Blown Lower Intake Gasket....CRAP!!!!!

[Jim 5]

Most local Big Rig (Peterbuilt, Kenworth etc.) dealerships can test your oil for coolant.

You'd have the results probably in 24 hours for way less than the cost of a UOA.

 

[BlazerLT]

good point there.

I bet it will definitely come up positive seeing we can visiblty see it here.

 

[Mr Nice]

Aren't these motors known for leaky gaskets ????

 

[BlazerLT]

They are know for leaky intake manifold gaskets.

I think I should just get it done soon.

I don't think there is enough going into the oil to cause any damage immediately, but it will need to be done though.

 

[kingrob]

When you flush and refill the coolant, some of the GM aluminum blocks recommend using the seal tabs (basically bar's leak) due to leaks. I forgot to throw some in mine and the intake gasket started leaking again, but stopped when I threw in the tabs.

 

[Slick17601]

My 4.3 intake gaskets failed at only 33,000 miles. It's called that great GM feeling.

 

[Warstud]

I have the same engine in my Xtreme and are wondering if that's what is giving me a "Secondary Air Induction Malfunction" trouble code. Truck runs slightly rough at idle.

 

[BlazerLT]

I think I wil visit the GM dealer and get some of those tabs.

 

[Drew99GT]

You can also purchase Bars Golden Seal powder cooling system sealer at Walmart which is the same thing as the GM cooling system tabs. The heater core has a pinhole in my Dad's Blazer and this stuff sealed it right up. His mechanic didn't want to rip into the dash cause after using this stuff, the cooling system is holding 20 lbs!

 

[BlazerLT]

Just hard to figure out how much you nee though.

Last thing I want is cooling system blockages.

 

[theguru]

Usually one or two tabs.

 

[BlazerLT]

Anyone know how much these cooling system tabs cost?

Anyone actually use them?

 

[BlazerLT]

Tablets cost $1.74 per piece and two of them are needed for any normal cooling system.

I have bought mine and they come in a tablet that has to be smashed and crushed and put into the rad.

Guess it is some sort of ginger root or something?

I will be putting the dust into the rad and going for a drive sometime within the week.

 

[p-chem]

If you think that you have an intake gasket leak, get it fixed as soon as possible. I have a 4.3L which also had intake leak. There was a huge glob of sludge sitting on the lifters.( I think I had the leak for at least 50k miles) I never had any visible coolant in the oil. The coolant level did drop but not more than 6 oz per 3k miles so I didn't think much of it. 5k miles after changing the gastet, one of my lifters went out (one that wasn't covered with slugde)