hey guys, last weekend i noticed that i was leaking engine coolant. so i pulled the radiator out, took it to a shop to have it tested for leaks and the guy said he could not find any leaks but he recrimped the sides. so i put the radiator back in and baught regular hose clamps to replace the factory squeez ones. anyway....im still leaking transmission fluid and coolant from somewhere. i cannot find out where? i mean the transmission cooling line is leaking a little bit where it goes into the radiator (the bottom hose) if i remember right when i took that hose off, the little red 0-ring was deteroriated, and jsut fell apart. the guy that checked tested my radiator said it wasnt a concern that the o-ring isnt there. but as for the engine coolant leak, im stumped as to where it could be leaking??? i tried to trace it but i have coolant sprayed on various parts under my truck, i wipe it all down but i cant find the leak. also, there is transmission fluid dripping from somewhere drivers side around the drivers seat area. but when i look and feel, everything feels dry...??? im gonna pull it in the garage when i get home (got classes all day). anyway...anyone have any ideas or an ideal place for it to leak? btw i had tranny rebuilt about a month ago if that has anyhting to with anything lol also, the radiator guy said that cold wather could make the seals inside the radiator leak, which if they wer leaking shouldnt of it showed when he tested it...

 

I'm not aware of any kind of 'seals' in the radiator. I thought everything would be brazed.

Hmm, so the factory puts in an o-ring, it falls out, and someone says it doesn't matter if the o-ring is there. Try that on your plumbing. Or better yet, try putting a bad o-ring on say... the space shuttle.

You could have a leak where there are connections but, you are in the rust belt so I'd start looking at hard lines as well. Follow the wet spots forward till you find it.

 

Did he test the heat exchanger where the transmission fluid goes through? I bet it is leaking through that.

 

i gave him the whole radiator and and he said he needed the connectors and hose so i hade to go get those off my truck to, so im sure he tested it hopefully. i crawled under the truck just a little bit ago, there is coolant on both sides of the truck and i can see it getting ready to drip from the frame. i tried tracing it but the only thing i came up with is it is wet on the big hose that goes into the radiator, but it i tighten the hose clamp down and it seems fairly tight that it shouldnt leak

 

Is there any cracking or splitting on the ends of the radiator hoses?

 

Unless you are certain it is the radiator, I had the same problem on my '97 2wd. I thought it was the water pump so I replaced it. Still leaked and came to find out it was a freeze-out plug leaking. 5 Years ago and hadn't leaked since.

Now I have a tranny leak on the front of my '94 4wd. It appears to be leaking from the front of the transmission.
Anyone know of a common problem and or fix for this? I use this truck offroad only, don't want to get stuck with a burnt tranny.

Thanks,

 

i dont think its the radiator, but its weird because the coolant is up in the front on the frame and waire harnesses, right infront of the fan guard thing. i did a search on here and was readin up on the freeze-out plugs...where are these located?

 

In the engine block. They are not your problem, as they wouldnt be leaking coolant in the front of the frame as well as transmission fluid.

 

probably water pump. spray everything off top and bottom with a water hose and let it dry, then run it up to temp and shut it off. wait about 15 minutes and look for the green drip under the water pump pulley.

my 01 factory pump went out in 07 at about 130k.

 

YOu would be amazed at how much airflow is under the hood of these trucks. Like the man said, spray it off real good, run it to temp, and drive a little and check every 5 to 10 miles. I would suggest not getting over 25-30 mph and stay on close to level ground if possible to prevent the fluid from running everywhere. I replaced my water pump at about 150k, it was still good but the shaft would spin really easy. It is still possible for the freeze-out to leak onto the frame and run back and forth on the rails, the fluid can hit the fan and make a mess on everything.
Are you loosing coolant?

Is the tranny fluid leaking from the front as well?
It is common for the lower line you mentioned to look wet and leaky. Mine does and I've had it since new. Being that you have removed it before, I would tape a rag around it and see if it will leak in any other area.