Found the LEAK!!

[lemonboy69]

Some of you knew that I was having a coolant leak on my Grand Am that I just couldn't find... well, the other day I found out that it was slowly (drip by drip) leaking out of the front head gasket... seeing as I've got the 3.4L in the car... it's a real biatch to do the rear.... well... I started tearing apart the top end of the engine yesterday at about 2pm... worked for about 3.5hrs and called it a day... started working about 9am this morning... I've finally gotten physically into the engine... once I got the fuel rails out, I was able to pull the head (aka: lower intake manifold   ) and as soon as it was out, I found the LEAK!!!   Turns out the little low area at the very bottom of the V is where it was leaking... the gasket got a rip in it and part of that seperated enough to let coolant leak out... doesn't help that that's right below a coolant passage in the block... Pics will come later... just need to go finish cleaning the block up and start putting her back together...!!

LB

[Street_Challenged73]

That's good to hear Mike.  Sounds like an easy fix for you.    And there is a ride for Carlisle again!  

[lemonboy69]

Yeah... since that Challenger that I looked at is outta the question... lol...

LB

[Rev-It-Up]

Good job!  And you saved yourself a ton of money doing it yourself.  

[lemonboy69]

Well well well... after a full day of working the car on Friday... and a couple hours putting the finishing touches on the car this afternoon... it's back together... but, not without some fun times!! After my buddy Jon and I get the majority of the car back together, I was fiddleing around with some minor electrical problems (stupid GM connectors) and he was putting the upper intake back on... seeing as how he wasn't there when I took it off... he didn't realize there was a coolant hose that connected to the side of the thermostat housing...   after making sure everything looked good, primed the fuel system, and fired the car up (after filling the coolant!!).... everything checked out ok so we headed out to the gas station to fill up the tank... everything was (pardon the expression) hunkey-dorey on the way there... then, suddenly, on the way back... I come off the stop light and I'm suddenly blowing clouds of white smoke... sh!t.... Seeing as I'm about a mile from home... I flew the rest of the way home and left a huge coolant streak in my street... pull in the driveway in a huge cloud of white smoke... popped the hood and almost scalded myself... turns out, that hose that was forgotten... decided to spray coolant all over the engine bay and exhaust.... lost a gallon of coolant in a mile's time.... I wasn't too happy of a camper... so, once I got that straightened out, filled her back up and she's running great!!!! No more head gasket leaking...

7 new gaskets for the car - $95
3 days of busting your knucles on new car technology - Labor $$$$
Forgetting the one coolant hose - PRICELESS!!!

Lesson learned!

Here are some pics!

LB


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[lemonboy69]

Ok... in the pic above... the hose that was left off is in the upper right corner... it's got the orange circle on it...

The place where the gasket is missing is where it was leaking... the little valley just to the right of the empty gasket area is what was filling up, over flowing on to my trans housing... and splattering the underside of the car with coolant.... I'm glad it's all fixed now!!!

This next pic is just an over-all shot of the engine... get this, you have to loosen the rocker arms and pull the pushrods out to pull the head gaskets....how retarded!! But, anyways... there she is... a 96,000 mile GM 3.4L engine apart to the rockers and push rods... she looks naked to me...

LB


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[BIG MIKE]

did you put some high temp silicone around the oil pump drive? ...they leak oil there...

sorry i did catch the post sooner

[lemonboy69]

I-ummm... didn't see any oil pump drive... the second pic was as far as it was torn down, minus the other valve cover coming off... I did use Permatex on the bottom of the V area... and the valve covers... only where it called for it...

LB

[BIG MIKE]

here for next time...sorry i didn't see the post till it was too late.

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[lemonboy69]

Gotcha... hopefully there won't be a next time..   luckily none of my friends have a Grand Am... lol!!!!

LB

[MoparMan]

 Glad you got your car fixed LB. But them pics look foreign (GM) to me.

MoparMan

[lemonboy69]

No kidding... GM's the only company that makes you pull the pushrods to get the head gasket off....

LB

[MoparMan]

 ooohh.. Sorry to hear that Bud.. You did have some fun didn't ya'?  

MoparMan

[lemonboy69]

You could say that... remind me to never do that again tho!!!!!

LB