TIVOQMI, The Infamous Van Of Questionable Mechanical Integrity, soldiers on and leaves itself a bread crumb trail to find its way home. I am currently adding between eight and ten gallons of water a day (8-10 hours running time, 200-250 miles driven daily) to keep up with the leakage. The passenger side plastic tank has basically disintegrated on top, and I have tape holding it together. Still leaks out as fast as I can put water in. But this is my only vehicle so I have no choice but to carry two gallons of water with me and watch the gauge. About the time it hits the "M" of "NORMAL" I know it's time to stop and top it off before the water boils and the pressure gets to the point where I can't open the radiator cap without sacrificing another T-shirt. I haven't got $112 to get a new cheap one-row radiator, nor the $170-$190 to get the new cheap two-row model. I want a three-row radiator, which I am told came in 1991-1994 4.0L Explorers with automatic transmission and towing package. But AutoZone and O'Reilly both only offer one and two row radiators. That leaves me searching junkyards. And I don't want a used radiator, because I already *have* a used radiator and it's no good! Probably the original 14-year-old one in there now, and it's *too* used. Running straight water isn't helping, either, but why waste $8 or more per day on antifreeze when it's just coming right back out? Not good for the environment, either. Everyone wish me luck, cross your fingers, and pray my head gasket doesn't blow before I can afford the radiator. Good news is I found the source of the inoperative AC. One of the wiring connectors under the hood was dirty, and keeping the compressor from coming on. I now have cold AC. Which is a good thing since it's been 95+ all week and no rain or cooling in sight. I love Texas, as long as my AC is working. I'll love it even more when I'm not stopping once an hour to fill the radiator. As for TFI modules, I know ALL about those. Ford used the same design on the Tempo and Escort, attaching this delicate piece of electronic equipment to the back side of the distributor, where it is subjected to vibrations and heat and all sorts of nastiness. I put a couple of them in a 1989 Escort I had, and probably could have replaced the one in a Tempo I had a few years before that, and kept it running another month or two. If I had known it was that, I wouldn't have wasted money on a fuel pump, distributor, and plugs and wires, and could have afforded to keep that particular car. Alan Moore Cyclone Couriers North Richland Hills, TX 1996 Dodge Intrepid sedan, maroon/tan, 3.3/604, 185K 1991 Ford Aerostar XL extended van, blue/blue, 3.0/A4LD, 170K

Have you THOUGHT of removing the radiator and taking it to a shop to see if it can be fixed? Depending on what's wrong with it they usually only charge $25-40 to fix it if you remove it and bring it to them. Usually takes a day but you get it back pressure tested and sprayed a nice shiny black! You could buy a radiator at a junk yard and have it tested at one of these shops as well. Make sure the junkyard knows that the first thing you'r going to do is have it tested and that if it fails you'll be returning it for another. I've done this lots of times with VOQMI that I may or may not keep for long.

I too was reluctant to look for a used radiator at the JY (Pick N Pull) for my Aerostar van, but just the tough of having to pull the heads to repair another head gasket convinced me to go a head. In the end it paid off to go and look because I found one van that had an all metal radiator, I think is two row, but even if it is one row the fact that it is all metal makes all the difference since I do not have to worry about the tanks springing a leak or worst cracking like yours. So if you do go to the JY look for an used all metal radiator mine went for $42.00 after I returned the old leaky core. Good luck on that one.   I know you are going to hate to hear this but running the AC is going to make the engine heat up faster so look out. Also worst yet in an emergency you can actually help the radiator by running the heater and the fan set on high, I know it is going to get unbearable inside the van but it will cool the engine a little and may make a difference so not to burn a head gasket and still go a little further down the road.   Be careful adding water to a hot engine, I always do it with the engine running and at a slow rate so to give the engine a chance to heat up the water so not to crack the block or heads.   Our 1st Aerostar was an 86, 2.8L, 5 speed with the electronic instrument panel it developed a radiator tank leak (crack) about 3" to 4" inches from the bottom of the radiator, by the time my wife figured out that something was wrong the van had over heated and burnt a head gasket (passenger side cylinder bank) because the gauge warning chime did not work. I had to either tow it (last resort) or drive it and add water as we went, so you guest it we drove the van all the way from Corpus Christi to San Antonio TX. (about 150 miles) at a nominal speed of around 45 mph because otherwise it would totally over heat and quit on us. I had to run the heater as I mentioned earlier to keep the thing from heating up anymore, it did made a difference. The thing made it all the way to our drive way on it's own. We only filled it once on the trip when we stopped for food and drink, it was a chore just to fill it in since once you started it, it would peuk most of the water due to the compression of the cylinders leaking in to the cooling system, then you had to run and get in it before it would loose all of the water. Once at home I replaced the head gasket and took care of some burn exhaust valves and the van was up and running again. This is the reason why I own another Aerostar.   Yea that darned TFI problem can be tricky to diagnose, I known of people actually getting on the road after dumping the contents of a cold soda on the module area so to cool it in a hurry, but just to fail as soon as it heats up again. Then some times they fry so bad that there is nothing to do but replace it, they will take a few over heating then they will sure kick the bucket at the worst moment/place.   Jaime
88 TC.
TIVOQMI, The Infamous Van Of Questionable Mechanical Integrity, soldiers on and leaves itself a bread crumb trail to find its way home.  I am currently adding between eight and ten gallons of water a day (8-10 hours running time, 200-250 miles driven daily) to keep u