Intake Manifold or Head Gasket?

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StormRider

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96 Tahoe 5.7 174K. Have a coolant leak that leaks around the starter area/oil pan (pass. side) and drips onto the crossover exhaust pipe and then the ground. Leak shows up after sitting a few days. Intake gaskets were replaced within the last 3 years according to my dad (previous owner).

Can a intake gasket leak down the side of the head and drip onto the starter area? Or is it the head gasket? I've not known 350s to fail head gaskets unless abused which this truck was not....

Any assistance would be appreciated..
 
It's most likely the intake gasket. The factory ones on the Vortecs were somewhat prone to this. I had to replace the Gasket on my 98. At 225,000 miles, I still have the original head gaskets.
 
The coolant passages are on the very fore and aft section of the head where the intake manifold sits. I'd bet it's the intake gasket.
 
Chevrolet was brainless and put 4 bolts on each side of the intake manifolt. 2 bolts one each corner close together. An inferior design asking for trouble.

Highly likely its the intake gasket. Make sure you get the revised metal intake gaskets from Felpro.
 
I don't recall a lot of those leaking coolant out like that. I would check out the by-pass hoses first.
 
GM Vehicles are like old men... They start to dribble with age and loose their fluids at random times!
LOL.gif
Sorry couldn't resist!
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
GM Vehicles are like old men... They start to dribble with age and loose their fluids at random times!
LOL.gif
Sorry couldn't resist!
just wait till you get old!!!
 
Almost certainly the intake gasket. The first one on my 97 Silverado went bad at 50K, the replacement at about the same mileage again. Use the Felpro MS98000T set as the replacement.
 
I had a '98 K1500 with the 350 vortec. Check the heater hose connection to the intake manifold on the passenger side. This connects with a plastic fitting to the hose/manifold. This plastic connector on the hose is famous for cracking and stranding its owners. Whether or not this is your culprit, GM has updated this part to a metal piece. It's less than $20, easy to change and if not replaced, it WILL strand you by the side of the road.

Probably not your problem, but thought you'd like to know about this ticking time bomb.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
what about using some UV dye in the coolant?


This would make quick work of finding the location of the leak.
 
Thanks for the replies. My instinctive response when I saw the coolant drips from the back of the engine was the intake gaskets but they were recently replaced. Can these gaskets "fail" so soon after installation? The shop my dad works at part time did the work so they may have either screwed up or used cheap gaskets. The plastic heater hose fitting disentegrated long ago and was replaced.

I had a 98 K1500 that my dad now owns that had the gaskets replaced but the leak was down the back side of the motor, not the starter area..
 
Have you checked the water pump? I've seen those leak through seals and out onto the pully before.
 
When I did the intake gasket on my truck, I replaced it with the Fel Pro piece. That was about 170,000 miles ago.
It's actually an easy gasket to do, but I guess anyone could still screw it up.
 
From what I have read with the v6 gasket problems is that the gasket used in at least those could crack if over tightened.
 
Originally Posted By: Nyquist
Have you checked the water pump? I've seen those leak through seals and out onto the pully before.



my brothers car did this and there was evidence of spray. Also when running you could smell it stronger as it was getting flung into the ari.
 
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