Ranger Mods

120,000 kilometers and a full coolant change later at 90k ago some six months ago and my Wildtrak has just started to lose coolant at some of the many hose connections, generally the ones that use the Ford hose spring clips.
All up the ones I've counted so far add up to 16 ranging from 32 mm ID header hose to 19 mm supply to the transmission cooler to 16 mm fairly much elsewhere and there area lot of coolant hoses !!!
The system doesn't lose much, just enough for the level in the header tank to drop below the Minimum line after say 1500 kms and so far my only solution has been to fit an additional s/s hose clamp, the quality stainless steel ones, 5 mm wide with a 7 mm screw head next to the leaking OE clamp to fix the problem and this has or seems to have fixed the coolant weep and before I'm asked, yes I replaced the 25 psi. header tank pressure relief cap - just in case it was faulty.
I find this most disconcerting as my "old"Land Rover Disco while it did leak a slight amount of engine oil ( as all Land Rovers used to do ) never lost a dram of coolant - ever.
I think long term while I like the principle of the Ford spring hose clips I'll gradually convert back to the screw style that can be re-tensioned and if need be they can be replaced without having to disconnect the hose from its spigot. .

I'm at 126000 and losing no coolant, still running original coolant. I would be checking for corrosion or your hoses are failing. Something is not right.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 8:19 pm I'm at 126000 and losing no coolant, still running original coolant. I would be checking for corrosion or your hoses are failing. Something is not right.

Yes, I'd agree with your opinion.
I'm putting it down to possibly a bad batch of spring steel hose clamps.
I have noticed for example that conventional hose clips are used on the EGR cooler and on the EGR valve but the Ford style spring steel hose clamps are used elsewhere. I have to wonder if they ( Ford ) have had similar issues in the past, from a production point the spring clamps would be a lot easier and far faster and easier to fit than screw style hose clips and the EGR cooler is in an almost impossible service location if there were leaks due to weak spring clamps and they had to be replaced.
Since fitting an additional stainless steel hose clip to those three connections that were weeping coolant the leaks have ceased.

Landcruiser have used spring type clamps for a long time and still do without issue.

I have not seen this issue raised on any other forum. Have you pulled the hoses off and checked for corrosion or hose problems or just fitted extra clamps.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 8:25 pm Landcruiser have used spring type clamps for a long time and still do without issue.

I have not seen this issue raised on any other forum. Have you pulled the hoses off and checked for corrosion or hose problems or just fitted extra clamps.

I checked some, but obviously not all of the hose connections when I changed the coolant at 100,000 kms - all were in perfect condition, there was no corrosion or scoring at all.
To remove the Ford spring clamps I purchased a pair of flexible lead clamp pliers to ensure that they were not damaged, the only hose replaced at this time was the radiator top hose that was showing signs of internal porosity or delamination with tiny dabs of coolant visibly seeping from the ends of the threads at the end of the hose. The total coolant loss would have been less than a tea spoon.
On this occasion to fix the leak I have simply fitted a second clamp on the hose spigot and this has resolved the problem.

Land Rover have also used these spring hose clips for many years and they were standard OE on my 1988 Discovery 300Tdi ( Series 1) and they never leaked either in the 23 years that we had it. Obviously some hoses were replaced over the years but I simply reused the OE spring clamps. They are still on the Disco to this day.

Only things I can think of is that if you have used a non standard coolant, your alloy radiator or the electronics if the redarc level unit are causing problems.

But to me you are treating a symptom, not a cause.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 11:10 am Only things I can think of is that if you have used a non standard coolant, your alloy radiator or the electronics if the redarc level unit are causing problems.

But to me you are treating a symptom, not a cause.

No, that doesn't make sense the KoyoRad radiator has been in the car since about 75 kms and the coolant used from that installation has always been Nulon OAT mixed 50/50 with demineralised water and that easily meets the Ford coolant specifications. The Redarc can have no bearing on the leaking hose connections.

