Overheating/Coolant ?'s (Long post...sorry)

[USMCWeatherMan]

I am a regular visitor to the site, but rarely do I post anything. Main reason is because I dont know jack doo-doo about cars. My expertise is limited to oil changes and that is about it:claus.

First and foremost, I did search about my issue, I know there have been lots of posts about it, I think I read them all. But not being a car guy, I wanted to post to see what you all think.

Okay so the other day I leave work to head home, everything is going fine. As usual, traffic coming off base was bad and I am sitting as usual at traffic light, when I notice that my A/C stops blowing cold air. I glance down and notice that the temp on the stock dummy gauge is reading a little high. Finally light changes we begin to move again. All the way I am driving I am watching the temp gauge and its slowly rising. I figure better safe than sorry so I pulled over and let it sit awhile.

Checked under the car, nothing leaking out. After about 20 minutes of sitting I decide to see if I can make it home which is only about 3 miles from the base.

As soon as I start driving car starts overheating again and of course traffic backed up as soon as I make it off base to the highway....so I pull over and wait about 30 minutes.

I am now maybe 2 miles from my house and traffic begins moving again so I started the car up and attempt to make it home. I pull into my drive way and the temp gauge is reading towards the top but still a good way from the red.

I turn the car off and could smell what I thought was burning coolant.

I then begin searching the forums reading every post I can find on overheating which was basically all of last night and first part of today.

I head to the local stealership to pick up some Motorcraft Gold Coolant and swing by the store to pick up some distilled water (driving wife's truck - not the Mach).

Car has been sitting since I parked it yesterdayso its completely cool. So I take off the overflow/resevior cap and remove the shaker to get at the crossover plug. Of course that crossover plug doesnt want to play (read that they are a b!tch to remove from the many searches) so I take the vice-grips to it (I was very, very gentle) and it comes right off.

I take a peak down the tube and see nothing, so I begin to fill via the crossover tube my 50/50 Motorcraft Gold/distilled water mix. I add 2 gallons which brings it up to the top of the tube. I then replace the crossover plug (only tightening it hand tight) and the resevior cap.

I start the car and begin to watch to see if the dummy gauge moves. It slowly begins to climb and everything appears okay. I then turned the heater on full blast. Hot air blows out, temp on the gauge hits just below half way and doesnt budge even after 15 minutes with heater running full blast.

Since it appears that the overheating issue was resolved, I then begin to check the rest of the coolant system to see if there is anything else I can see that sticks out. Sure enough I see what appears to be water (I am assuming coolant) dripping onto the drive way into a puddle with the diameter about the same size as a baseball. I've got to imagine this is what cause the overheating issue, coolant slowly leaked out, possible causing air to get into the system...

I then shut the car off and check back periodically, and it appears that the leak slows down then completely stops once engine is cool.

Again I am not a car guy, but from what I saw, it looked like the dripping was coming from behind the pullies/belt. No visible liquid on any of the pullies or belt itself nor any of the radiator tube, just coming from behind the drive belt/pullies.

If looking from above the puddle accumulated on the ground almost directly below the alternator, most of the dripping was coming off a bar that runs across down there.

Sorry for such a long post, anyone have any ideas what it could be. From the many searches and posts read, I've seen that some people have had some problems with o-rings going bad. COuld this be the issue. I am definitely going to take it to a mechanic or the stealership for the repair and to get the system flushed/burped, just want to have something that may be able to point them in the right direction for the leak.

Also other notes...This is my daily driver, but the commute is roughly 10 miles one way (maybe 15 minutes of driving enough for car to reach normal operating temp). Car has roughly 43,xxx miles on it. I am the second owner, only mods I know of (from previous owner) are its lowered (struts/springs), shifter (not sure what kind), flowmaster exhaust, an Eaton posi-differential, and upgraded gears (not sure what ratio though). This is the first time the overheating issue has occured.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Lonestar7]

If I had to guess your thermostat may have gone bad. Not to hard to change then refill system with coolant and burp. Were you loosing coolant out of the overflow if so this may fix your problem.


LS

[USMCWeatherMan]

Thanks for the reply!

It was not loosing coolant out of the overflow, just what appeared to be from behind all the pullies.

Any recommendations on replacement thermostats?? OEM or aftermarket??

Might also pick up one of those coolant crossover plugs that some folks have purchased from one of the members on the site. That stock one is a PITA!!

[USMCWeatherMan]

I installed the cap on the degassing tank first, crossover plug was last. Sorry for the confusion

Degassing tank/resevior was full so I did not add any coolant in there. The 2 gallons 50/50 Motorcraft Gold/Distilled water all went in via the crossover tube.

Car will definitely be making its way in to see a "qualified" mechanic though, just to be safe.

Thanks for the replies.

[FordMan]

It's possible the water pump is leaking. I don't know if the stock pump on the Mach 1 is like the old-school Ford water pumps, but they had a hole in the snout on the front of the water pump from which coolant would leak if the pump input shaft seal had deteriorated.

[USMCWeatherMan]

Originally Posted by FordMan

It's possible the water pump is leaking. I don't know if the stock pump on the Mach 1 is like the old-school Ford water pumps, but they had a hole in the snout on the front of the water pump from which coolant would leak if the pump input shaft seal had deteriorated.

You were right, it looks as though the water pump was the culprit.

Took it in to the shop, they said the leaking that was coming from where I described in my original post was the water pump.

Having the water pump replaced, I wish I had the time to wait to order an electric pump, but the Mach is my daily driver right now and I need it back ASAP. I'll have to look into that down the line when my time with the Mach is more flexible.

It'll also be getting a new safety thermostat (figured might as well since they will already be in there), as well as a new degassing tank cap.


Will be rounded out with a full system flush along with an oil change. I just changed the oil last week, but from continued reading on here I was concerned that the oil might have cooked when it overheated the first time...better safe than sorry!

I'll repost in a couple weeks on how it holds up.

[FordMan]

I had a Meziere electric water pump back in 2004 that I had purchased through a group buy on this site. I never installed it and wound up selling it NIB to another member on here. I don't recall anyone who did install one one their Mach 1 having any complaints.

[USMCWeatherMan]

Well a little over a week later and so far so good. I've ran it pretty hard off and on, and we've had some pretty hot days here in NC over the past week and a half.

Dummy gauge gets to just below halfway and doesnt budge.