antifreeze leak...

[LowSDime97]

so i noticed this afternoon that im leaking antifreeze everywhere. to start if off i was driving to work today and after about driving it for 15 minutes i felt the heat was no longer warm and my temp. gauge was reading at like 210, and BTW i have a 160 stat too. so i pulled over and see steam coming off the motor...but i cant exactly see where its leaking from. so i went to autozone and bought the dex-cool and filled it up and of course it drained out from underneath. its not the hoses cuz i would tell if it was, my buddy thinks its the water pump since its more than likely the original one and prolly jus gave out, i do notice a bit more noise with the engine on as far as the pulley turning the water pump. im hoping i didnt crack my block or blow a head gasket! i never did overheat it, the highest it got was prolly around 220 or so, it never touched the red zone. so my buddy was saying since ur due for an oil change anyway drain the oil and see if any antifreeze comes out with the oil, im just hoping i didnt crack the block or blow a gasket, but i mean if i did a small block is going in it, i have a 93 mustang 2.3L that is my backup car for these reasons, lemme know what u guys think

[Hammer Head]

I think the water pump is one of the common problem areas on 4.3s, so I wouldn't doubt it to be true.

[LowSDime97]

u think ill be alright as far the block not being cracked or a blown gasket?

[Hammer Head]

Cast iron is pretty good about not warping too much.. if you had aluminum heads you'd problably be scraping them if they got too hot. I think you'll be ok. You said you only got around to about 220.. I'd be worried if it hit over 235-240.

[LowSDime97]

isnt 235-240 closer to the red zone? like i said im pretty sure it was around 220

[Mikz86TA]

I hit 250 with my 305 iron block/head TA B4 and no issues. You should be OK there with the 4.3 motor.
The WPump will leak from the seep holes. Check for the signs around those holes. Best thing is to warm it up to operating temp, turn off and wait for the leaking. Which may take a few minutes.
I think you are OK. But need to search it down.

Im drunk right now, so sorry for any typos

[LowSDime97]

I hit 250 with my 305 iron block/head TA B4 and no issues. You should be OK there with the 4.3 motor.
The WPump will leak from the seep holes. Check for the signs around those holes. Best thing is to warm it up to operating temp, turn off and wait for the leaking. Which may take a few minutes.
I think you are OK. But need to search it down.

Im drunk right now, so sorry for any typos
ya i was drinking some miller lite earlier...well i did notice when i got home from work and parked it that there was puddles underneath it, also has anyone changed the water pump on a 4.3? i know it shouldnt be too hard i was just curious to see how long it took

[Hammer Head]

Takes about as long as a small block, since they're the same. Undo your belt (on your truck), loosen the clamp & remove the lower rad hose, undo 4 bolts holding the water pump to the block.. use new gaskets, & repeat instructions in reverse. Shouldn't more than an hour, IMO.

[Mikz86TA]

Hour and a half with beer breaks in between =)

[LowSDime97]

Hour and a half with beer breaks in between =)
ya def. gotta have a beer in between times of course :D

[bespurcell]

My water pump went out right after I bought my truck. I pegged the temp gauge several times before I got it home[I kept stopping and filling it up and then driving to the next gas station and so on and so forth]. That was over 70,000 miles ago and no problems. You should be fine.

[LowSDime97]

ya im more relieved that it wasnt too serious, but like i was saying earlier if i did crack the block or blow the head gasket, i was jus gonna build a V8 for it, now i need to get the water pump and put it in, and right now its snowing here in Indiana and were "suppose" to get like 6-10 inches of snow by sunday morning, we'll see what happens

[JONGO8]

Takes about as long as a small block, since they're the same. Undo your belt (on your truck), loosen the clamp & remove the lower rad hose, undo 4 bolts holding the water pump to the block.. use new gaskets, & repeat instructions in reverse. Shouldn't more than an hour, IMO.
LOL...... loosen the belt ( on your truck ) lol

[LowSDime97]

he's a funny one, haha

[chevybrat]

Yesterday I thought I was leaking antifreeze...I had to go dispute a charge on my debit card at my bank and when I came back to work I noticed a green puddle had run out from under my truck. So i'm freaking out all mad that nothing is going right lately...and then genious me realizes my antifreeze is pink. :o Better to look stupid and be wrong about something like that I guess....

At this point I don't really think it was my truck leaking anything because I don't know what else would be leaking that is green. It is however an assigned carport parking spot but that doesn't mean other people don't park there when i'm gone.

Thoughts??

Btw...sorry for borrowing your thread...

[Jay_Pollard]

depending on gear oil (80w90 in front/rear diff) it can have a green color to it if you look
at it right...but its thick..you would know its not coolant..

[Hammer Head]

LOL...... loosen the belt ( on your truck ) lol

he's a funny one, haha

:drum: Sometimes I try..

