Thread: Car overheated, now loeaking coolant

I fear I either blew my head gasket or possibly LIM gasket (though I don't know if the LIM has water jackets or not).

How can I tell the difference?

I don't have coolant in the oil (that I can tell) or vice versa.

It's coming from the back of the engine near the transmission. It collects (sometimes) in the valley below the SC (making me think it's a LIM gasket)

It leaks a coupld drops when parked.

I was just under the car all weekend replacing the oilpan (what a *****) and trans/engine mounts. All freeze plugs looked fine. There is one hole that looks like a freeze plug would fit into it, but when it's running, I get no coolant out of it. I

Here is a video I shot - the hole is about the size of a nickel (a little smaller).

3800 Engine bay - where is it leaking coolant? - YouTube


Car has 148k miles on it, OEM LIM gaskets.

The hole I was describing is just that - a ~1" diam hole in the casting. It looks like a freeze plug COULD go there, but since NO coolant exists this hole while the engine is running. I doubt that it's in a water jacket (or else water should be gushing out).

The car is fully topped off and bled.

If this were in the water jacket, coolant would be spewing out of it.

I'm not convinced I have a leak tbh.

I spent last week bleeding the air using various methods. The one using the t-stat elbow bleeder shoots coolant all over your engine. So, I know I HAD some residual coolant in the nooks and crannies of my engine.

I've since replaced the oil pan, and both trans/motor mouts. In order to do these, you need to jack the engine WAY up in order to get clearane. I wonder if the residual coolant I had in my compartment found its way tino a deep crevasse somewhere. When I had my engine all back together, I am now able to drive it. The g-forces etc might just be evacuating this excess coolant such that it looks like a leak.

I'm going to give it a couple of days and see if I still have a 'leak'.

I can clearly see the front of the LIM and the back of the LIM. In both places, they're in tact and perfect But, I understand that the failure point of these tends to be the middle where you can't see it.

I have no coolant in my oil (no frothy oil at all).

I don't know if I have seeping. The collant could just be leftover from the bleeding.

I'm going to drive it this week and see if I still get leaking.

I will prolly do the LIM this weekend as it is a failure point. I'm just hoping to God it's not a head gasket as I don't want to mess with the back head - that looks like a nighmare to remove. The LIM doesn't look too bad - I have had the SC and fuel rail off before - just another couple of steps.

So - for a LIM job, I need:

1) The Al gasket with o-rins
2) new elbows
3) new SC gasket

What else?

it's leaking from the t-stat elbow.

When I changed the t-stat, I wire-wheeled the hose elbow. It had some pitting. That' combined with the OEM spring clamp has it leaking.

I'm going to put a light coat of RTV on it and re-seat the clamp.

update - a little RTV on the pitted elbow has the compartment bone dry with no leaks.

even new they're $15.

This is more an issue of laziness (plus I've spent a lot of $ on this ride the last couple of months).