noob alert - is this my valley pan leaking coolant (pic inside)

Update: k-seal fixed it. Like magic. Scary magic.

I read (and re-read, and re-read them again) all the pros and cons I could find, and took the well-considered leap. I figure with a nearly 10 year-old radiator I'm not far off needing a replacement anyway, and I'll flush and fill in a few days to get rid of the surplus kseal. And I'm buying a BAFX ELM-327 tomorrow so I can keep an eye on the temperature, and I'll probably buy a new t-stat to keep on the shelf just in case.

Which engine is this? It doesn't look like a V8, the power steering pump is on the wrong side of the fan. Is it a TD5?

It's the Bosch 4.6 ... just a really crappy picture I'm afraid.

In the picture view is from underneath, left is actual left-side of the vehicle (driver side) , bottom of pic is front

Glad it fixed it, but I'm always leary of running any kind of stop leak in a cooling system. I would not flush any out unless it's recommeded to do so. Since you know you do have a problem (fixed for the moment), I would start collecting parts to fix it right. Water pump, all new hoses, thermostat, etc.. Watch that temp closely and fix it asap.

You have a bandade fix that can still let loose at any time and cause you some serious problems, Think seriously about doing a proper fix, one that does not depend on some sealant.
If you are at or over 100,000 miles consider replacing the radiator along with a 180 degree t/stat and a new coolant cap when doing your repair.

robh said:

It's the Bosch 4.6 ... just a really crappy picture I'm afraid.

In the picture view is from underneath, left is actual left-side of the vehicle (driver side) , bottom of pic is front

Click to expand...

OOOOOoo... you're right.

In that case, front cover or water pump gasket possibly if that arrow indicates the leak point. Either way, Mike is right, that K seal isn't going to hold forever. Eventually, the gasket is going to let go all the way.

In my case, my front cover gasket failed after I removed the water pump for replacement. Unbolting the long bolts was just enough disturbance to ruin the old front cover gasket, it failed not even 200 miles after I did the water pump.

I lucked out and smelled the coolant right away while waiting at a light, and had enough extra coolant to get me the 3 or 4 miles home without overheating. Strongly suggest you collect parts to fix that the right way.

Thanks all ... understand about the temporary nature of the fix.

RacerX: the confusing thing to me about exactly *what* is leaking is that it looks like a horizontal mating surface... the pinhole stream was coming out horizontally. So if it was water pump/font cover wouldn't that be a leak out of a vertical join (ie parts bolting on the front)?

In any case, I really appreciate all the help. I'm putting money aside for the real fix.

robh said:

Thanks all ... understand about the temporary nature of the fix.

RacerX: the confusing thing to me about exactly *what* is leaking is that it looks like a horizontal mating surface... the pinhole stream was coming out horizontally. So if it was water pump/font cover wouldn't that be a leak out of a vertical join (ie parts bolting on the front)?

In any case, I really appreciate all the help. I'm putting money aside for the real fix.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily, fluids can do all sorts of weird things when it comes to leaks under pressure. I would have recommended a pressure test with the fan, fan shroud, and ancillary pulleys removed, as it would have given you a good enough look at the front of the block to see where the leak is. Since it's now sealed though, that won't work.