Thread: DIY Lower intake manifold gasket replacement with picutes and questions

And you all thought this thread was over. Nope. Got the clip on today after work. Filled radiator with coolant. Turned key, counted to 30, and started car. Ran perfect. Let it idle so I could bleed the cooling system. No heat even when warm. Notice a lot of white smoke form tail pipes with an odd smell.

Uh - Oh. Temp gauge got above half way (never been there before). So I shut off car. I hear bubbling in the over flow tank. It is empty. I fill it with coolant, it is rapidly sucked up. Fill it again and gone. And again until I put another 3/4 gallon coolant in.

Is it time to worry yet? How long for the exhaust to clear up?

Letting the car rest for now.

It could just be running rich and your smelling the unburned fuel in the exhaust and you just have to "burp" the block. That's the best case scenario. Worst case scenario the intake gasket was somehow installed wrong and coolant is getting into your oil or cylinders.

Well, test drive complete. Oil looks good. I even changed it for good measure. No froth in coolant. Went to walmart for coolant and oil and filter. They had a premixed coolant 50/50 for $12 and unmixed for $14. I asked my kids who were with me, which I should get. I probably need less than a gallon and if I bought the unmixed I would need a gallon of distilled water for a couple bucks and would have almost 2 gallons of coolant left over that I would not need if I did the job correctly. My kids told me to buy the unmixed because they said I never did anything right the first time. I was appalled. Then I bought the unmixed coolant and distilled water.

Smell and steam are gone. Could I have gotten some coolant in the exhause during the process?

Anyway, car runs perfect. I have not driven the car on a regular basis in a few years, but I dove it daily for 4 years and the temp gauge was always between the 1/4 and 1/2 mark and never moved (or I never paid attention). When all this coolant odor thing started the temp gauge after starting from cold would climb above the 1/2 mark, then cool down to the normal position beteen the 1/4 and 1/2 mark, maybe a little hotter. Then is stop and go traffic it would heat up a little near the 1/2 and cool again. Is this normal? Our other cars heat up to one place and stay there in and out of traffic, on the highway, or just parked.

I still am going to replace the electric connectors on the injectors just in case, but for now just going to drive and see how it is.

I would like to thank everyone for their help, esp scottydoggs. Without you guys, your experience, and you insight, I would never have been able to complete this job.

Still have to replace power steering lines, left front hub, and get the rear tires aligned. But for now, barring any unforeseen events. I am done.

op- thanks for taking the time to post pics and your sense of humor made me laugh.

oops. didn't mean to necro the post....