat. If so it comfirms a cooling problem, not a leak.
-----------------
The SnoMan
www.thesnoman.com

I am assuming it's overheating (the temp gauge is broken) becuase it is
spilling antifreeze out somewhere. I cleaned the engine completely and
then dried it off. I ran it for about 5 minutes and then shut it off
and looked for steam. The steam doesnt appear to be coming from the
back of the engine so much as the back of the exhaust manifold. I am
letting everything dry for the night and will resume troubleshooting
tomorrow.

I ordered a temp sensor and it should be in tomorrow. I also pulled
the valve cover off and checked the head bolts which seem really tight.

What were not tight were the exhaust & intake manifold bolts.