Heather, I highly doubt it's your truck if you don't use the green stuff. Gear oil may be green but it's such a dark green it may as well be black.. in fact it kinda looks like scummy, slimey sewage water... tastes the same, too.. if you need to ask I fell in the sewer as a kid. SO ANYWAYS.. don't sweat the petty stuff & don't pet the sweaty stuff!

[87wildside]

How the hell did you manage to fall in a sewer?

[Hammer Head]

It was an open sewer.. ditch. whatever you wanna call it. It was pretty gross.. I took a couple showers to get the **** off.

[Jay_Pollard]

dont be tellin her not to pet the sweaty stuff...how would you like it if I told your gf not to do that? lol

[Hammer Head]

I'd problably be happy.. cause then I could eat & watch tv in peace.

[87wildside]

lmao

[LowSDime97]

so i started tering into the water pump today and taking the shroud off and theres a nut that is connected to the fan that threads into the water pump, well its damn near impossible taking it off since the belt doesnt help put tension on the pulley cuz it just spins with the belt on, trying to hold it stationary too is kinda uncomfortable, any one have any ideas to make this easier?

[04silveradomykk]

so i started tering into the water pump today and taking the shroud off and theres a nut that is connected to the fan that threads into the water pump, well its damn near impossible taking it off since the belt doesnt help put tension on the pulley cuz it just spins with the belt on, trying to hold it stationary too is kinda uncomfortable, any one have any ideas to make this easier?

It's reverse thread, and usually there is a thin wrench/tool made just for that nut. A couple taps with a hammer on the other end and it will bust loose.

I ended up holding the pulley still with a wrench on a pulley to water pump bolt while busting the big fan clutch nut loose.

[LowSDime97]

damnit, i was thinking it might be a reverse thread but i didnt think it would be, so did it take u long to get that nut loose? and also did u use the special wrench or jus a bigger one? what size was it?

[Black Knight]

Yeah, its a reverse. After you get the fan off, getting the water pump out, and the new one in is a breeze. Took me an hour, but I didnt take the fan off first. Plus I had to remove the radiator, because a side tank was cracked. Ive replaced my whole coolant system. Intake gaskets, thermostat, radiator, waterpump. Been there done that.

[LowSDime97]

ya i figured once i get that nut off it will be smooth sailing, ill start on it again tomorrow since im gettin ready to leave for work, so what was ur method to get that nut off?

[bespurcell]

Put a long wrench on it and hit the end of the wrench with a hammer[Redneck Impact Wrench].

[Black Knight]

Ditto. Except I had to hold the pump and fan since I didnt remove the fan first, I took the pump and fan out assembled. Dont do that. Hammer and a wrench works great though.

[LowSDime97]

Put a long wrench on it and hit the end of the wrench with a hammer[Redneck Impact Wrench].
obviously while holding the pump pulley still take a wrench and hit it with a hammer right? cuz the pulley will just spin if i dont hold it still

[LowSDime97]

and also what size wrench fits over that nut? i tried using a 1" wrench and was too small and didnt try other since i had only 3 wrenches on me and that being the biggest size didnt fit

[bespurcell]

No you don't have to hold the pump pulley. The pump pulley will spin a little but a few sharp blows with the hammer should break it loose. I was thinking on mine that it wasn't left hand threaded but it's been almost 4 years so, I really don't remember for sure. I think on mine I would hit it real hard with the hammer a couple times and then reposition the wrench because the whole thing was spinning. It seems like I only had to do that a couple of times before it broke loose. Look real close at the threads and you should be able to tell if they are right or left hand threaded.

[bespurcell]

I really don't remember what size wrench fits the nut.

[LowSDime97]

ya cuz right now im using vise grips

[bespurcell]

Channel Locks would work better.LOL.JK

[bespurcell]

You may be able to rent the right size from Autozone or someplace like that.

[northcoastrides]

Hey Hammer Head I'm glad I am not the only one to experience an open sewer ditch I was only three and I don't remember the taste..Thank God

[Hammer Head]

Hey Hammer Head I'm glad I am not the only one to experience an open sewer ditch I was only three and I don't remember the taste..Thank God

Ah man.. that taste'll stick w/ ya forever. Good thing you don't remember. I am happy I don't remember being attacked by the neighbor's dog when I was 1 or 2.. I got bit in the face & it took part of my lip off. Had some surgery but still have the character of nice scars. From what I was told the dog had some serious problems w/ kids.. didn't like them because they were smaller that him or something like that.

