I know this is the Ford site but I was able to get this old Chevy van really cheap. It's a 97, and leaking oil from below the lower intake manifold. At the front of the engine.

Apparently there's no gasket that goes here, just a bead of sealant, and I can see the sealant got pushed out right where my oil leak is.

I've looked all over the place trying to find instructions on how to apply the sealant, how much to use, how long to let it dry, torque sequence, etc.

I'm wondering if I should do the head gaskets while I'm at it. The oil looked all right to me. I'm putting a picture of the coolant maybe tell me what you think.

I also want to hear some opinions on what brand gasket set to use, and what coolant is good for these engines? It's got the orange stuff in there now.

 

Not a lot of experience with the gasket in a tube stuff, but the few times I used them, cleanliness and following instructions is key.

Be sure the metal surfaces are clean and oil free. Don't use an oil based solvent. Usually you put a wide bead of sealer where the metal surfaces meet and circle the bolt holes with sealer. Let it skin up a bit and then mate the surfaces and torque to spec and let it set overnite or at least as long as the instructions say.

I had a 96 Chebby V8 and most chebbies from that era used Dexcool which is red. If the cooling system is clean and you use good clean water and nothing else, Dexcool is usually OK. But, there were a lot of problems with Dexcool if there was any dirt in the system. It would start to "make more dirt" which eventuall would clog up things like heater cores, usually, although I suspect bad cases might clog the radiator.

Whatever you do, NEVER MIX Dexcool with anything else but dexcool and clean water. For example, if you mix green and Dex, you create jello inside your radiator, not good.

Most people used a good chemical flush with lots of clean water as a final flush then refilled with the Green stuff or maybe Gold stuff.

From your picture I am guessing the previous owner refilled with Gold stuff. Prestone extended life coolant is gold and seems to work well for me so far in a Lincoln I own (130K+ miles)

I think if you clean and flush and fill with the coolant of your choice you will be fine.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I would flush that out it looks ugly, and I would stay with dex-cool. I'm not sure what exactly the rtv is that is listed below but since you asked here it is.

Install RTV to the front and the rear sealing surfaces on the block. Apply a 5 mm (0.067 in) bead of RTV GM P/N 12346192 or equivalent to the front and the rear of the block. Extend the bead 13 mm (0.50 inch) up each cylinder head to seal and retain the gaskets.

Install the lower intake manifold to the engine. Apply sealer, GM P/N 12345382 or equivalent, to the lower intake manifold bolts.

Install the lower intake manifold bolts. Tighten the bolts in three steps:
Tighten the bolts on the first sequence to 3 Nm (27 inch lbs.) ..
Tighten the bolts on the second sequence to 12 Nm (106 inch lbs.) .
Tighten the bolts on the final sequence to 15 Nm (11 ft. lbs.) .

 

Does the coolant look contaminated Phinxter, or just old and dirty? I got the manifold out of there finally and the gaskets look OK. Oil looks ok too.

I'm posting a picture of the coolant overflow. The fluid looked a lot cleaner than what was in the radiator. I would have expected them both to be the same color. But I don't know the history of the vehicle. I guell I'll flush the system and cross my fingers.

Looking at this contraption on my workbench, it's hard to imagine how I'd ever be able to get to the fuel pressure regulator or an O-ring. Anything else I should do while I have this thing out of the van? I don't remember my 302EFI being that complicated.

 

posting malfunction

 

I've got a 78 305 Chev (marine) in my boat. Wild water cooling so no radiator or anti-freeze. Been a good strong engine with no oil leaks or other problems. When I have to use a sealant, I have been using the Permatex Red. A fellow I know (equip. repair at a lumber mill) said the Permatex Grey was really good stuff and swears by it. I used some on my lawn mower the other day, but the jury is still out on that.

I use dex cool in the 90 cad we have, but the Fords all have Prestone Green in them in.

 

The pics looks much better but it looks dirty, I would change it. Back in the 90's when they started using this stuff they had problems with dexcool in iron blocks. For some reason if the system wasn't kept full and there were some air space it would cause rust. The solution was to install a flush T and then add a prestone heavy duty cooling system flush and run it for 4 hrs and then..... yeah it is an all day event. In an all-aluminum system dex-cool is excellent, but it should be changed every 5 yrs or 100k (some say 150k). The gelling effect I have never seen but have heard comes from mixing the old green coolant (not to be confused with the green coolant that is extended life) that has silicates in it. I use it in my ranger but 2 years is it's life span, and it is done, but really good stuff and getting not so easy to find.

Maybe since you have it apart and if the water pump doesn't look new why not put a new one in (not a rebuilt) .