So here's the deal: I saved up money from each paycheck to buy some new tires for my truck. I have $300 stashed away.

Yesterday (and for the past few weeks) my truck has been dripping coolant. It's a weird leak, because it's not constant. It happens sometimes, but not all the time. It NEVER drips at the parking garage or at my work parking lot, but if we're at the store it will drip a tiny puddle. I laugh and say "It's not leaking, it's marking its territory."

So yesterday I realized the weather might not get so bad that I need new tires for the snow. I may be able to push off new tires until 3 months from now. I have a decent amount of tread left, but they definitely are wearing thin.

So what do you guys think I should do? Should I get a new all aluminum 2-core radiator and new thermostat? Or should I just buy the tired and let the thing drip? The truck isn't overheating the heater works.

I'm trying to justify buying a radiator and not tires, but I know once I get the radiator I'll regret it. And I know spring and summer is coming, so I'll need a radiator then more than I'll need new tires.

 

Tires are a safety issue, a coolant leak no so much. I guess it depends on how bad you're tires really are.

 

First off, find out where its leaking...
dont just start replacing parts and find out it was just a pinhole leak that could be fixed. My return coolant passage way on the drivers side of the block that connects to the timing chain leaks like how you said. I still need to get that bolt in..

 

The coolant looks like it's coming from mid-block. It's dripping down and gathering around the lower radiator hose and making it look like it's dripping from that, however I can trace the wet trail to the middle of the block.

 

could be a feeze plug? or possible one of the coolant lines that runs thru the throttle body?

 

Hi,

Find the leak!!!

No matter how bad your tires are, the engine leak could end up costing you big money if you ignore it.
Tires you can find used on Craigs list or at a junk yard. You may not get exactly what you want but you'll get something serviceable until they wear out.

The coolant leak could be as simple as a loose hose clamp, a pin hole in a hose, a bad water pump gasket, a bad water pump, a freeze plug, or horrors of horrors, a head gasket.
If you should suddenly dump the coolant and overheat, now you've got possible head warpage, a head gasket for sure (or two if you've got the 3.0) Block damage is possible also.

Get one or borrow one or go to a shop and have a pressure tester put on it, pump it up and if there is a leak, you will find it.
Depending what the leak is, fix it......now worry about your tires.

Dave

 

I thought so too, but I checked all of the lines and they're good. All of the hoses are new as well. I saw a post here on yotatech with a guy leaking coolant from his freeze plugs and I thought it could be those, too. Checked those over and they look fine.

I also figured it's time for a new radiator because the one in there now is the one that came with the truck 20 years ago.

 

yeah, i doubt it is the hg because its a 22re right. Still, better safe than sorry. I did my tires before i got my timing chain done.. i regret that alot

 

HI,

Yes, I see you have the 4 cyl, Don't be so quick to dismiss a head gasket. A leak from the combustion into the coolant will pressurize the coolant system and create or show a leak that will not show when the engine is cold.

Like I said, get a coolant pressure tester and you will find the leak.

Age doesn't really matter about the radiator. Mine is a 94 with the original in it, zero problems and expect another 10 years out of it.

Dave

 

I would also dismiss the head gasket because we just replaced that about 3000 miles back. It's been slowly losing coolant even before then.

I've looked at getting it pressure tested, and a few placed here want to do it for $45. For $50 I can get a new radiator (with plastic tanks)

I was also looking to replace the radiator anyways before summertime. I have to remove the radiator to get to the hood release cable to replace that, so I was just going to replace the radiator then. And a few months down the road I was going to redo the head (getting a new RV head) and also replace the clutch and piston rings.

So this engine is going to be overhauled in a few months, i just was needing advice on tires versus radiator, seeing as how the summer heat is on its way.

 

you sure it's not just a hose. I have the original hoses on my 90 22re and one leaks just a little every once in a while. There is a formula you can get a t napa that is supposed to help with very minor coolant leaks but if it's from around the block i'd want it fixed right. The radiators in a 22re (or at least mine) seem to last for ever. I've had coolant in there way longer than it should have been, ran stream water(which i don't recomend i just needed water in it), etc. and it has never overheated once, so i wouldn't just replace the radiator unless you were sure that's where the leak was from.

 

It would definately show warmed up when a blaze of white smoke comes out the tailpipe.

 

I'm pretty sure it's not a hose. There was a leaky hose a few weeks back, but I replaced that. As I posted earlier, it looked like it was dripping from the lower radiator hose, so I tightened the clamp (new clamp) as tight as I could without bending in the radiator port. Didn't seem to help at all, so I sealed the hose with a bit of silicone sealant. Still didn't help. Either the coolant was seeping through the sealant (that would be some magic coolant to do that) or it was coming from somewhere else. So I looked some more and saw the cooland dripping around the top of of the hose, and followed the wet trail upwards into the radiator block, where it disappeared.

 

Just curious then, why are you so intent on replacing the radiator to fix the leak????? That is the opposite direction from the engine block.

Back in my wrench twisting days back in the 70's (yes, I'm an old fart) I've seen head gaskets that leaked into the coolant without coolant leaking into the combustion chamber. No white smoke but a highly pressurized cooling system! Not common I agree, but it does happen.

Dave

 

Because the leak is coming from somewhere in the mid-section of the radiator block. Not the engine block.

 

Ahhhh, my bad, I read "block" but missed "radiator". Most refer to a radiator as a core, never heard it refered to as a "block". Poor reading skills on my part!

Dave

 

I've never seen it referred to as a block either, but seeing as how I'm new to engines and mechanics, it was the best work I could use to describe it.

I guess I'll be going with new tires and skip the radiator for now. I'll have it tested and find out where the leak is.

 

Typically you can get a radiator r/r for $50 or so at a local radiator shop.

 

I can see rodding a radiator for 50 bucks if the end tanks are crimped on, but soldered is about 50-75% more... at which time it becomes more cost effective (in the long run) to replace the radiator. No?

I have to defer somewhat about these things since my 91 has not had the radiator replaced since... well 91, and I've been looking over it since 96, and my 88... well I've only had it about 3 years so I can't comment about it.

 

Every old 22RE I've had/sold I've had the radiator checked/cleaned up/repaired for $50 or less, including some that leaked.

With the case of the OP, if that is indeed where it is leaking.