Intercooler system leak

idiliogomez

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I have a 2003 mustang cobra. My Intercooler fluid resivoir was empty so i bought antifreeze from the ford dealership and filled it up as the car was running. i noticed the it kept bubbling ( getting the air out) so i figured everything was going ok and i kept filling it. when i had already poured about 3/4 of a gallon in the tank, the engine started shaking and shut off. I looked under the car, and where the bell housing is, i noticed fluid gushing out. ( a LOT OF FLUID). after that, i couldnt get the car started. It kept craking over but it would not start. The next morning i tried again and with some struggle, the engine pushed through. The car idled fine, but the intercooler fluid was empty again. I think that my intake manifold is cracked and the fluid got into the cylinders, which is why the car stalled. Any ideas???
 

TRBO VNM

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Pull the blower. You may or may not be able to fix the intercooler. But what is odd is that it leaked out of the intercooler and then even out of the lower intake?? Typically it would go in the cylinders and potentially hydrolock the motor and get into the oil.

Do not try starting it until you figure out the problem and fix it. You could have possibly done more damage.

Drain oil as well from the motor. You may need to do a few oil changes to get all the coolant out. And hopefully nothing in the motor is damaged.
 

Blueline

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/\ sounds advice above, just to add to it.

You prob. did hydrolock the engine when it flooded the cylinders with coolant. Pull your plugs and look into the cylinders, I bet you will see coolant in there. Do not start the car anymore. Try to fab up something with your shop vac to suck anything out of the cylinders through the plug holes.

Drain the oil / filter completely. Pull the blower and inspect the intercooler for cracks. You may not see an obvious rupture / crack, but you can have it pressure tested and fixed, hopefully.

Let the cylinders air out and add some oil into the cylinders and try to rotate the motor by hand to get the walls nice and lubed while you sort out the leak. Buy some cheap oil, synthetic 5w20 or 30 and make frequent oil changes. good luck and hopefully this is just an intercooler leak with some minor cleanup.
 
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idiliogomez

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Hey everyone! just putting this out there to help anyone who comes across the same issue.. everyone was right, intercooler cracked. pulled up the blower and BAM right there infront of me, a huge crack, unfixable.. just had to throw in a new intercooler. everythings better now, THANK GOD, i didnt hydrolock, and no coolant in the oil either.
 

mustangsvt281

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Hey everyone! just putting this out there to help anyone who comes across the same issue.. everyone was right, intercooler cracked. pulled up the blower and BAM right there infront of me, a huge crack, unfixable.. just had to throw in a new intercooler. everythings better now, THANK GOD, i didnt hydrolock, and no coolant in the oil either.

there is a drain at the bottom of the intake correct? wouldnt that prevent the fluid from getting into the cylinders
 

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