Chevy issue
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From: Isanti, MN
Chevy issue
Hey,
I have a '95 Blazer that I normally use as a winter rat. Has only 89,000 miles on it and it runs really great for a 12 year old car. Recently it's developed a bit of a problem though. It's losing coolant at a fast rate. I've had it since January, and have put over 8,000 miles on it, and this coolant problem has never been much of an issue until now. I used to top if off every couple months, but now it's much worse.
Tonight I had some free time so I went out, warmed it up, filled the coolant resivoir and watched, hoping to see a drip. What I saw was intermittent white smoke coming out my tail pipe, fairly consistantly. Now I have a suspicion as to where it's going.
Am I looking at a new head gasket? Or is there another possible culprit? I've checked multiple times, no coolant in the oil.
Thoughts?
I have a '95 Blazer that I normally use as a winter rat. Has only 89,000 miles on it and it runs really great for a 12 year old car. Recently it's developed a bit of a problem though. It's losing coolant at a fast rate. I've had it since January, and have put over 8,000 miles on it, and this coolant problem has never been much of an issue until now. I used to top if off every couple months, but now it's much worse.
Tonight I had some free time so I went out, warmed it up, filled the coolant resivoir and watched, hoping to see a drip. What I saw was intermittent white smoke coming out my tail pipe, fairly consistantly. Now I have a suspicion as to where it's going.
Am I looking at a new head gasket? Or is there another possible culprit? I've checked multiple times, no coolant in the oil.
Thoughts?
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From: Isanti, MN
As long as I keep coolant in it, it does just fine. On hot days during stop and go traffic, it gets a little hotter than usual, but rarely anywhere close to overheating.
The thing that pisses me off is that I had back surgery 3 weeks ago. Can't lift much of anything, much less replace a head gasket!
Is there any good way to test it, short of taking it in to get pressure tested?
The thing that pisses me off is that I had back surgery 3 weeks ago. Can't lift much of anything, much less replace a head gasket!
Is there any good way to test it, short of taking it in to get pressure tested?
Post Fiend
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Yorkton Sask
i don't know of any ways to test it, but i do know of guys who have used black pepper to stop coolant leaks. totally in your hands if you try it, but i have heard that it works, but don't know firsthand. good luck and speedy recovery on your back!!
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From: Isanti, MN
I was reading about a few chemicals that claim to be able to repair this kind of thing. Here's one of them...
http://www.barsproducts.com/1100.htm
Now, of course they claim they fix it 100% of the time, with no errors, and no damage to any other components, but has anyone really tried any of these? I just put a new radiator in this car a few months ago and I'd be pretty pissed to gunk it up with some sort of miracle cure.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Or should I just bite the bullet and tear it down?
http://www.barsproducts.com/1100.htm
Now, of course they claim they fix it 100% of the time, with no errors, and no damage to any other components, but has anyone really tried any of these? I just put a new radiator in this car a few months ago and I'd be pretty pissed to gunk it up with some sort of miracle cure.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Or should I just bite the bullet and tear it down?
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2006
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These trucks are notorious for leaking intake manifold gaskets. Normally at the front of the intake under the ac compressor. I've probably changed a couple dozen of them. If the gasket gets bad enough it will also leak coolant into the intake runner, hence the smoke. jd
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
Bars Leaks is actually a really good product, I don't think I'd use it for a head gasket. This sounds more like a bad intake gasket to me. If the head gasket had failed it wouldn't run well at all. It'd miss and shake and carry on. A 4.3 has a wet intake, there are water passages in the front of it, the gasket likes to blow right there and seep into the #1 or #2 cylinder. I've even had bad gaskets out of the box before. So use the Carquest (only ones that sealed worth a crap) gaskets.
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From: Isanti, MN
Is there any good way to test to see whether it's an intake leak or head gasket leak? If I pull the intake off, will I be able to see where it was leaking?
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From: Isanti, MN
This one's got the 4.3 vortec, used to be called the S10 Blazer...in '95 the full size blazer was named Tahoe....
But, the way I understand things, the 4.3 V6 is basically a 5.7 with the front two cylendars lopped off...meaning that the intake gasket design would probably be very similar....
Was it common for the 5.7 to blow an intake gasket?
But, the way I understand things, the 4.3 V6 is basically a 5.7 with the front two cylendars lopped off...meaning that the intake gasket design would probably be very similar....
Was it common for the 5.7 to blow an intake gasket?
Posting Guru
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The 5.7 does the same thing. I think the cause is different materials between the manifold and head. They expand and contract at different rates grinding up the gasket. The early Ranger 2.3's would do the same thing to the pan gasket clogging the oil pickup.
You can usually see a puddle of anti freeze at the front of the manifold after the truck has sat and cooled off.
The only coolant stop leak I use is KW. It will stop a major leak if used properly. jd
You can usually see a puddle of anti freeze at the front of the manifold after the truck has sat and cooled off.
The only coolant stop leak I use is KW. It will stop a major leak if used properly. jd
Last edited by jimdandy; Jul 7, 2007 at 09:16 PM.
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From: Isanti, MN
Well, everyone, thanks for all the help here. I've decided to have a friend help me with the lifting and wrench turning and we'll tear it down tomorrow. I figure I have no guarantees that it's not a head gasket, but I stand nothing to lose by going as far as the intake tomorrow. If I find no evidence of a leak when I get there, I'll order the gaskets and keep on going...
All the help is much appreciated, and I'll probably make a post tomorrow night on how it went.
All the help is much appreciated, and I'll probably make a post tomorrow night on how it went.
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From: Isanti, MN
Well, you guys were right, it was the intake gasket. Faught with the thing all day long, had to run to the parts store about 4 or 5 times, but I got it all torn apart with no major issues. The biggest problem I ran into was getting the distributor off. I ran to the store 3 seperate times looking for a tool to get the distributor hold down bolt off. Finally got it off around 6:30 tonight, and I removed the rest of the manifold with no problems.
Here's a pic of where I think it was leaking....
I noticed in one of the coolant passages there was lots of black sludge clogging up most of the port. It's hard to the touch, and I'm debating trying to scrape it out...I'm kind of afraid it'll fall into the passage and gum things up though.....
Anyone know what could have caused it, or what it is? Almost looks to me like something was contaminating the coolant.
Going to put it all back together tomorrow, hoping I can do it all in 2-3 hours, if I can find someone to help lift the manifold and the plenum.....
Here's a pic of where I think it was leaking....
I noticed in one of the coolant passages there was lots of black sludge clogging up most of the port. It's hard to the touch, and I'm debating trying to scrape it out...I'm kind of afraid it'll fall into the passage and gum things up though.....
Anyone know what could have caused it, or what it is? Almost looks to me like something was contaminating the coolant.
Going to put it all back together tomorrow, hoping I can do it all in 2-3 hours, if I can find someone to help lift the manifold and the plenum.....