[northcoastrides]

I can simpathise with ya there bro, my little girl got attacked by my parents dog when she was two, bit her up pretty bad, she's now 32 and still has the scars. some dogs are just no good!!!.......so lowSDime how you makin out with the leak I just did intake gaskets on the 4.3 in my Astro what a PITA it was sucking the coolant into the ports no coolant made it to the ground

[LowSDime97]

i had to work all day today and im gonna start back on it again tomorrow afternoon and hopefully have everything done by either tomorrow or friday, i jus wanna drive my truck again! right now im driving my 93' mustang 2.3

[LowSDime97]

so i tired to progress again on trying to get the fan clutch nut off since i found out it was a reverse thread, and i still havnt gotten jack **** done. im extremely irrate right now cuz this nut is damn near impossible to get off, i mean hell we tried takin a 2x4 and a cresent wrench over the nut while turning the motor over to help lossen the nut, but all i think it was doing was slipping on the belt, the guy that was trying to help me is gonna make a phone call tonight to one of his mechanic buddies and see what he says, and now im asking u guys on what else i should do?

[LowSDime97]

i know it will be harder to d but its tempting to take the pump out with the fan assembled cuz that nut is being a b*tch, but then if i did that i still need to find a way to take that nut off with the fan still attached to the pump...im pissed

[LowSDime97]

well i ened up unbolting the pump with the fan on and my buddy's father should be able to get the fan clutch nut off since he works at a machine shop, i just need to finish up getting the lower rad. hose off and its out, and r u guys 100% positive that nut is a reverse thread? cuz i dont wanna turn it the wrong way and it being a normal thread

[bespurcell]

Can you see any of the threads? If there's any mechanic shops close they could probably take it off pretty easy or tell you for sure if its right or left hand threaded.

[LowSDime97]

no, i was looking at the threads on the new pump where the nut threads onto but i cant tell if its a reverse or normal thread, but a couple guys on here was saying it was a reverse thread and they know by experience, i was just double checking

[LowSDime97]

i was doing some research and found out "how to remove the fan clutch on a 98 blazer" i figure thats right since mine is a 97 and it says in my Haynes manual "97 and later models have that fun clutch nut that needs removed" and it said it has right hand threads, does that mean a reverse thread?

[bespurcell]

If you have the new pump go to a hardware or auto parts store, find a nut that fits it and see which way it threads on.

[bespurcell]

No. Left hand thread is reverse.

[LowSDime97]

thats what i was thinking too but then why were the guys on here saying it was a reverse thread? damn im confused now

[bespurcell]

I think on some year models it's reverse thread or it may have been common on older vehicles.

[LowSDime97]

the thing is tho i have been trying to loosen it as if it had left hand threads, but idk which way i need to go now, god i love my life...

[bespurcell]

I wish you were closer. I would help.

[LowSDime97]

x2...im taking the fun assembly and the pump out tomorrow afternoon, since i couldnt get the fun clutch nut off i went ahead and unbolted everything and now i gotta figure a way how to remove the nut, and obviously need to figure out which was it threads

[Hammer Head]

the thing is tho i have been trying to loosen it as if it had left hand threads, but idk which way i need to go now, god i love my life...


How would you tighten it if it were regular thread? Go that way.. which would be.. hold the wrench so it's at 12 o'clock & then turn towards the driver's side (3 o'clock). Good luck..

[bespurcell]

That's how he's been doing it.

[LowSDime97]

so ur saying its a reverse thread too? that what i have been doing like what u were saying taking the wrench at 12 o clock and turning it towards the driver side, im just having no luck

[Jay_Pollard]

shes gonna be on there good and tight, ur gonna have to give it a few good cracks, im 90% positive its backwards....tighten to loosen, loosen to tighten.. keep trying, somethings gotta give...if ur lucky it wont be ur knuckle like me when i did my 90 Sierra 4.3L waterpump..

[Hammer Head]

One of the manuals I have reads that to get it off use an air chisle & to rattler the nut loose. BTW the nut uses a 36mm wrench.

[LowSDime97]

yaaa...dont really have one of those lol, kinda screwed on that one, 36MM huh? damn

[bespurcell]

I bet if you had the right wrench it would come right off. I think I borrowed one from autozone.

[LowSDime97]

ya i may go in there and ask them for that wrench to get that damn thing off

[Hammer Head]

I believe it's about a 1-1/8" wrench.. I've got 2 or 3 of them.. & a couple 1-1/2" wrenches, too.. Did I mention I have 3 sets of 3/4" drive ratchets, too? They're great when you have a huge nut to get off.. hahaha

[bespurcell]

I believe it's about a 1-1/8" wrench.. I've got 2 or 3 of them.. & a couple 1-1/2" wrenches, too.. Did I mention I have 3 sets of 3/4" drive ratchets, too? They're great when you have a huge nut to get off.. hahaha
Isn't 1-1/8" 26mm?

[Hammer Head]

Isn't an inch equal to 32mm?

[bespurcell]

I don't know. You're probably right. Stinkin' Metric System.

