HELP!!??

[Pontiac Newbie]

Ok so I bought a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix SE (3.1L) a few months ago, and when I did the seller informed me of it needing the intake manifold gasket being replaced. So went to my local Advanced Auto and bought a kit and what not. After a few weekends my boyfriend got it finished, and we drove it home. the next day I drove it 30 miles away and it started smoking and over heating. Got it home (took forever) and looked it over and down deep in the back (by the firewall) there is coolant leaking. Where is it coming out. My boyfriend works graveyard so he only has friday and saturday afternoons to really work on it. Any help on this matter will be helpful.

[matt5112]

mmmmmmmmmmm compression test time.

those motors like to throw out head gaskets from time to time.

[Pontiac Newbie]

i though thats what we just replaced on the top? tore it all open but why would it be leaking from the bottom? in an area where he wasnt even working. i think he brought in a rubber tube (elbow) with a nasty craxk in it

[matt5112]

without knowing where its leaking from its difficult to diagnose whats going on.

It could be a freeze plug, which are cheap.

But it could be the head gasket, which is one step further down than the LIM gasket.

[Pontiac Newbie]

well after speaking with a few people, they think its just a hose (heater feed line?) but we have to jack up the car and approach it from below...Plan on tending to it this weekend once the old man gets a break from OT at work will post and keep you guys in the loop

[ibhuff]

There are 2 coolant hoses that go from the firewall to the motor, they are pretty difficult to reach or even see so very likely they may not have ever been replaced. One of the hoses attaches to a pipe that screws into the back of the thermostat housing, I've seen the seal on that pipe go bad once removed from the thermostat housing. . Goodluck.

[Pontiac Newbie]

ok talked to boyfriend and it is the lower gasket seal. How in the world do we get to it? is it tearing the engine all apart again to get to it?

[ibhuff]

If the lower intake manifold gasket is what your referring to then yes you'll have to tear down to the heads like shown here, also don't forget that the top part of the block where the intake manifold sits requires a bead of rtv on both ends.

[Pontiac Newbie]

what does it look like lower than that? he worked OT last weekend so he wasnt able to tend to the car, hopefully we can get our hands dirty this weekend (weather permitting- northern michigan) all i know its low in the back of the engine by the fire wall by where the fan belts are