Ford Mustang Forum banner

96 3.8 5 speed overheating/loosing coolant.

401 views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  mrteamrope 
#1 ·
Car is overheating and loosing coolant. I can see a pinhole stream of water that seems to be coming from the top passenger side where the timing cover meets the block. Sound like a timing set gasket or am I looking at worse issues?
 
#2 ·
Welcome!

The first thing that comes to mind on these engines is the possibility of a head gasket issue, BUT since you have an obvious external leak, you might be in luck.

Any coolant leak can prevent the thermostat from opening when it should, resulting in an overheat condition. If you can confirm that your leak is in fact coming from the timing cover gasket, replace it. This is a good time to consider how many miles are on the car, and decide if you want to replace items like the timing chain components and water pump while they're easy to get to.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top