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Fluid leaking from exhaust manifold & exhaust


squid267

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Dec 28, 2020
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Vehicle Year
1987
Vehicle
Ford Bronco II
Engine Size
2.9
Suspension Style
2WD
Hey y'all

Bought a 87 Ford Bronco II as a project car back in October. It started leaking fluid from the exhaust manifold and the exhaust. I'm having a tough time determine if it's fuel leaking or if somehow coolant is getting in. It definitely smells like gasoline but when I touch it seems like it could also be coolant. Here's a video I took. I'm hoping identifying the leak might help my figure what the fix is. I'm hoping it's not a blown head!

 


duffy

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Vehicle Year
1989
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Ford Bronco II
That sure does look like antifreeze......I would guess a blown head gasket or a cracked head. Those year of engines had a weak heads that would crack if overheated. If you yank that head off you'll probably find antifreeze in the cylinders. Don't run it as coolant will eat the bearings if it gets in the oil.
 

McWillies

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Louisiana
Vehicle Year
1989
Vehicle
Ford Bronco II
Engine Size
2.9l
Suspension Style
4wd
I might be a bit late now but a surefire way to know that it is a head gasket is to pull your radiator cap off (when the engine isn't running please, unless you like boiling hot fluid touching your eyeballs), then start the engine, and watch the fluid level in the radiator. With as much fluid as there is coming out of that exhaust you'll be able to watch the level drop. If it is, congrats, you have a blown head gasket or two and possibly a cracked head or two. If the head is cracked you'll probably be able to see bubbles consistently in the coolant and if you rev the engine you'll get more bubbles and maybe even fluid shoot out the rad (watch your eyeballs... wait how do you do that). That truck is running rough as hell, sounds like a thumper cam and the engine is about to jump out of the bay and run off into the woods.
 

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