LIM leaking. can i just add oil for now?

[Fox]

got back from the pontiac dealer and he showed me a moist streak coming from under the engine. if this is just oil leaking can i just keep the oil level full until i can get the problem fixed properly? cant do it myself, looked at the video tutorial on this site and its miles over my head

basically im asking is this a catastrophic problem? i know leaking is bad but the car runs just fine now and i just bought the car, cant afford a $1000 fix for a long time

also the guy said he found water in the coolant reservoir. looks like it was flushed recently and a bunch of water with some coolant added in, theres also some gunk in the tank. was going to get a flush and put all green coolant in. thoughts?

[dsmuts]

where are you located? A lim on a 3800 is only a 3-4 hour job iirc according to the dealerships.

[Fox]

portland oregon. the dealership is in gresham 15 miles away

[SlowNA06]

Thought it was a six hour job. Regardless, still a chunk of change.

As for the coolant, you should have 50% water, 50% coolant. It doesn't matter what's in the overflow tank - it matters what's in the radiator.
Change the oil, get a nice filter, change every 3-5,000 miles and put in copper spark plugs (for cheapness) and change them every 10-15,000 miles since burning coolant will eventually ruin spark plugs. Keep an eye on things. Unless the gasket is catastrophically borked, the vehicle will operate. When it's catastrophically borked, the engine may hydrolock. So... when things get bad and oil gets milkshake-y, that's the razor's edge you'll be driving on. Try not to let it get that bad. I'm by no means an expert, but unless you're seeing major issues yet, I'd say you might have 30,000 miles on the clock before d-day. Just... do the gasket job before then.

[dsmuts]

I'm thinking its a 6 hour job on the 31/3400 and a 2-3 hour job on the 3800 though i'm not sure. It's been a while since i looked it up.

[Fox]

Thought it was a six hour job. Regardless, still a chunk of change.

As for the coolant, you should have 50% water, 50% coolant. It doesn't matter what's in the overflow tank - it matters what's in the radiator.
Change the oil, get a nice filter, change every 3-5,000 miles and put in copper spark plugs (for cheapness) and change them every 10-15,000 miles since burning coolant will eventually ruin spark plugs. Keep an eye on things. Unless the gasket is catastrophically borked, the vehicle will operate. When it's catastrophically borked, the engine may hydrolock. So... when things get bad and oil gets milkshake-y, that's the razor's edge you'll be driving on. Try not to let it get that bad. I'm by no means an expert, but unless you're seeing major issues yet, I'd say you might have 30,000 miles on the clock before d-day. Just... do the gasket job before then.

I fully intend to get the LIM changed when i get my career up and running and i start making some money. right now im about to finish school and will be moving to a different state.

So the GM mechanic did say i should have coolant mixed with water in the radiator / overflow. However i mean to be in cold snowy weather by next winter. will having that water with the coolant damage the car if im in cold temperatures? like 15 - 30 degrees F?

And when i get my coolant flushed i should tell them i want half water half green coolant?

just trying to do my research before i make a move

i think i may have oil in the coolant, but not coolant in the oil. i will confirm this when i can

[SlowNA06]

So the GM mechanic did say i should have coolant mixed with water in the radiator / overflow. However i mean to be in cold snowy weather by next winter. will having that water with the coolant damage the car if im in cold temperatures? like 15 - 30 degrees F?

Nope.

And when i get my coolant flushed i should tell them i want half water half green coolant?

Meh. Personal choice.

[BillBoost37]

contact Oh4compg, he's in a GP local club out there and if he doesn't do side work, he'll know someone that does. There's no need for that repair to be $1,000

[OH4CompG]

What year is your car? I can do a LIM gasket job. Be prepared for a couple hundred dollars in gaskets and incidentals. Did the dealer confirm it was the LIM gaskets that were at fault here? Oil pans like to leak on these cars quite often.

[Fox]

its a 98 GTP

if someone in this community can do the LIM for a few hundred bucks that would be the absolute tits

im going to midas in a few hours for a wheel alignment and possible coolant flush. i dont know for 100% sure that it is the LIM. i mentioned to them that there may be coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant. i may get the leak confirmed today if it doesnt cost too much

[OH4CompG]

I'd they can confirm that it's the lim gasket that would make it easier to advise you. I've seen head gaskets leak oil into the coolant but these cars don't really blow head gaskets often.

[Fox]

crack in the radiator, small leak of coolant but it stops leaking at a certain level. he wants to replace the radiator. wtf? cant i just put in a sealer? im just gona keep adding coolant for the time being

looks like multiple oil leaks, they put a UV dye in to check in a week. so not sure where they're coming from now

[chevyy1212]

I only paid $400 total for a local 3800 guy to do it. RockAuto for gaskets wayyy cheaper than Napa or Advanced ect. The local guy made some change I saved some win win. Sounds like OH4 is willing to dish out some assistance and already has good reference.

[Scottydoggs]

crack in the radiator, small leak of coolant but it stops leaking at a certain level. he wants to replace the radiator. wtf? cant i just put in a sealer? im just gona keep adding coolant for the time being

looks like multiple oil leaks, they put a UV dye in to check in a week. so not sure where they're coming from now

pick up a used radiator and swap it. the oil leaks, take a paper towel, fold it up, and when the engines cold, wipe the under side lip of the rear valve cover, it could be all wet and running down the block and making a mess. not that a oil pan has never leaked either.

[coolone]

wtf? cant i just put in a sealer?

Not a good idea at all... will clog more than just the leak!

Regards

[OH4CompG]

We can do a radiator if you want to get one from a parts house. That's easy. Shoot me a PM and we can talk details.

[Fox]

ok apparently i have 4 oil leaks. i attached the estimate. maybe you guys can give me some insight?

[dsmuts]

Your lower intake gasket can be done yourself for $100 and your front crank seal and oil pan gasket probably aren't to bad but it's hard to tell without seeing it. Change your lim gasket and see how much better it is.

[BillBoost37]

If that's Midas..they are guessing. Personally, if you want to know where it's leaking. Clean it. Then drive a little and see where it's actually leaking and where the leaking oil is seeping and looking like another leak.

Plus..that will help the guy doing the work, because then things will be reasonably cleaner and easier to work on.

[SarasotaGTP]

I'm not very helpful but I'll throw this out there. I'd Wait on the Rad flush until after you get the LIM done cuz you will lose your coolant when you do the LIm. It can be re-used but I would change out the t-stat when you do the LIM and then have the flush done after so all new coolant and they bleed your coolant system right after the flush too.