[Hammer Head]

I don't remember either.. maybe it's 28mm.. *shrug*

[LowSDime97]

well i got the new pump on the motor after removing the idler pulley and the tensioner pulley and also removing the radiator for clearence i just need to get the fan clutch nut off and im back in business...hopefully, so wish me luck cuz i need it

[northcoastrides]

here is a quick way to determine thread direction put you fingernail or a knife blade in the threads and turn the pump clockwise if the blade moves towards the outside it is right hand thread if it goes in towards the pump it is left hand....My 5.3 is right hand thread, I think GM made some pumps turn the oppisite direction on certain vehics I'm just not sure which ones but I think it was on second gen V8's

[bespurcell]

I just looked at the threads on my truck[it's easy I don't have the clutch fan] and they are right hand thread.

[LowSDime97]

well all i need to do now is get the nut off and i took it to autozonr and tried using their clutch fan tool but that didnt do ****, so i think i may end up getting a new fan assembly or take it to a shop, but the thing is the nut is all jacked up and idk if its worth using it but it might

[Jay_Pollard]

my set of wrenches goes up to 2 3/4 inch :D
I think 27mm and 1" are for the most part the same, but it may be 28mm..

[LowSDime97]

when i used the fan clutch tool it was a 36MM wrench

[bespurcell]

Now would be a good time to get rid of the clutch fan and get an electric.:D

[LowSDime97]

ya really i wouldnt mind that, my buddy was saying get a mechanical fan to save the hassle

[LowSDime97]

since i have the same water pump as a SBC, wouldnt the water pump pulley from a SBC water pump work on my water pump? makes sense right?

[bespurcell]

Thinkin' of getting one instead of screwin' with that nut. I don't blame you. I've been there.

[LowSDime97]

kind of cuz like i was saying earlier we kinda f*cked the nut trying to get it loose when we were using the clutch tool, i was thinking about getting a mechanical one, but damn idk what to do at this point, plus i was also thinking i dont think a SBC water pump would work with my belt since some of the groves on the SBC pulleys are single and double, and the grooves or groove look too thin to work with my belt

[LowSDime97]

plus i have been looking high and low for a fan assembly for the 4.3 and cant find sh*t, i also cant find a friggin water pump pulley for my truck on Ebay, this sux...

[bespurcell]

One that's close to your year model should be the same. I would think. I'm talking about the SBC pulley.

[LowSDime97]

ya me too, guess i gotta keep looking..

[LowSDime97]

so its final, im going with a mechanical fan and calling it good since it will be cheaper in the long run, i know ill lose a lil HP but o well, my buddy was saying the fan will bolt right up to my stock water pump pulley, that is correct right? i figured he's right since the SBC pulleys are a 4 bolt pulley, lemme know what u guys think

[bespurcell]

I say go for it.

[Droppedbeotch]

i had the same problem and mine was the water pump.

[LowSDime97]

ya the pump was kind of a b*tch to get off and then once i got the old one off getting the new one on didnt take long, now i just need my fan to be put back on and im done, its just i need to get the mechanical fan and spacer, which spacer would u guys prefer? 2 or 3 inches?

[LowSDime97]

bump, anyone?

[LowSDime97]

bump

[northcoastrides]

you need to measure it, you want the fan to sit right at the edge of the shroud opening, half in half out if you know what I mean, it can stick out about an inch but no more

[LowSDime97]

you need to measure it, you want the fan to sit right at the edge of the shroud opening, half in half out if you know what I mean, it can stick out about an inch but no more
so where exactly wood i measure from?

[Mikz86TA]

Put fan on. Put shroud on.
Where does the fan sit? Inside the shroud, outside it, peeking out, etc?

[northcoastrides]

hold the fan so it is in the shroud opening like I said earlier it should be just inside the opening with a little of the blade ( no more than an inch) sticking out towards the engine measure between the fan and the pump that is your spacer size and you'll need bolts an inch longer than the spacer

[LowSDime97]

ok, i figure the bolts that come with the spacer will be long enuff for me to use right? and will the bolts that come with the spacer thread into my pump with no problem?

[LowSDime97]

bump

[LowSDime97]

so i did some research and looked at Summit and found the 2" spacers and the bolt lengths are 2.75" that should be enough right?

[bespurcell]

I think it should be plenty.

[LowSDime97]

I think it should be plenty.
i was thinking so too since the bolts will go thru the fan and thru the spacer and should ahve plenty enuff threads to to thread into the pump, i still need to measure from the pump to the fan to get the right spacer, but im thinking its prolly gonna be a 2" spacer

[LowSDime97]

well turns out that my rear main seal is out, head gasket, or intake gasket is shot, or all of the above..im having the worst day so far plus when i ordered my fan and spacer i ordered it for next day shipping and apparently i needed to sign for it and the came to my apt. at 10:30 this morning while i was at my gf's, that pissed me off soo much cuz they never told me anything about having to sign anything, and now i gotta return the fan and spacer cuz obviously i have no use for it...so what i may end up doing now is build me a V8 since i dont wanna piss with this motor anymore...any suggestions?

