Again with my 4.0 1997 cherokee 4x4 ... thanks for help with multiple problems.

Been smelling coolant for a long time, months, but unable to locate.

Week ago, water pump dumped a bunch of coolant. Replaced it, that leak is gone.

Coolant smell continues.

Today I finally spotted it. A small amount of green hanging off the radiator fan cowling bottom-side.

Following up, some wet green on the radiator drain plug.

Looking up further, I BELIEVE I see traces of the leak coming from the upper radiator hose (the fat one that goes from passenger side to thermostat). I have tried wiggling it around etc, seems like a good tight seal on the clamp...

Any thoughts? Is this likely to be a crack in radiator (this is a plastic one that looks to be in good shape) or the drain plug or something else?

Many thanks again.

 

A coolant pressure test will tell for sure where the leak is.

Small radiator leaks if small enough can evaporate before obvious drips are seen.
If you replace the radiator, might want to flush the system and replace the hoses.

 

Pressure testers are great for this kind of thing. Pump it up and the green stuff will start coming out of anything that's not tight.

 

Ok, can confirm for sure the leak is from the drain plug.

The plug has the wing-nut looking bit on it, and the coolant comes from the tube the nut is on. The coolant is seeping from tube when car is on.

Is there a good fix for that?

Should I try undoing/redoing the wing-nut???

 

What do you have to lose except a bunch of coolant worst case.

If that doesn't stop the leak, chances are the valve is shot and needs replacing.
Better yet, instead of replacing the valve, find a plug instead with the right threads.

 

I actually just took a piece of hose, bent it over on itself and ziptied that, then clamped it onto the drain outlet and the leak seems to be fixed. Yes that is a makeshift fix!

If I want to remove the plug, do I wrench on the outlet spout to completely remove it? ie, twisting the wingnut seems only to open the drain, not actually remove the whole thing...

thanks, I'd love to replace it with a simple bolt style plug...

 

Those drain plugs are famous for leaking, especially when disturbed. I think there's a retainer thingy that you can break off by just continuing to unscrew it.

If you break it, you will be replacing your radiator, but then again, it's leaking now so it might be a "what have you got to lose" situation.

 

I just bought a radiator... here I goooo....

 

Had to buy a new tran cooler intake line... clamped the bottom to a hose and ran it to the metal tube and clamped it there with 2 clamps (had to cut the line, couldn't get the "quick release" off)...

New radiator doesn't have a place to screw in the bracket for the new trans line at the bottom of the radiator...

The trans line looks awfully loose around the mechanical fan and the belt...

I ziptied it to the powersteering line, which seems to help, but will that plastic zip even last there.

any suggestions?