I was just driving normal on the interstate and the van started
clicking weird and running hot, by tyhe time i got to my exit about 5
mins later it was clicking louder and i heard something pop
underneath,whatever it was i think i heard it fall off the van. i
pulled over and the van stalled out, i let it cool down and started it
up, it sounded really bad and then i put water in it and it appeared
to all start leaking out from underneath, but it got me home, what
could this be?

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An unnecessarily ruined engine. You can't just keep driving. I know,
you're thinking about the tow bill. Well, you may have saved $100 on
towing, but you toasted a $2000-4000 engine in the process.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

CJB

I have a 92 conversion van. It has a valve that controls the cooling fluid
to the back heater and is mounted under the van right about at the back of
the driver seat and took a dump while the wife was on the NJ turnpike .Lucky
for me she pulled into the nearest rest area and called me to come fix it
which at the time was an easy bipass.
HTH.
peace

I am with CJB, either you craked the block, head or blew a freeze plug.
either way, you have to pull the engine to do a good inspection. If its a
simple freeze plug, you might have to replace the water pump as well.

It sounds like you have a rod knockin though, and that means crankshaft
bearings are bad now and you are looking at a minimum $1,000 engine rebuild
to get her back to top shape now..


Ford Tech

whatever freako it was the freeze plug, 5 bucks and its fine now...

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Umm...

First, Freako, when you dumped all the coolant, and kept driving till the
engine stalled out, you did permanent damage to the engine. I have no
problem believing that it was a 5 dollar freeze plug that caused the coolant
leakage, but you DON'T keep driving an overheating engine.

I also have no problem believing that you are now able to drive the thing
again. However, you have weakened a number of internal components from
driving it without coolant until it was so hot it was "clicking." When you
restarted it and it still "sounded really bad," that's another dead giveaway
that you permanently damaged the engine. How much longer it will go is
anyone's guess. Just don't call me a "freako" for telling you the truth
about how stupid it was to keep driving an overheated engine, especially one
with aluminum heads.

I'm glad you fixed the original problem for $5. If you'd shut it down when
it first started heating up, you'd have saved head, cylinder, and bearing
damage...

CJB

What ever happened with this discussion? I ask because I test drove a used
'91 Eco a while back and something similar happened, and a puff of smoke
came out the hood and it wouldn't start again.