3800 Using Coolant

[bigdog9191999]

@bigdog9191999 have you had a water pump failure on one before? If so, where did it leak from? I suspect the pump, but it's not leaking from where the bearing is (or doesn't appear to be).

Usually ba weep hole on the bottom as normal

As far back as your saying the leak is would make me wonder about the alt bracket or coolant elbows also. Those are about the only things that far back aside from the heater core.

 

[exp500]

OR- not the first time a hose leaked around the clamp.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Usually ba weep hole on the bottom as normal

As far back as your saying the leak is would make me wonder about the alt bracket or coolant elbows also. Those are about the only things that far back aside from the heater core.

Thanks!

I'm thinking out loud here to doubly rule out the intake gaskets, let me know if my rational seems good... I'm trying to see if any coolant runs through accessory side of side of intake and it doesn't appear so? So the only way I could have an issue with intake gaskets is if the entire void between upper and lower intake flooded due to bad gasket on throttle body side where coolant passes through intake... Throttle body side is dry. So I assume, my issue is with the dumb brackets for the heater core.

Have you used those Doorman coolant elbows? Had any issues? I like that they are metal, but perhaps the o-rings on them are junk?

On way to buy UV dye regardless.

 

[bigdog9191999]

The elbows are an upgrade, the o-rings are so-so. The best combo I have used is oem Delco o-rings on dormant elbows. But the ones that come with them are good enough for quite a while and are easy enough and cheap to replace.


The intake gaskets are not bad and should take a couple hours or so depending on your skill level. I have done them much quicker but am very familiar with them.

As for coolant, yah there is coolant through nthe whole thing. The upper neck is on the bell housing end and feeds the TB, there are a couple ports into the head then the acc side has the spot for the elbow into the alt bracket, the other goes into the timing cover.


If you do the intake gaskets any of the metal ones are fine, Delco being the better of them, just don't use the plastic as they can warp with heat and time.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Awesome thanks! Yeah I was thinking of getting the AC Delco / OEM elbows and swapping o-rings. I don't know how doorman could have cheeped out on elbows but never have really been thrilled with their Chinese *ahem* stuff so I shouldn't be suprised. Silly thing is at the point of getting the plastic ones the metal were a waste of my time to install. My original plastic ones lasted for something like 170,000 miles or more. The doorman maybe 1 year, 20,000 miles haha

I've done a handful of intakes. I do it often enough to loose the muscle memory. I'll definitely get the metal gaskets per your suggestion if they're the culprit.

Thanks!

 

[bigdog9191999]

Yep the felpro I have never had an issue with, but the Delco are the better ones, seems like both are fairly cheap through like Amazon.

 

[ehollow08]

My daily driver is a 2006 Buick Lucerne. It has nearly 190,000 miles. I've had to do very little to maintain the vehicle (list below of coolant maintenance). It seems to be using coolant and I cannot figure out how. Occassionally there will be a puddle under passenger side of engine compartment. I suspected water pump is weeping / going out. However, it's dry to touch.

Maintenance:

- New metal bypass elbows to replace plastic ones. Those had broken previous. Dry to touch now as well.
- New upper and lower radiator hoses. Dry to touch at water pump, engine, and radiator.
- Original radiator, no signs of leak on core support, holds pressure as well.

Symptoms:

- Occasional puddle of water under on driver side of engine bay.
- Fill up radiator and a couple weeks later will be down about a gallon
- No signs of water in oil.
- No smoke from exhaust.
- No signs of water / coolant leak under hood or on accessories. All dry to touch.

I hate to change the water pump if it is something else. I always like to get a good idea of what problem is before doing parts darts but seriously am completely baffled.

I had a 2008 Grand Prix that I chased around a coolant leak more than once. The first time it was the water pump...I did the LIM some time later as part of a larger project. So I was surprised to get another leak somewhere in the engine compartment after all that. Someone gave me a great tip to loop off the heater core to see if that was it, and sure enough didn't lose a drop. I ended up replacing the heater core, but when I got it out and tested it I kicked myself, didn't have a leak. It was just leaking at the hose clamp like someone else has suggested. Before you chase around bigger issues, I would definitely suggest looping off the heater core, as that's a free and easy check. Or at least take a good close look at the clamps to the heater core at the firewall. It's tucked back in there and hard to see, therefore easy to miss a problem. Also, when it's coming from back there it's easy to convince yourself it's coming from just about anywhere.lol

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Great suggestion. I can see water running where I'm at on side of block by elbow @ intake. However, my heater core lines are on borrowed time. Insane as they are original to the vehicle. 2006, 190,000 miles haha I need to replace them in this teardown.

 

[irwires]

Most times it is the seals between the manifold and heads. Mine went at 110000 and the anti-freeze fried the converter. This is probably why you are using fluid and not seeing the leak. Should show up under a pressure test when the engine is cold. Most times it will seal when hot due to expansion.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Here is why Dorman parts are junk...

8,000 miles and less than a year of driving and the orings on the elbows desentegrated. Was a big mess getting the residue off the mating parts but hopefully have fixed the problem.

I had flushed and put new coolant in when I changed those too. This time I super flushed the system with garden hoses patched in heater core line. I pushed water through for about an hour. I will run another Prestone cleaner bottle through it. Then flush and lastly purge with distilled water and new antifreeze.

I am going on see if I can take these back, completely ridiculous that they failed so quickly. I replaced with gates ones. Hopefully the orings on gates parts are better.