I think I found the cause of my mystery overheating!

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curt941

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Clearly a hairline crack in the top, and it looks like it's weeping coolant at that bottom hose as well!

Now, could someone help me verify which parts I need to order to replace this connecting piece?

Also have a new degas bottle on order I'm going to install at the same time.

And lastly, anything special I should look for when picking out a coolant at the autoparts store?
 
Here is my invoice from my last order with fordpartsgiant.com, I believe that 3W4Z-8260-BB is the part you are looking for, 3W4Z-18472-AD is the hose that connects to it. Might as well go ahead and get -CB as well and replace them all at once since you're cracking open the cooling system. If you get coolant on your belt when doing this, make sure you hose down the front of your engine and clean it off really well prior to starting the car...

3W4Z-18472-AD HOSE - HEATER WATER
[Lincoln | LS | 2004 | Lincoln LS | (+)"USA" | 3.9L Dohc EFI NA V8 Gas*HP | With Automatic Air Conditioning] 1 15.62 15.62

3W4Z-8260-BB HOSE ASY
[Lincoln | LS | 2004 | Lincoln LS | (+)"USA" | 3.9L Dohc EFI NA V8 Gas*HP | With Automatic Air Conditioning] 1 52.13 52.13

3W4Z-8286-CB HOSE ASY
[Lincoln | LS | 2004 | Lincoln LS | (+)"USA" | 3.9L Dohc EFI NA V8 Gas*HP | With Automatic Air Conditioning] 1 70.44 70.44
 
Nah, figured I would start fresh, since I didn't start that original thread.

Thanks for the parts list.

Is this the pieces I have seen people calling the "Cooling T" ?
 
Upper radiator hose assembly. If you can wait (I couldn't) Tasca, Rock Auto and Team Ford will all have them for a good price.
 
curt941 said:
Nah, figured I would start fresh, since I didn't start that original thread.

Thanks for the parts list.

Is this the pieces I have seen people calling the "Cooling T" ?
Click to expand...

Gen II doesn't really have a "cooling Tee or Tower", instead it has the dreaded coolant outlet pipe and thermostat housing. Since you problem is just the upper radiator hose, you can replace just that. However, you are very likely to find that the coolant outlet pipe, the lower radiator hose, and the degas bottle will all soon follow. I recommend that you replace all of those as well as the 4N99 part below the coolant outlet pipe.
 
curt941 said:
Nah, figured I would start fresh, since I didn't start that original thread.

Thanks for the parts list.

Is this the pieces I have seen people calling the "Cooling T" ?
Click to expand...

The part that is leaking for you does resemble a sort of crooked "T" if that's what you mean. If you notice on the parts list it also has the prices I paid for them, FWIW I thought fordpartsgiant.com had very good prices and the two times I've ordered from them have been very good experiences, shipping within a day or two and at my doorstep within 4 days.

Also, they have fairly high resolution parts diagrams, which help out A LOT when getting cooling system parts.

Another side-note, my hoses all came with new clamps on them already, which was a plus.
 
joegr said:
Gen II doesn't really have a "cooling Tee or Tower", instead it has the dreaded coolant outlet pipe and thermostat housing. Since you problem is just the upper radiator hose, you can replace just that. However, you are very likely to find that the coolant outlet pipe, the lower radiator hose, and the degas bottle will all soon follow. I recommend that you replace all of those as well as the 4N99 part below the coolant outlet pipe.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I have already had the thermostat housing replaced, it catastrophically cracked and this piece seems to have developed it's crack about a month or so later.
 
curt941 said:
I have already had the thermostat housing replaced, it catastrophically cracked and this piece seems to have developed it's crack about a month or so later.
Click to expand...

this is how it happens, all of the plastic engine parts have pretty much the exact same life expectancy. i started with needing to replace the coolant outlet pipe after a end cap blew off. then i found another broken piece in the thermostat housing, and by the time i was done i also noticed that the upper radiator hose was leaking in the exact same spot as yours. unless you want to have to drain the system and replace parts every month or so, do your self a favor and replace them all and do the work only once.
 
Ok, so tonight I started tackling the job.

I replaced the upper hose assembly, that was easy.

I've got everything off to replace the Degas bottle, EXCEPT for the hose clamp back by the firewall.

Do I need to get a pair of the cable type hose clamp pliers? Because I cannot get close to removing them with a normal pair of pliers.

Also, I pulled the degas bottle out a little so I could look at it and I could see spiderwebbing on the side, so it's a good thing i'm replacing it.
 
curt941 said:
Ok, so tonight I started tackling the job.

I replaced the upper hose assembly, that was easy.

I've got everything off to replace the Degas bottle, EXCEPT for the hose clamp back by the firewall.

Do I need to get a pair of the cable type hose clamp pliers? Because I cannot get close to removing them with a normal pair of pliers.

Also, I pulled the degas bottle out a little so I could look at it and I could see spiderwebbing on the side, so it's a good thing i'm replacing it.
Click to expand...

