New head cylinder now leaking coolant around gasket

turbowagon1776 · Post by **turbowagon1776** » 09 Mar 2012, 13:04

Problem is he had to have heart surgery and is out, he will not even return my phone calls at this point... :/ does it sound like just the intake manifold gasket or a much bigger problem because it is leaking from both gaskets? Is this a fix for a novice? I may have access to torque wrench. Any suggestions on what I should do?

Post by **regent** » 09 Mar 2012, 16:05

I am getting confused now; how can there be a coolant leak from the intake manifold? The flange with rubber hose on the left is your thermostat housing, no?
Can you put some arrows on the leak points,
Thanks

turbowagon1776 · Post by **turbowagon1776** » 09 Mar 2012, 17:37

The black hose goes to my radiator. Im confused as well but there really is coolant leaking from both these gaskets.

Post by **regent** » 09 Mar 2012, 19:36

Got it.
Your engine seems to be a 4-cyl. in-line B230F.

The leak appears to be from the T-stat housing, which is very close to the #1 Cyl. intake.
You might want to have a spare gasket on hand to fix that, or first verify that the 2 nuts on the T-stat housing flange are torqued to specs. The other possible culprit may be the T-stat gasket being pinched between the mating surfaces during install.
Please see attached; hope this helps.

Have a great weekend!

Post by **MoVolvos** » 09 Mar 2012, 23:29

Correct me if I am wrong but the intake gasket can not be related to a coolant leak? From the picture it is obviously from the T-Stat Housing and is traveling over to the intake area giving you the impression that it is leak there.

Blessings,

BKM

Post by **regent** » 10 Mar 2012, 10:41

I was trying to make the same point, and that's why I included the head diagram.
I apologize if I created any confusion. Thanks.

Post by **JDS60R** » 10 Mar 2012, 10:43

Yes, me too
That is my thought as well. That freeze plug could have sprung a small leak but I can't see any moisture in that area.
Best Idea would be to pressure test the cooling system and make sure. I prefer to do it after the addition of leak dye to clarify the source of the leak.

I wish he could take it back to the man who did it but it sounds like he has failing health. It may be in the OP's best interest to just change the gasket to the cooling pipe flange and see if it resolves the concern.

turbowagon1776 · Post by **turbowagon1776** » 11 Mar 2012, 15:46

Well I think im just confusing myself now... the leak only appears in the morning when it is cool and not during the day or at night at all and I could visually see the coolant seaping through the gasket of the t stat housing this morning. I ended up torquing down on the bolts and the leak seemed to stop. Only thing is after doing that I held a rag under the t stat housing and I saw seapage and steam from between the block and head right underneath that couldn't possibly be the from the t stat housing. There was a lot of coolant leaking from the night before is it possible that it got stuck somewhere and was just burning off, running out? It looked more like the very first picture I took and it looked like the steam and the seapage was definatly coming from one spot, not just everywhere next to the head and block. Im going to keep trying to find the leak again but I think it is too warm out now. but if it turnes out that both spots were leaking in the same area could I simply try tightening down on all the head bolts in sequence by a hair and see if that helps? I know these gaskets are weird. Such a strange coincidence that both leaks would be happening in the same spot.

Post by **regent** » 11 Mar 2012, 16:26

On a cold engine, you need to drain some of the coolant, then remove the two nuts that hold the T-stat housing flange to the head, remove the housing, the T-stat with its rubber gasket, and remove the gasket from the flange. Then clean the mating faces very well, check for burrs and clean them. Inspect the rubber gasket on the T-stat all around its perimeter for evidence of it having been pinched between the flange and the head, and replace it if required.
Then you put everything back together (using a new gasket on the housing flange will work better than re-using the old one), and refill your coolant through the expansion resevoir. That's that.

I do not see the need to touch any of the fasteners on the intake manifold flanges at all.

turbowagon1776 · Post by **turbowagon1776** » 11 Mar 2012, 17:52

Yea im not talking about the intake manifold im talking head gasket now... I saw steam and seaping from between the block and the head directly below the t stat housing. I fixed the t stat housing leak it is no longer an issue. To test, I held a clean cloth around it and I saw the leaking from the head gasket continue while the t state housing was completely dry according to the cloth. So I was wondering if coolant could have somehow seaped its way between the block and the head and the heat was causing it to seap back out in one spot??? or if I have a blown head gasket... it looked like the first picture I posted from the same exact area. At this moment it is running and has been all day and I see no leaks at all.
My qustion is if it turns out to be the head gasket and not just leftover coolant from the t stat housing leak... can I tighten the head bolts down a tiny bit to give a little better seal since it is only leaking when cold, and not when the gasket and metal heat up to expand temporarily sealing the leak?

New head cylinder now leaking coolant around gasket

Re: New head cylinder now leaking coolant around gasket