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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
Hello, I would appreciate some help in identifying where the coolant leak might be coming from on my 1998 XJ 6 cylinder. I was driving home from dinner Friday night when my check gauges light went on. I pulled over, waited 15 min and poured some coolant I had with me into the radiator and drove on home. I thought I had just been low on coolant and filling it might have solved the problem.However yesterday I noticed coolant in the driveway. Today I noticed a drip. I have been under the jeep as well as looking down from the top to try to find out where it is coming from. I wiped everything down and there was no further drip. Then I started the jeep and after about 7 minutes noticed a regular drip about every second or even faster.
I am posting a photo taken from the bottom of the jeep and on the driver's side from the water pump and block. I do not know what the bracket is.
I have checked the radiator hoses and pipes to the radiator and it doesn't seem to be coming from there or where the lower rad hose attaches to the water pump. I think the weep hole is supposed to be right above that and can't find a leak up there or in that area, it seems to be coming from further back and is collecting on the flange that holds the oil pan up.
Can anyone help? I am not too experienced yet. However the radiator was replaced one year ago by a good mechanic. I am taking it to him tomorrow but would really like to find the problem myself, first.
So on further inspection I found a leak further up that appears to be coming from the second freeze/core plug. Does that sound possible? Here's a photo, it is hard to see it but you can see a wet area to the right and below on the bolt.
Has anybody tried a pour-in sealant like BlueDevil Pour-N-Go for core plug leaks? I can imagine it will be expensive to basically take the manifold etc off to replace this.
To the OP, good job on finding your leak! Are you planning to change it or have a mechanic do it?
Probably have to support the engine and remove that engine mount to access the freeze plug.
Hello, I probably would need a friend to help me if I were to do this myself. The trouble is, it is my daily driver and I need it. Since the leak is behind the engine mount the whole thing needs to come apart and my mechanic just had surgery etc etc. I would love to find a way to stop the leak without a mechanical repair. I looked at pour-in sealants and don't know how that would mess things up for me. Right now I'm looking at another thread here where someone used JBWeld to seal a freeze plug leak on the back of the block. Do you think that would work here?
If you can get the JB weld to stick properly then yes, it would seal it up, I did it to mine as a temporary repair.
Here's the bit you don't want to hear, there's one on the back of the block and one on the back of the head too. I only did the ones on the side when I initially had a leak and a few months later was recovered home when one of the rear ones popped and dropped all of my coolant. The chances are if the rest don't look too rusty on the outside, it's corroded from the inside out and the rest are likely close behind.
If you can get the JB weld to stick properly then yes, it would seal it up, I did it to mine as a temporary repair.
Here's the bit you don't want to hear, there's one on the back of the block and one on the back of the head too. I only did the ones on the side when I initially had a leak and a few months later was recovered home when one of the rear ones popped and dropped all of my coolant. The chances are if the rest don't look too rusty on the outside, it's corroded from the inside out and the rest are likely close behind.
Yeah that's not great news. But I do need to fix this asap. Then maybe plan to do all of them sometime in the next year. Can you tell me what you used to clean the plug (assume some kind of chemical?), did you sand it, and what kind of jb weld you used? Thanks!!
If you can get the JB weld to stick properly then yes, it would seal it up, I did it to mine as a temporary repair.
Here's the bit you don't want to hear, there's one on the back of the block and one on the back of the head too. I only did the ones on the side when I initially had a leak and a few months later was recovered home when one of the rear ones popped and dropped all of my coolant. The chances are if the rest don't look too rusty on the outside, it's corroded from the inside out and the rest are likely close behind.
hello, if you don't mind answering another question, did you put the jbweld inside the plug only or did you extend it beyond the seam around it? in a youtube video it was packed in and they used alot- how thick did you do it and how long did it last? I am not sure why it won't let me post a link to the video, it was on Ross Brawley's channel. "
I cleaned the plug with a towel and brushed it with a wire brush. I turned the engine back on and took a better picture. It seems like its coming from 4 or 5 o'clock on the plug.
I would not add any type of "stop leak" to my coolant to try and seal a leak.
If you are talking temporary, you might get by with JB Weld but it would have to be cleaner then your last pic for me to have any faith in it.
JB Weld makes a marine version that might help as the only way you are going to get that freeze plug dry is a thorough drain and a lot of heat and time.
But I would still try to get it as clean as possible and as dry as possible. Then try to push some of the putty through the hole to get a plug on the back side if possible.
How long it would last is anybody's guess. I have seen water jackets on tractors sealed with it last easily over a year but they are not used daily.
Keep in mind that it's likely all other freeze plugs are just as corroded.
Thanks Cruiser54, yes I imagine most of them are. I did see that thread too. It looks to me like my core #3 is newer but I'm pretty sure the ones in the rear will not have been replaced. Are there 2 for a 1998? One on the block and one on the head? I just can't afford to pull the engine out right now, time-wise or money-wise. And my mechanic is also unable. He just told me yesterday that he is retiring in June so I will have to find someone new.
Thinking to go for the Dorman 565-069 for the ones on the side, but don't have a stock number for the ones on the back, in case anyone can help me out there. Would want to make sure they are good quality so don't have to go through this again.
Ok after watching a video by Ty Baden "JB Weld to fix a Freeze Plug?" I am going to try the Waterweld tomorrow. But, I need to go to work this afternoon. Should I fill the radiator with AF or water in order to drive today? I have to drive about an hour each way. Then I will drain it tonight and let it dry overnight, and do the JB Weld repair in the morning. Do not have to go anywhere tomorrow.
03-13-2023, 01:39 PM
coolant leak mystery