Incidentally on the FaceBook forum - Australian Ford Ranger Owners - a member on it has reported that he has had the exact same experience with leaking hoses - all were on the engine oil cooler and the EGR cooler valve ( 16 mm ID hoses ) and had the Ford OE spring clips, his was exactly the same as my experience.

The only resolution will be to drain the coolant, remove these hoses and the OE clips and measure the existing clips against new Ford OE ones to see if they lost some of their compressive force.
I'll do this in about 20 weeks time when we return from our upcoming tour of the WA coast.

Just a question, Do you think your cooling system could have experienced a higher than normal pressure recently? as in hot.
cheers, Butch.

I'm just throwing ideas. I would be sorting it before a long remote trip not after.

Edited to add more info.

Yours has aftermarket aluminium radiator, after market coolant and the redarc level unit which may use a constant if minute electronic current to operate. Your car does also, I believe never run hot?

Mine has done more km, is 12/16 build, standard apart from catch can and extra ff, has spent plenty of time in the 95c to 105c range and I have no problems.

The coolant you are using may not be playing well with the radiator, or the alloy in the radiator not playing with the ford alloys etc etc. Longshots but as I said before. Something does not seem right.

butchp wrote: ↑Sun May 29, 2022 1:04 pm Just a question, Do you think your cooling system could have experienced a higher than normal pressure recently? as in hot.
cheers, Butch.

No, not in the last 6 months and before that when we were in the Kimberly the most it went up to was 103*C on very hot days and normally it sat on 90*C and that was when we were towing the off-road camper-trailer.
On our return home I carried out a regular engine oil change and filter service. Before we left on our trip the transmission oils ( transfer box and differentials) were changed and the ATF was checked for condition and volume.
On reaching the 100,000 km mark 3 months ago the coolant was changed and some weeks later this issue of the weeping 16 mm hose joints was detected. By fitting an additional hose clip the weeping has ceased and there has been no more fluid loss.
To take the OE spring clips off the three hose connections that were weeping as you would know I would first need to drain the coolant and I'm not inclined to do that at this stage.
In case the pressure relief cap was faulty that was the very first thing that I replaced with a spare that I carry to see if it was exerting excessive pressure on the coolant system.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Sun May 29, 2022 5:44 pm I'm just throwing ideas. I would be sorting it before a long remote trip not after.

Edited to add more info.

Yours has aftermarket aluminium radiator, after market coolant and the redarc level unit which may use a constant if minute electronic current to operate. Your car does also, I believe never run hot?

Mine has done more km, is 12/16 build, standard apart from catch can and extra ff, has spent plenty of time in the 95c to 105c range and I have no problems.

The coolant you are using may not be playing well with the radiator, or the alloy in the radiator not playing with the ford alloys etc etc. Longshots but as I said before. Something does not seem right.

The maximum temperature the coolant has ever reached was 103*C for a very short time driving up a long incline on the Stuart Highway doing around 80 kph and that was on a very hot day, around the high 40's and we were towing the off-road camper-trailer at the time It came back down to 88-90*C as soon as we crested the rise.

As I said, I'm convinced that the issue is the three OE 16 mm id spring hose clamps.

If it was electrolysis caused by the Redarc probe or incorrect quality coolant then why have only three connections weeped ? The coolant used, Nulon OAT meets the Ford specifications and is used by my local service station, D&D Autos when they service the Western Metropolitan Railway Zone light vehicles, this contract includes Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max and 2WD and 4WD Rangers. I dilute it to a 50/50 mix, as per the Nulon recommendations with de-mineralised water, D&D just use tap water so I'm confidant that its not the coolant.
Therefore logic dictates that it was just that the 3 spring hose clamps had possibly aged and were no longer sufficiently compressing the hose onto the spigots and allowing coolant to weep out once the system was up to its normal operating pressure.

Anyway, I'm relaxed. Now all I have to do is check the wheel alignment on the camper trailer to ensure it has 0 degrees of Camber and 0 mm toe-in. I think I can do it with 2 magnetic levels and one large one on the chassis "A" Frame.