I posted about this a while back, and have been looking for it since, but just today found it.

The 4.0 decided to spit off the plugs on the rear facing ports of the vacuum tree again today (this seems to be an issue on this van), so during my lunch break, I get in there, and put them back on. I had just had to drive it home, so the engine was still nice and hot...

Lo-and-behold, coolant bubbling out between the intake manifold and the left side head. Damnit...

So, what is the easiest way to fix this? Can I simply tighten the bolt there, or do I need to pull the mani, and replace the gasket? If the latter, how much time and labor am I looking at?

I am so ready to tell her to junk this van, and buy something else - if only we had the money...

 

you can certainly remove the top intake manifold which will give you access to the bottom intake bolts. Looks harder than it is. remove the wiring trough from the top of the hood opening, access gets better and better as you remove stuff.

I recommend tightening the lower intake bolts and adding seal tabs available from gm dealers to the coolant.

I am in the middle of a complete regasketing of the top end of the motor. spending more than I paid for the van for this project. If you can retighten the front timing cover bolts you will prevent a common problem.

I have discovered near zero wear in a 190000 mile truck motor. even timing set is ok (replacing it anyway) lots of rotten gaskets. It just depends how much you like your van.

Good Luck

Ken

 

How much are the tabs you're referring to, and do you have a part number, or etc - what do I ask for?

I, personally, would like to push the damn thing off a cliff - but the wife likes it (have yet to figure out why!), and can't afford a replacement right now...but if it costs that much to fix it, it MIGHT be cheaper...already seeing it needs upper and lower control arm bushings on both sides, all four ball joints, steering column, and a bunch of small, misc. crap done to it...on top of that, there is a scrubbing noise coming from the rear, but we know it's not the tires - we just put them on...

This thing has become a money pit...but because it looks better cosmetically than my Mazda, she assumes her van is in better shape...right now, I need to proerly flush the heater core, and replace the alternator on my Mazda, and it's ready to take on virtually anything...

 

Go up to the GM Parts couinter and ask for a package of Sealing tabs (they look like little corks) They run around $5 +/-. They are alot better than stop leaks.

So far of what you listed that needs work are normal wear parts, it is not a new vehicle and what you have listed, if you DIY, would run you around $250, which is not bad at all compared to othe manufacturers. Remember it is a 15 yo van.

 

With the sealing tabs, what do you do with them? Put them in the rad, and let them disolve and circulate, or what?

I'm going to try THAT route first...


Based on local prices, and doing all labor myself, minus the front end alignment of course, the parts for the front end alone are coming it around $750. And these are all cheapie after market parts...

I know it's an older van, but my Mazda is the same vintage, with approximately the same miles, and is in MUCH better mechanical condition.

It doesn't help that my wife hates spending money on the cars to keep them running - she belongs to the "why fix it if it ain't broke" school of thought - ie, as long as she can turn the key, and drive it, there's nothing wrong with it...

She accuses me of being obsessed with the cars, always wanting to spend money on them...I just want them to be reliable, and keep them on the road as long as possible...

 

Hi Maxwgn:

I hear you my friend. Women! They want us to maintain an entire fleet of cars, help with the kids' homeworks, keep the computer working so they can browse the net while we are doing the dishes at night!

I had it good before marriage and I just had to ruin it .... sobbing uncontrollably .....

 

After searching the net a little, I found a POSSIBLE part number for the "small, 4gram tabs"...

12378254

And from the information I found, we would need to use about 3 to 3.5 of the tabs in these vans...??? Does this sound about right?

 

About a tear and a half ago I had the same thing on my '93 4.0 AWD. The lead was spirting out on plug where the distributor should be.


I mixed up some JB weld and with a toothpick, filled in the hole in the gasket. Hasn't leaked since.

 

These trucks are screwy, they do what they do so well that we like them, I can see your wifes point. It has been said on these pages that I have brain damage for liking mine, I feel put-out because I have to drive my 03 acura rl til the aero is fixed.