[Slacker1357]

if you have the money, buy a V8 and sell the V6.

I'd recomend fixing the 4.3 first... you're likely to get more money for it.

[northcoastrides]

Calm down breath ahhh thats better....drain your oil and see if the coolant got into it if not it is most likely intake gaskets since it is very comon on the 4.3 ( I just replaced mine last week )the gaskets are a very poor design and will fail on every 4.3, if it is just intakes replace them and keep driving it

[drgriffi2371]

replace the intake gasket as stated before. 4.3's are very well known for them going bad. They are made from paper (the early ones were) and soak up water. eventually the gasket gets so bad from the constant getting wet and drying from the heat of the engine that they get brittle and fall apart. water could get into the oil very easy if the gasket is shot.

[drgriffi2371]

If you can do it yerself, go for it. The stealership will charge you over $700 to do it.

[LowSDime97]

ya it sux cuz today was "suppose" to be a great day but ended up being like the worst day i had, ya but i believe its the rear main seal bad too since the antifreeze is leaking behind the motor where the tranny and motor meet up, if it were the intake gaskets wouldnt it leak on top of the motor? so what is a good way to find out if it is the intake gaskets?

[bespurcell]

If it were the rear main seal you would be leaking oil instead of anti-freeze.

[bespurcell]

Do you have anti-freeze in your oil or vice versa?

[Hammer Head]

If it's been run w/ coolant in the oil the oil will look like a nice thick milkshake.

[LowSDime97]

i havnt drained the oil yet but its due for an oil change, i checked the dipstick and it looked kind of a brownish color, meaning possibly theres anitfreeze in it right? but ya when the truck is warmed up while running it pours antifreeze towards the back of the motor

[bespurcell]

Can you tell where it's coming from?

[LowSDime97]

not really like i said earlier its leaking right where the bellhousing and motor meet up

[bespurcell]

Wow. I really don't know about that one. I can't think of any reason for it to leak there unless you have alot of coolant leaking into your oil. You would really notice that in your oil though I would think.

[LowSDime97]

ya the truck runs and starts right up, i think it may be knocking a lil but idk...im jus extremely bummed right now cuz i was looking foward to having my truck all done by today then all hell broke loose, i just miss driving my truck

[bespurcell]

If you're getting anti-freeze in your oil don't run it. It will eat up all your bearings!

[LowSDime97]

ya i know the thing is tho is that idk if it is in the oil totally, jus ran it for awhile to get it wamred up to see how bad it was leaking

[JONGO8]

I think there is freeze plugs in the back of the motor. If one is leaking it will dump alot of coolent.

[Hammer Head]

There's two freeze plugs back there.. behind the flywheel/flexplate.

[LowSDime97]

so where should i start tearing into for leaks? the intake manifold? cuz i do notice some seepage on the block where the manifold is

[northcoastrides]

Dude do like I said and stop guessing! Your intake gaskets have puked and because the engine sits down hill the coolant runs towards the back, so pull the intake off NOW ! you will find that the gaskets have ripped at the coolant ports this is the weak area because it heats up faster than the rest of the intake manifold so over time from expanding and contracting faster than the rest of the manifold the gaskets fail. GM redesigned the gaskets six times and they still haven't got it right. I installed Felpro gaskets in mine their the best! Drain the oil just to be sure and not speculate on wether or not there is coolant in there, I'm willing to bet it isn't because head gaskets don't tend to leak outside they will leak internally and you will see white smoke out the exhaust from coolant, you would also see coffea milkshake looking froth on the dipstick and inside the oil fill cap..So get to it

[Hammer Head]

X2 on NorthCoast's post.

[LowSDime97]

Dude do like I said and stop guessing! Your intake gaskets have puked and because the engine sits down hill the coolant runs towards the back, so pull the intake off NOW ! you will find that the gaskets have ripped at the coolant ports this is the weak area because it heats up faster than the rest of the intake manifold so over time from expanding and contracting faster than the rest of the manifold the gaskets fail. GM redesigned the gaskets six times and they still haven't got it right. I installed Felpro gaskets in mine their the best! Drain the oil just to be sure and not speculate on wether or not there is coolant in there, I'm willing to bet it isn't because head gaskets don't tend to leak outside they will leak internally and you will see white smoke out the exhaust from coolant, you would also see coffea milkshake looking froth on the dipstick and inside the oil fill cap..So get to it
alright alright its kinda weird tho that the coolant would be running towards the back of the motor cuz ur right its not completely level...the parking lot it is kinda slanted, i figure it would be the opposite, but yet again i never experienced this problem before, also i guess im just gonna build up the 4.3 since building a small block is gonna cost a sh*t ton, i figure i would cam the 4.3, port the heads, throw a 650 holley on it, and a full exhaust, that sound like a good idea?

