Multiple Coolant Leaks Suddenly!

rmcphearson

Well-known member
My temp gauge would not come up past the low mark for the 6 months I've owned this thing. Last week I swapped the temp gauge with another and that didn't make a difference. So I swapped the sender. The gauge then came up close to the midway point. The next day it would not come up past the low point again, and now the engine is stumbling when over 2000 rpms and I have multiple coolant leaks suddenly from
1) The head gasket on the distributor side
2) One of the head bolts on the exhaust side
3) The radiator

What the heck happened? What should be my first move?

-Roland
 
Hi, it sounds like you have a blown head gasket. I can't imagine why it would be related to the sender and gauge. I'll ask if you checked the coolant level after you changed the sender. I would do a compression test. Good luck
 
I am replacing my head gasket on my 73 Comet 250. The engine only has 14K original miles. Mine suddenly started over heating. There was sign of the gasket leaking on the drivers side of the block. I guess setting in a garage for almost 40 years and only 8K miles then driving on weekends, about 6K miles, is not good for the head gasket.

Hope the gasket is all that is wrong.

Rick
 
The I6 ALWAYS leaks on the drivers side. That is one of the standard features of the motor. That is no sign of a blown head gasket in and of itself. If you suddenly get coolant in the exhaust or lose power or it runs rough, then you probably have a BHG.

Check the exhaust. If white - coolant; if blue - oil; if black - fuel.
 
Humm...new one on me Ludwig.
Like to hear more on that.
U say this is another ( care w/2 head bolts) anomaly even w/modern head gaskets?
Thanks~
 
Several years back a fellow who was in charge of fleet maintenance gave a disquisition on why the 200 leaked consistently on the driver's side. The short form was the uneven heating of the head due to the combined exhaust ports at 3 and 4, where the head grows larger as a result, and the coolant flow starving out on either end of the block.

His repair was to cut a half round channel in the mating surfaces of the block. Fill this with round rubber gasket rope, then use a conventional head gasket over that and torque to spec. Of course he had access to a milling shop and could cut the channel with a CNC or similar milling device. This would be very hard to free-hand with a dremel tool.

I don't remember if he stuck around for a while. But the post might be available in the archives. If you want to farm through all those hits that come up when you key-word search 'coolant leak.'
 
Thanks for the replies. It is burning coolant and running rough. I'm sure the head gasket is blown. Does anyone have a complete list of parts I will need to do this job? I know the obvious things I need but I'm guessing there are a few parts that are not obvious. I want to get everything at one time.

Thanks
 
I'll just add "straight edge" 2 da list (2 ck for 'warpage' of head or block).
What could prts B?:
coolant, H2O, 3 gaskets, thermostat, thread goop (for pass, frt head bolt)
 
The water pump is 2 months old. It ran fine today. Haven't even needed to add coolant yet. And yes, I replaced the coolant that was lost before I fired it up after replacing the sender.

These 3 gaskets?
1 head
2 exhaust manifold
3 timing cover

Great tip about gooping that head bolt. I think that's the one that's leaking.
 
Hi, you don't need to remove the exhaust manifold from the head, just the pipe from the manifold. You don't have to remove the timing chain cover. Good luck
 
"...These 3 gaskets?"
1: head
1: H2O pump
1: thermostat

smear that snot on pass, frnt head bolt threads as they often reach dwn into the H2O pump area. Some of us have hadda grind an eighth inch offa that bolt when building/during assembly as the impeller has hit it when spun by the Vbelt to pump water throughout out the 'jacket'.

"...ck for 'warpage' of head &/or block..."
 
Hi, you don't have to remove the water pump or the thermostat. You do need a valve cover and a head gasket. I usually reuse the carb gasket. Good luck
 
B RON CO":z81qw3d8 said:
Hi, you don't have to remove the water pump or the thermostat. You do need a valve cover and a head gasket. I usually reuse the carb gasket. Good luck

This is almost a 'barn find' that wuz simply run:
"... setting in a garage for almost 40 years and only 8K miles then driving on weekends, about 6K miles, is not good for the head gasket. ..."

it needs a lill extra care.
May B I'm "way off"?
:unsure:
 
Hi Chad, you are not crazy. There are 2 questions from 2 different guys, combined into this post. MacPherson asked about his engine first, and Brooks jumped in the middle. Brooks should have is own post.
Good luck
 
B RON CO":ujxvqz6w said:
Hi Chad, you are not crazy. There are 2 questions from 2 different guys, combined into this post. MacPherson asked about his engine first, and Brooks jumped in the middle. Brooks should have is own post.
Good luck
Ahhh, we're pretty tolerant of jacks here, but...
when 1 steps in & asks a slightly different Q (or totally different) it duz throw a spanner in there.
Then again, I loose tack of the OP'n earlier answs, etc hopin around the net'n this site.
I think once I responded to a diesel truck Q in a motorcycle form...
:nono:
:shock:
:oops:
Usually its Ludwig 'ill pull me back from Pluto or (to Infinity &) Beyond !!! :nod:
/OR/
~ our missing friend frm Oz will join me to head even further out there ~
 
My comment was made to show there have been issues with coolant leaking from the driver side of the head and block. I did not ask any questions or for help.

Rick
 
My comment was made to show there have been issues with coolant leaking from the driver side of the head and block. I did not ask any questions or for help.

Not a problem. The issues are related, just not the same. Good advice is never wasted.
 
Chad, I would immediately pull you out of a Saturn, even if it was in good running condition!!
 
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