Good luck, Sir,

ken

 

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How would you like to have in-laws like mine? I am a mostly DIYer, I keep my vehicles' oil changed, my van clean and detailed, even in the winter. Ni snow here, but I still like to keep all things working. It's not a chore really, and those of you who are the same way, know if you maintain your fleet, and spend a Saturday morning or afternoon changing oil and filters, plugs etc. Your vehicles are reliable, and a source of personal pride / accomplishment. That said, there are times I feel it is perfectly reasonable and expected to take your vehicle in to a shop, and have it worked on by a trusted professional. They have the correct equipment, expertise, and I have no problem paying a fair price for work done correctly. At age 47, I have spent a long time having acquired this experience. Fast forward to my inlaws. They do JACK with their cars. They consider a hard rainfall a clean car. They buy brand new cars / trucks, and when they are 5-6-7 years old, they are used, abused, hammered. They sit outside always. Hot sun, rain, etc. I have a '87 Aerostar XLTvan (1987) and I garaged it nightly, and when not in use. That alone has really helped the appearence of this van, my wife's car, son's Dart. Yes, I could probably get something newer, but as my kids (two sons) are in high school, daugher graduated from nursing school with her degree, my wife and I have sacrificed having car payments, higher insurance payments, for our kids and say basically, when we are on our own soon, then we'll get ourselves something new, or at least less than 5 years old. In laws buy new, abuse, getupside down in their payments. etc. since the mid 80s. Lately, they have not bought new, and their cars are getting to the 9-10-11+ years old. Problems are developing now. Yet, NONE of these cars / pick-ups are ever taken in to the shop/. They think EVERY problem can be fixed in the driveway, with rusty tools, hardly no tools, and they don't even know these newer cars do not have carberators anymore!!! So, at Thanksgiving dinner, I hear (for a hard starting '98 Chevy Silverado. Sun faded, hammered, muddy, and beat) my bro-in-law says: "I think the choke is sticking, and I need to rebuild the carb". Looks at me: "Ed, you know a lot about trucks. Can you rebuild my carb?" 1998 CHEVY SILVERADOOOOOOO!!! After almost passing turkey and gravy through my nose, in sheer disbelief, I explain the difference between a carb. and modern fuel injection. Yet, these people feel it is terrible and uneeded, to take your car to a shop. Fast forward to Sunday morning, near 10am. I'm all comfortable, enjoying coffee, my home, the Sunday paper, and getting ready to watch (and enjoy) some NFL football. Phone rings. I hear my wife faintly in the other room (after 20 minutes) saying... no, sorry,,,...well I don't think so... Comes in and hands me her cell phone. It's my sister in law (wife's sister) saying: "Ed. Mike's Chevy Tahoe needs a water pump. Could you come over and change it? I will give you the ATM card, you can go up to AutoZone and get what you need..." Wife has a look of "I'm so sorry"... I about died with disbelief/. NO! No way! Forget it. I flat out told her, "no, sorry". She was shocked, and the realization they were going to have to take it in. A 2001 Chevy Tahoe/. I asked her: How do you know it's the water pump? She didn't know... they "thought" it was to problem. I said "let me talk to mike" She says: "he's still sleeping". PLEASE! What a laugher. I refuse to be a sap, and I enjoyed an afternoon of NFL football/. And how are you in-laws?? Ed (This was another in-law, the Chevy Silverado guy is another in-law).

 

Ed,
I know I could have written the same thing, word for word, as could many of the other enthusiasts on this forum. An enthusiast is someone not only into cars/trucks intellectually, but physically under and inside them as well. When you do even minor maintenance, you often find and correct small problems before they turn into major, costly ones. My teenage daughter is aghast that I still drive "that crummy old van" and even more incredulous that I park it in the outer fringes of the big box store lots, thus inflicting the additional torture of making her walk an extra 100 feet to the store entrance. The fact that this "crummy old van" has faithfully hauled her around for the past 14 years is lost on the materially driven "cool" teen culture. In fairness, I remember being similarly embarassed by my father's bulbous 1950 DeSoto when I lusted after a new Plymouth Road Runner. In the face of her sarcastic comments, I just smile, knowing that "crummy old van" will be called on this summer to haul her collection of belongings off to college as it did her brothers before her. When this last child is away at college, that "crummy old van" and I will go fishing and camping a lot more together. Inspired by Ed, I think I'll go wash that "crummy old van" today.

 

Until I got married, my cars were always in pristine condition, and everything was taken care of on time - now, I have a hard time getting to change the oil on a regular basis...

As for MY in-laws, they buy what they consider LOOKS good - never look further than the brochure, and how they think they'll look in it.

They bought a 2002 Dodge Durango. These trucks have numerous recalls, etc. on it. We have told them about them, and they have even receievd notices in the mail - yet they refuse to take it in. These people don't even know which is the business end of a screwdriver. Simple jigsaw puzzles confuse them. All I can say is it's a good thing THEY'RE practically MADE of money - they'll be needing it...