[northcoastrides]

the back of the motor sits lower than the front so coolant leaks out at the front and runs along the intake and the cyl head then drips down the back of the motor its that simple...I guess a build up is all about what is in your budget yes a V8 swap is going to get expensive (I'm up around 8K on my LSX swap)but if power is what you want you'll never get as much out of the 4.3 but if your really on a budget just spend the $65 on an intake set and have your truck back running in a day, you can put your old water pump back on and drive it while you save up for a real motor

[LowSDime97]

ya i see what ur saying...so to conclude this problem with my antifreeze...its the intake manifold gaskets right? i figure it cant be a rear main seal cuz im not leaking any oil

[Jay_Pollard]

Do your intake gaskets....its 10000000% NOT your rear main...your rear main is a OIL seal, and there is no Coolant in the bottom part of the engine...if your Rear Main was leaking, it would be OIL only.
If your Mechanically inclined, since you are going to have your intake manifold off, now might just be the time to do your HEAD Gaskets...2 weeks down the road after you have just finished doing your intake set, the head gasket goes, you'll be kicking yourself cus thats another 65 bucks you gotta spend on another new intake gasket...cant re-use them things...

Thats my 2 cents...

Jay

[Hammer Head]

Sounds like experiance to me.. heh

[LowSDime97]

Sounds like experiance to me.. heh
what do u mean?

[LowSDime97]

Do your intake gaskets....its 10000000% NOT your rear main...your rear main is a OIL seal, and there is no Coolant in the bottom part of the engine...if your Rear Main was leaking, it would be OIL only.
If your Mechanically inclined, since you are going to have your intake manifold off, now might just be the time to do your HEAD Gaskets...2 weeks down the road after you have just finished doing your intake set, the head gasket goes, you'll be kicking yourself cus thats another 65 bucks you gotta spend on another new intake gasket...cant re-use them things...

Thats my 2 cents...

Jay
ya thats probably not a bad idea doing the head gaskets, hell i figure if im gonna have the motor torn apart that much i might as well save up and get some higher compression pistons, port the heads, cam it out, etc. ya know? i was wanting to go that route

[Hammer Head]

what do u mean?


now might just be the time to do your HEAD Gaskets...2 weeks down the road after you have just finished doing your intake set, the head gasket goes, you'll be kicking yourself cus thats another 65 bucks you gotta spend on another new intake gasket...cant re-use them things...

Thats my 2 cents...

Jay


That's what I mean.. it sounds like he's had that experiance before..

[northcoastrides]

OK so now we are doing head gaskets WHY? cause they will fail in 2 weeks? how much does he drive it doesn't he have a 2nd vehic? Seems to me he should be able to get more than a couple weeks out of it..Now how much $$$ do you put into a tired 4.3 before you just pull it and put in some thing better? like I said before DO the intakes continue to be able to drive it and save up for something better....I can't see trying to build a stock 4.3 just leave it in the truck and build a beast of a 4.3 with GM hypo parts ie block crank rods etc. something that will stay together with a turbo or supercharger OOPS now your into it for over 10K and only have about 325 hp...WELL NOW let me tell you about LSX swaps 300+ HP, can handle boost if that is what you like, 25-30 MPG, emissions legal, drivable and dependable will smoke all those dropped trucks and tuner cars and will still be driveable 10 years from now when everything else has dissappeared.....OH YAA do you wanna play are you tired of bumping aroung on your rear axle bored with watching the boys ride around dragging bumper like a dog dragging his butt across the livingroom rug...Kid just do it , the next best thing to a sport bike is a V8 S10............................................... ....................................

[Hammer Head]

..Speaking of which, how's your project going? I'd like to see more of it soon, if possible.

[LowSDime97]

OK so now we are doing head gaskets WHY? cause they will fail in 2 weeks? how much does he drive it doesn't he have a 2nd vehic? Seems to me he should be able to get more than a couple weeks out of it..Now how much $$$ do you put into a tired 4.3 before you just pull it and put in some thing better? like I said before DO the intakes continue to be able to drive it and save up for something better....I can't see trying to build a stock 4.3 just leave it in the truck and build a beast of a 4.3 with GM hypo parts ie block crank rods etc. something that will stay together with a turbo or supercharger OOPS now your into it for over 10K and only have about 325 hp...WELL NOW let me tell you about LSX swaps 300+ HP, can handle boost if that is what you like, 25-30 MPG, emissions legal, drivable and dependable will smoke all those dropped trucks and tuner cars and will still be driveable 10 years from now when everything else has dissappeared.....OH YAA do you wanna play are you tired of bumping aroung on your rear axle bored with watching the boys ride around dragging bumper like a dog dragging his butt across the livingroom rug...Kid just do it , the next best thing to a sport bike is a V8 S10............................................... ....................................
oh trust me i really do wanna build me a badass V8 S10 someday, and it will happen too, just not in a couple years or so sadly cuz of funds at the moment...i was looking at LSX parts and wow...very very cool sh*t! i mean check this out.....http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-New-LSX-Bowtie-Block-19166454_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118QQc ategoryZ33613QQihZ005QQitemZ150187440627QQrdZ1QQss pagenameZWD1V