I find that something like this works well for that one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-inch-90-angle-long-reach-pliers-39539.html
 
curt941 said:
Ok, so tonight I started tackling the job.

I replaced the upper hose assembly, that was easy.

I've got everything off to replace the Degas bottle, EXCEPT for the hose clamp back by the firewall.

Do I need to get a pair of the cable type hose clamp pliers? Because I cannot get close to removing them with a normal pair of pliers.

Also, I pulled the degas bottle out a little so I could look at it and I could see spiderwebbing on the side, so it's a good thing i'm replacing it.
Click to expand...

if you remove the drivers side wheel and wheel well plastic lining, you will see a cutout in the sheetmetal that allows you to get DIRECTLY at that clamp
 
lseguy said:
if you remove the drivers side wheel and wheel well plastic lining, you will see a cutout in the sheetmetal that allows you to get DIRECTLY at that clamp
Click to expand...

I think he's talking about the clamp at the other end of that hose.
 
What is the age/milage life expectancy of these parts??? This way, I can plan ahead. An "ounce of prevention" kind of thing, I guess.

---Mike---
 
Here's a picture of the Degas bottle. This is right under 85k miles of driving in Florida and Texas

20120817_193928.jpg


Also, still battling bleeding the system. Seems there is air somewhere because the car runs fine with the heat on, but as soon as I try to use the AC, the car starts to overheat a little.

I'm going to let the car cool down for a few hours and then start the whole process over I think.

One thing that was weird was that fluid was coming out of the bleeder right from the get go when i started the car the first time.

Do you guys take the plug all the way out of the bleeder cap?

Also, this part:

Allow the engine to idle for 5 minutes, add coolant to the degas bottle as needed to maintain the cold fill MAX mark.
Click to expand...

Whenever I open the degas bottle cap with the engine running I get tons of bubbles and the thing looks like it's going to overflow.

So how am I supposed to keep it filled if that's happening?

Also, this part:

Add coolant to the degas bottle allowing the system to equalize until no more coolant can be added.
Click to expand...

Does this mean to fill the DEGAS bottle to the BRIM! and then cap it? Or to the cold max fill?
 
Im at 155k miles now on my 2002 V8 LSE that I bought brand new Dec 2002. I replaced my cracked degas bottle after about 3.5 years of use and at 62k miles. replaced it again 5 years later (5 years after the first replacement bottle) at 142k. Rest of my cooling system is still original parts from the factory.
 
curt941 said:
Here's a picture of the Degas bottle. This is right under 85k miles of driving in Florida and Texas

20120817_193928.jpg


Also, still battling bleeding the system. Seems there is air somewhere because the car runs fine with the heat on, but as soon as I try to use the AC, the car starts to overheat a little.

I'm going to let the car cool down for a few hours and then start the whole process over I think.

One thing that was weird was that fluid was coming out of the bleeder right from the get go when i started the car the first time.

Do you guys take the plug all the way out of the bleeder cap?

Also, this part:



Whenever I open the degas bottle cap with the engine running I get tons of bubbles and the thing looks like it's going to overflow.

So how am I supposed to keep it filled if that's happening?

Also, this part:



Does this mean to fill the DEGAS bottle to the BRIM! and then cap it? Or to the cold max fill?
Click to expand...

Been awhile since I've done this but I recall always having to make sure the car was level (or ever so slightly elevated in the front) and making sure whenever the steps called for me to fill the cooling tower that I filled that tower to the brim..I mean ALL the way to the brim.

for the degas bottle seems I recall always filling that to the max line and making sure it stayed there at that line.

I didnt remove the bleed screw all the way. Can make it tough to reinsert once the coolant gets scalding hot. If I recall I kept mine maybe 1 full turn away from it falling out of the holder.
 
curt941 said:
...One thing that was weird was that fluid was coming out of the bleeder right from the get go when i started the car the first time.

Do you guys take the plug all the way out of the bleeder cap?

Also, this part:



Whenever I open the degas bottle cap with the engine running I get tons of bubbles and the thing looks like it's going to overflow.

So how am I supposed to keep it filled if that's happening?

Also, this part:



Does this mean to fill the DEGAS bottle to the BRIM! and then cap it? Or to the cold max fill?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's normal. I usually leave the screw part way in.
The bubbles are the air that you want to get out of the engine cooling loop. Let it bubble out.
Yes, before you start the engine you are supposed to fill the degas bottle to the top, not the hot fill line.
 
So let the engine cool down for about 4 hours. Went back and the coolant level was down quite a bit in the Degas bottle (as expected).

I opened the bleed valve and filled the degas bottle to the cool max line.

I then let the engine idle for about 5 minutes (for about 1 of those minutes let coolant bleed out the valve and then closed the valve).

I then ran the engine at 2000rpm for 3 minutes with the heater set to 90 degrees, hot air was coming out the whole time. I then let it idle for about a minute, hot air kept coming out.

I then set the temperature to 75 degrees for exactly 2 minutes, then shut the car off.

Planning to check it in the morning to see what level the Degas bottle is at.

But I'm thinking I finally got all the air out of the system, crossing my fingers!
 
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