Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing 4/4 Sport - leaking cooling house

I spotted some loss of coolant the other day (also when cold), coming from the “thermostat housing” at the rear end of the engine (just under the coil pack). I could see cooling water between the coilpack and cooling housing (and on the floor under the car). This is the housing where the temperature sensor is attached and the water hose from top of the radiator fits. This housing is known for leaking on older versions of the engine (when fitted to Focus’ etc), from the O-ring around the temp sensor or the O-ring between the housing and engine block. The housing itself is also known to break internal.

All hoses on my Mog were tight fit, no leak there. With this in mind, I took of the housing yesterday, only to find that the O-ring around the temp sensor looks OK and the rubber gasket between the house and block also looked OK. The housing it self looks like an improvement from previous models, with another sealing to the block and 4 bolts (not 3 as earlier). I’ll try and find new O-ring and gasket today and refit it all, but before this – any ideas or suggestions what to look for?

Torstein

4/4 Sport 2009
1.6 Ford Sigma engine

Update:
Further investigation, waiting for new gaskets, told me that there have been reports of a leaking water hose (going from the heater matrix to the water housing at the rear of the engine). This hose is 16mm in one end and 25mm in the other end – and the hose itself has a part number that shows it’s meant for a Ford Escort early 90s. It’s also reported from early engines, that a plug/bolt (fitted with a Allen key) between sparkplugs in the top could leak.

I finally got the new gasket for the water housing from Ford (part no 1472862)yesterday, fitted this together with a new O-ring for the temperature sensor. I then used vacuum to test the system, and as you’ll guess, still a leak. I was sure about the hoses and the gaskets, so then I started to search with my stethoscope (with a copper brake pipe bit at the end). I found quite easy a sound from the top/camshaft cover, around the spark plugs, when I used some compressed air into the system. Off went the top cover, where I could see a little hole in one of the two frost plugs. Out the plug went, and a new plug was found at a friend’s garage. The plug was fitted with some Permatex into the engine again. Again a vacuum test, this time every thing was OK.

Looking at the old plug, it can look like it's damaged while fitted at the factory. Anyway: I hope this information can be usefull for others.

Back on the road!

Torstein

The first photo shows the water housing (coil pack has been taken off).





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