[LowSDime97]

so do u think my head gaskets will be ok cuz once i get the leak fixed i plan on driving it for awhile since i dont have the money right away for the 4.3 build or the V8 swap...also i was thinking about having a shop do the intake gaskets only because i never done this procedure before and i dont wanna f*ck up the gaskets or anything, the shop i wanna take it to is like a 1/4 mile from my apt. do u guys think it will be ok if i drove it over there and dropped it off? or will that do more damage to the internals? and yes i did get a rough estimate on the intake gasket labor and all...guy was saying around $650 which sounds about right, lemme know what u guys think, thanks

[lucy_blue_93]

this is the longest thread i have ever seen...and just on a antifreeze leak.

[LowSDime97]

bump

[JONGO8]

I changed my intake gaskets 2 weeks ago. I started at 7:30 am and drove it to work at 1:00 pm. It is not a hard job. For $650 I am glad I did my own. The gaskets only cost $11.00.

[LowSDime97]

I changed my intake gaskets 2 weeks ago. I started at 7:30 am and drove it to work at 1:00 pm. It is not a hard job. For $650 I am glad I did my own. The gaskets only cost $11.00.

ya the gaskets at autozone for my truck is gonna cost me like 40 bucks, plus i cant work on my truck at my apt. complex whuch sux but understandable why i cant work on it there...i just wanna get the job done right and the shop i wanna take it to are good ppl and havnt dissapointed me yet

[lucy_blue_93]

screw that. the only thing they can do is tell you to stop. they cant kick you out for workin on your truck. changed oil in the complex the whole time i lived in atlanta. in my truck, dads truck, moms van, and gf's car. all they told me to do was stop and not to do it anymore.

[LowSDime97]

ya ya i know...bump

[Opticon]

sorry for being a noob but im new to this site, um how do i post a thread or whatever? :o

[LowSDime97]

bump

[LowSDime97]

so do u think my head gaskets will be ok cuz once i get the leak fixed i plan on driving it for awhile since i dont have the money right away for the 4.3 build or the V8 swap...also i was thinking about having a shop do the intake gaskets only because i never done this procedure before and i dont wanna f*ck up the gaskets or anything, the shop i wanna take it to is like a 1/4 mile from my apt. (if that) do u guys think it will be ok if i drove it over there and dropped it off? or will that do more damage to the internals? and yes i did get a rough estimate on the intake gasket labor and all...guy was saying around $650 which sounds about right, lemme know what u guys think, thanks........any suggestions? i already posted this earlier

[bespurcell]

sorry for being a noob but im new to this site, um how do i post a thread or whatever? :o
When you go to a particular sub-forum there will be a new thread button in the upper left corner. Click on it.

[bespurcell]

so do u think my head gaskets will be ok cuz once i get the leak fixed i plan on driving it for awhile since i dont have the money right away for the 4.3 build or the V8 swap...also i was thinking about having a shop do the intake gaskets only because i never done this procedure before and i dont wanna f*ck up the gaskets or anything, the shop i wanna take it to is like a 1/4 mile from my apt. (if that) do u guys think it will be ok if i drove it over there and dropped it off? or will that do more damage to the internals? and yes i did get a rough estimate on the intake gasket labor and all...guy was saying around $650 which sounds about right, lemme know what u guys think, thanks........any suggestions? i already posted this earlier
If you aren't getting any coolant in the oil it should be okay.

[LowSDime97]

If you aren't getting any coolant in the oil it should be okay.
ok thanks bud, anyone else have an opinion?

[LowSDime97]

so do u guys think my head gaskets will be alright? cuz when i checked the oil i didnt noitce any beads of water on the dipstick and it didnt look like a milkshake either, its just looked like a blackish brown color which i do believe is normal, unless some of that brown color might be coolant mixing with the oil?

[LowSDime97]

bump, no one answers to my questions...help a brotha out!

[bespurcell]

I think they're fine but, I would get a second opinion from someone who can actually look at your oil and knows what to look for.

[LowSDime97]

ya i know what ur saying and appreciate ur opinions man since ur the only one that seems to be helping me out here

[bespurcell]

I just wish I could really be there to help you.

