Yup. Its a ***** to fix. Part of the engine has to come off and the dam belts. The timing had a tension and was a ***** to fix. Now its awesome.. for some reason my oil pressure is up now lol.... 29 psi cold

Doug, Sounds like the pipe that comes from the back of the water pump housing and runs back between the heads & under the intake. If the cooland is running to the back of the engine and dripping down the sides of the bellhousing this is usually the case. These things (pipe) have an O ring on the part that fits into the back of the water pump housing that has been known to cause coolant leaks.Since the engine is tilted back the water runs out this way when that part leaks. HTH its definately wotrh a look.

BTW, if it is leaking that much coolant into the intake it should smoke a great deal. It might not smoke with a little leak, but with the coolant loss your describing it should be letting out a spy hunter smoke screen.

I think all the coolant is leaking out the top/front of the engine and not into it. I don't smell or see any coolant in the exhaust. The leak is up a little higher than the water pipe, I think. When it was leaking the other day, the engine hadn't been turned on in 4 days, coolant level hadn't been messed with, and there was visible coolant leakage around the intake manifold gaskets. If it was the water pipe, then I don't think that the water would be traveling uphill.

I'm also pretty sure that the mechanic who replaced my hoses while I was at work one day pulled too much on the upper hose to get it loose. If that's the case, then I could see how intake manifold gasket might be a little leaky. I wouldn't see how that kind of action would affect the water pipe.

The problem I have with hunting this little problem down right now is that to replace the gaskets is a more-or-less straight forward easy job, and one I've done before. What I don't want to have to do is take the whole front of the motor off to get to that water pipe! At least that's my understanding of what I'd have to do to get to it. Please please tell me if I'm understanding wrong!

When I get around to fixing it (in a few weeks - after I finish my front end) I'll letcha know what the ultimate cause is... if I find that out. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yea, This might turn into one of those, "while I'm in there I might as well" Cases. If your waterpump has over 50K on it you might want to just do it while your in there looking around. If your doing the pump might as well do the T-belt too. If you do the t belt might as well replace the tensioner pully etc etc..... Fun fun fun... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Oh, I don't think you have to tell Doug that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

FWIW, I thought it looked like the coolant was running down the left side decking on the block, just in front of the head. From there it dribbles down the left side of the block and into my ear when I'm under it <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />.

Oh man - if I attempt to do one more thing "while I'm in there" this is going to turn into the "rebuilding a Raider from the ground up project"!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

(I didn't bother to post a reply in RIH's thread because I'd take up WAY TOO MUCH screen time)

YEAH,
did you put a little rtv around the waterjacket parts of the intake manifold gaskets? the gasket cos. say no need but a thin dab around the maifold holes themselves my help sence alot of older one get pits in the aluminum.
dave

HECK YES!!! I'VE BEEN SEARCHING EVERYWHERE TO SEE IF THIS PROBLEM IS SOMEWHERE ELSE! Does anybody have a writeup on fixing this by any chance? I've been trying to figure out what the phantom coolant leak is. So it leaks out from underneath the plenum?

1989 Raider 3.0L V6 Overhaul Fail

Check out this thread. I had kind of a wired issue as I was buttoning up my last overhaul. I'm glad to report that my issue was probably the most extreme intake manifold leak on the forum and I was able to fix it relatively easily and I've managed to put on 12k miles in 20 months with no issues.