[All Black SVT]

second time this year my coolant has started to leak on me. last time it was the O-ring and im sure it is that again. is this because i have the ginnie pig year? is there anything to stop this for good or do i just have to keep replacing and replacing??? thanks for looking dudes

 

[JohnMichael]

It might also be a bad Thermostat Housing...a bit more expensive than an O-Ring. I had the same leak, but mine ended up being just the rubber O-Ring.

 

[All Black SVT]

is there a solution to the O-ring though? or do i just have to bite the bullet and replace it over and over?

 

[JohnMichael]

What I did was to buy a VERY slightly larger O-ring and shave it down to where I had to force it into the housing...never had another leak and I had my SVT for 72k miles.

 

[All Black SVT]

do you have a picture of where the housing is?? by any chance?

 

[JohnMichael]

It's under here...that's the thermo housing.

And this is the actual aluminum plug that the o-ring is attached to...

 

[JohnMichael]

This is the clip that you pull to get the plug out...

And this is the o-ring I got from Lowe's...

 

[WD40]

Moved to "Ford Focus Technical Chat".
Looks like JohnMichael got you covered.

By the way, did you use the factory O-Ring, or an aftermarket one?
It has been shown that an aftermarket O-Ring made of "Viton" will last longer.
Fixed the coolant leak today, pics

 

[sexy2002svt]

^^^yup, thats the thread that i followed to get mine fixed and it hasn't caused me any problems since then...........*crosses fingers*

 

[NOWAY]

that looks like the same spot im having a leak come from. and i just hit 70k miles on my svtf.

 

[FociBoi121]

i ended up buying a new thermostat housing and it still kept leaking after install so the cap where the three torx screws hold the thermostat in place does not come with a new housing (well for a non-svt at least)so i sealed it with high temp silicone
as well as somea little on the o-ring itself just in case

and my problem was solved also a new thermostat is cheap to replace whenever possible while your messing with the housing

 

[All Black SVT]

Awesome thanks Jmichael. really appreciated

 

[dirtbrown]

^^^^yah its a real easy fix....I was confused as to where it was also...its run underneath the housing on the SVT's.

 

[NOWAY]

glad i looked on here for this helps alot.

 

[Peregrine]

To the thread starter, you may as well change out the entire thermohousing and swap in new Viton Orings then. Despite changing the rings repeatedly, more than likely the housing itself is failing.

The opening of the housing that sits right up next to the block tends to flake and crack on the lowest part of the circumference and will allow coolant to seep past the larger seal causing a "U" shaped bend in that gasket.

 

[MrsZR7]

I'm having the same problem with my '02 ZX5. I just bought the car in April, and it has been using coolant like crazy. Apparently it was a problem that the previous owner had noticed, and tried pouring that powdered stop-leak crap in the expansion tank.

I'm now in the process of flushing the system to see where the leak is coming from, but the expansion tank is NASTY!! I'd really like to avoid hooking that one back up, but I've looked all over for a new one, and I'm striking out so far. Any ideas??

 

[Peregrine]

^^Where are the puddles forming underneath the car after driving it?

 

[svtf1417]

Not trying to steal the thread but this is pretty much on topic. Would those same rubber o-rings fit the sensor on the top and what size exactly are those o rings your got from lowes?? Im pretty sure mine is leaking out of there and Ive already replaced the bottom one and I can tell if its the bottom one.

 

[scrammer]

I have Viton#109 o-rings if anyone needs them i have quite a few that i will never use. just shoot me your addy and ill send them out.

unlike the #203's, the #109's fit much better in the housing. many of us who have tried the #203's have experienced shaved o-rings or even worse, broken t-stat housings(me) the 203's are just a tad too large.

again, PM me your addy and ill send some out FREE!!

 

[SVT_ME]

This is from brawls43 in this thread -

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1942305


Sidenote: The proper size O-ring to use is actually a METRIC o-ring. Remember that Ford converted all its cars to Metric, not to mention the Focus was originally designed in Europe, where metric is the standard. After reading some people used #203 and some used #202, I checked into the metric's and there happens to be a standard metric size right between a #202 and #203. Its a 7mm ID, 13mm OD, 3mm cross-section.

This is what i went with and it was a perfect fit. I to have extras if anyone should need them.