[LowSDime97]

ya help is always a good thing, and i wouldnt mind someone helping me out, but oh well what can ya do

[Jay_Pollard]

its one of them...i dunno..."Preventative Maintenance" things i guess you could say. Your gonna have the intake off it anyways, might as well pill the valve covers, drop the y pipe, and peel the heads off and do head gaskets. Like I said before, your gonna kick yourself in the ass if in 2 or 3 weeks, or months for all that matters, if and when the head gaskets go.
If I were you, I would take the extra couple hours its gonna take, and peel the heads and do em...thats my opinion tho. You have gona to all the work to get the intake off, why not do a complete top end set..

[LowSDime97]

yeah i know its just at this point im getting anxious and wanting to get my truck done ASAP and the way im prolly gonna do it is by having a shop do it for me so its done right plus ill have a warranty for it in case they screw something up they will fix it, u guys may think im a fool for paying an arm and a leg for having a shop do it, but oh well..

[Sparky2263]

Post #149 in this thread.

Gotta be near some kind of record......

[Jay_Pollard]

150..

[LowSDime97]

its all good, heres post number 151...ya im a lil drunk...

[Hammer Head]

Post #149 in this thread.

Gotta be near some kind of record......

175 post is at the bottom of the top 10 list. Most replied thread was over 320. We'd need to hit at least a 176 to make the bottom of the list & knock out the 175.

[02silverado]

lowsdime did you ever get it fixed? i parked my truck in our shop this winter full of antifreeze and i have been tryin to start it everyday but i was cleanin the engine yesterdya and i noticed my block was covered in anti-freeze all over the front of the block. was changing the water pump enough to fix it?

[LowSDime97]

lowsdime did you ever get it fixed? i parked my truck in our shop this winter full of antifreeze and i have been tryin to start it everyday but i was cleanin the engine yesterdya and i noticed my block was covered in anti-freeze all over the front of the block. was changing the water pump enough to fix it?
i did not get it fixed yet due to insufficent funds...it wasnt the water pump either, more than likely its the intake manifold gaskets cuz its not leaking any oil and its leaking around the block and also leaking towards the back of the motor where the motor and tranny meet, it cant be the head gaskets cuz there would be no leak, the antifreeze would just go right into the cylinders...im hoping ill get it fixed within the month or so once i pay off some of my credit card

[SCredneck]

Just how MUCH antifreeze are you losing? A steady drip? Or dumping a river? Could very well be intake manifold gasket like so many have advised. If it's dumping a river of antifreeze on the ground, may very well a blown freeze plug in back. While the engine is cool, try to get your hand back there to the back end of the intake manifold. Do you feel water sitting on top of the block/bellhousing? If yes, I agree with intake manifold gasket. If no, I'd say blown freeze plug.

Someone help me here, aren't there freeze plugs in the back end of the heads also? I know Chryslers have freeze plugs at both ends of the heads. Not sure about these motors, though.

[LowSDime97]

Just how MUCH antifreeze are you losing? A steady drip? Or dumping a river? Could very well be intake manifold gasket like so many have advised. If it's dumping a river of antifreeze on the ground, may very well a blown freeze plug in back. While the engine is cool, try to get your hand back there to the back end of the intake manifold. Do you feel water sitting on top of the block/bellhousing? If yes, I agree with intake manifold gasket. If no, I'd say blown freeze plug.

Someone help me here, aren't there freeze plugs in the back end of the heads also? I know Chryslers have freeze plugs at both ends of the heads. Not sure about these motors, though.
its more like a steady drip, it does it more once the engine is running up to temp.

[SCredneck]

Ya get her fixed yet?

[LowSDime97]

Ya get her fixed yet?
pffft nah i wish, i could prolly get it fixed by this weekend but that would drain my check and i would have no money again for another 2 weeks...bills suck

[02silverado]

its coming from around the waterneck. i think the thermostat is under the water neck could it be that gasket?

[LowSDime97]

im not sure if i missed this somewhere in a previous post but does anyone know if GM had problems with their head gaskets on the 4.3? i know ppl were saying that GM had problems with the intake manifld gaskets failing on them i was just wondering if anyone had info on the head gaskets? thanks!

[Hammer Head]

its coming from around the waterneck. i think the thermostat is under the water neck could it be that gasket?

Yes! That's also my problem.. I'm going to fix it when it warms up outside a little.

[LowSDime97]

update everyone! i finally got my truck back on the road other than the fact i need to put a fan on it, but with these weather conditions it doesnt get hot at all, i will be getting my fan and spacer tomorrow and put it on hopefully by the end of the week! yes i did go to a shop and had them fix it, and it ran me a grand total of 524 bucks, plus the good thing about the deal too is that the installed the Fel-Pro gaskets which is a major plus

[bespurcell]

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

[LowSDime97]

Glad to hear you got it fixed.
me too! feels good to have the ol' Dime back