BAD coolant leak

**hissin'98** · 10-08-2005, 03:23 PM

As i was driving to school the other day, i started to smell buring coolant just when i parked. I looked under and it was bad. It looked like it was leaking around above the crossmember. I got it home later and put it on stands. It seriouly looked like it was leaking from the top engine mount bolt. First it seemed like it was from the water pump and running along the head and down so i pulled the water pump and it was perfect. I also unbolted the a/c compressor to see better and it looks like a blown head gasket. Fluid is clean and i didn't see how it could have blown the water jacket out. no water in oil either, no sound change, nothing. I'm running 5 psi and 9psi on high boost but very rarely. I didn't think it could have been a head gasket but maybe i'm wrong. What do you guys think???

It has been sitting a day and a half and still drips fast. I didn't think a head gasket could leak that fast.

**ninobrn99** · 10-08-2005, 03:33 PM

you know what, I do think it could be your head gasket. get this: Ok, for the past few months I saw coolant on my kmember and along the tranny lines. I also thought it was the waterpump, but it was dry. i was also noticing issues with performance, then after a cam swap i started having misfires on 2 cylinders... 5 and 7. They're on the same side, coolant was leaking, ive had to fill it once, so it wasnt that bad, but i have the heads off now and the gasket was pretty bad...that and a bent valve

I never thought much of the leak, but wondered where it was coming from cause it was fresh (still wet, not dry) good luck with it. Oh and I thought about this just this morning too...funny!
Nino

BlackHawk T/A · 10-09-2005, 01:09 AM

I would stop driving it. If its a head gasket you have coolant getting into your oil which is "not" good.

**Sarge** · 10-09-2005, 09:54 AM

Does the oil on your dipstick look like a cappachino? (sp?)
If it has any white/tan frothy looking crap...that is anti-freeze in your oil....stop driving...replace your head gasket....and after you get her all fixed up....flush that oil out...run some Castrol or Havoline dino oil through there with a good filter for about 200 miles...then drain and run whatever you were running before...

**hissin'98** · 10-09-2005, 10:25 AM

There is no water in the oil as I wrote in my first post. The antifreeze looks clean and there wasn't any performance change but as soon as i found out that it was pouring out, i didn't take the car out and see if it ran different, just took it home before it would get too hot. Is there a freeze plug under the engine mount? I'm going to take the mount off and see where it's coming from because it's really hard to see. I'm praying that it's only a gasket and not the block but I didn't think you could crack the block at 5 psi, with the stock setup. I've seen guys running upwards of 14-15 psi and no problems.

**hissin'98** · 10-09-2005, 02:21 PM

so i've taken the engine mount out, starter and ac braket and it looks cleaner than clean. I mean no discolor from coolant leaks, no blowouts or anything. I'm at a loss! I guess my next step is to put it back together without the motor mount and start it to pressurize the system and see where it leaks from.

**hissin'98** · 10-09-2005, 08:32 PM

Got it back together minus the ac bracket and pump and just as i was filling up the rad, it started leaking instantly through the head gasket. I found this weird cause i'm not running high boost, haven't run into detonation or anything. The only possiblity I can think of is when the previous owner (first) had the pushrods replace and a valve and the heads weren't torqued properly or didn't use a new set of head bolts, which let the head lift slightly to cause this.

**Liquifire** · 10-09-2005, 09:04 PM

that sucks but at least you found the leak......

**Redphoenix1998** · 10-10-2005, 01:49 AM

damn, is it just me or is everyone blowing a head gasket

I blew mine too!

**hissin'98** · 10-10-2005, 10:30 AM

now for the most popular question yet. which head gaskets are recommended the most? I do plan on a head swap and a bit more boost. I've heard cometic are great as well as the GM MLS. It's worth the money to buy the best set of head gaskets to never do this again.

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 10-10-2005, 10:49 AM

I run the stock GM MLS gaskets.

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 10-10-2005, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by hissin'98

Got it back together minus the ac bracket and pump and just as i was filling up the rad, it started leaking instantly through the head gasket. I found this weird cause i'm not running high boost, haven't run into detonation or anything. The only possiblity I can think of is when the previous owner (first) had the pushrods replace and a valve and the heads weren't torqued properly or didn't use a new set of head bolts, which let the head lift slightly to cause this.

But where exactly is it leaking? I can't see it leaking like that from a head gasket.

**ibanez7** · 10-10-2005, 12:19 PM

i blew the head gaskets on my LT1, along with one of the banjo bolts that ran behind the intake. The fluid was coolant was clean and so was the oil, nothing mixed whatsoever. So my bet is the head gasket.

If it is, get you head(s) machined(resurfaced) before reinstalling.

**Redphoenix1998** · 10-10-2005, 01:29 PM

If you overheated, from what I have heard the heads may have a slight warpage to it so they would have to be re machined. I was looking into the cometic gaskets. Maybe you should get the 3.91" bore baskets with the 0.51" deck height cause it will drop your compression to run boost a little more safely. I've known a few vortech and procharged guys running these gaskets on the stock bottom and they've had no issues

**hissin'98** · 10-10-2005, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Redphoenix1998

If you overheated, from what I have heard the heads may have a slight warpage to it so they would have to be re machined. I was looking into the cometic gaskets. Maybe you should get the 3.91" bore baskets with the 0.51" deck height cause it will drop your compression to run boost a little more safely. I've known a few vortech and procharged guys running these gaskets on the stock bottom and they've had no issues

It never overheated in the past and didn't in this situation. The second I saw it leaked, the low coolant light came on and I topped it off and took it home. I think I will use the cometic gaskets if I can get them in a thick set. Also, I have a set of new heads to play with so I won't have to bother with resurfacing or milling the stock heads. I'm positive there is nothing wrong with them. Like I said, the second it started leaking, it only went 8 easy going miles home. Thanks for all the help!

***Ed Blown Vert*** · 10-10-2005, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by hissin'98

Got it back together minus the ac bracket and pump and just as i was filling up the rad, it started leaking instantly through the head gasket. I found this weird cause i'm not running high boost, haven't run into detonation or anything. The only possiblity I can think of is when the previous owner (first) had the pushrods replace and a valve and the heads weren't torqued properly or didn't use a new set of head bolts, which let the head lift slightly to cause this.

Are you sure it isn't leaking by the throttle body bypass lines on the heads?

**hissin'98** · 10-10-2005, 08:52 PM

oh yeah, i took everything off and there wasn't any sign of coolant up there or driping down. That's why i couldn't figure out why it was leaking just above the engine mount. Once it started leaking, i used a towel to dry and you could see it continue to seep through the gasket. I was seeping out through through the front part and leaking down the gasket groove a little to just above the mount and then down.

**ninobrn99** · 10-11-2005, 06:50 AM

i would just get the gm mls gaskets. i think a thicker gasket with more quench would slightly lower compression, wouldnt it? Well let us know what the outcome is.