Coolant Leak Question

[LookAtThatSHO]

I have a very slow coolant and I believe I know where. I have no clue what this is, but I think the seal / gasket has become corroded and is causing the leak. Can anyone explain what this part is in the below pictured engine?

 

[CerberuS]

Thermostat housing , while your at it , change the T-stat.

 

[SASHO91]

is it leaking from the block to the T-stat housing? Or from the radiator hose to the T-stat housing? If that latter, you just need a new radiator hose.

Are you 100% positive thats were its coming from???

I have had leaks that i thought were coming from somewhere, and come to find out that they were no were near were i thought. ESPECIALLY on that side of the motor......
The best way is to get the system pressure tested.... it will show were the leak is, without the coolant being hot.

 

[LookAtThatSHO]

Josh,

I seriously think that it's coming from the block to the housing. The whole housing looks rusted up and not in the best of shape too. From my water pump experience, when coolant leaks it sticks, clumps up, and turns a bright neon color. That's what I see all around the housing and block. It's almost as if it's corroded up so bad that it has sort of fixed its own leak? But yea, I can definitely see its grimed up all around where the housing meets the block. I assume that the gasket has corroded over time.

 

[SASHO91]

There is no gasket there. Its a metal to metal (aluminum) connection.

If your seeing the residue there, i would suspect it to be from the coolant line above the housing, below the T-Body, that runs to the oil heat exchanger. It is right above the t-stat housing in the picture above. And it runs down to the oil filter base(oil heat exchanger).

I would check there first....

 

[Zeegs]

There is no gasket there.

Not to try and argue. It's been a while since i rebuilt my engine (about a year), But I seem to remember there being a gasket there.

 

[K-Dawg]

Yes, there's gaskets there.

Check all the hoses in that area first. Remember all the rubber on the car is over 11 years old and is getting pretty rotten. Coolant leaks can sometimes be deceiving at first. Pick up a pressure tester at AutoZone.

 

[SHOtimer]

In that area, you have several possibilities. You have the O-ring on the water tube, that goes into the back of that housing, you have an inlet (with a paper gasket) where the housing goes into each specific head, you have the 1.5 inch hose that connects the two pieces of the housing, and you have the rubber O-ring on the thermostat.

It might be worth it to spend a saturday and take the thing apart, and replace it all - less than $10 in gaskets/parts and then you won't have to worry about it again.

Especially in that area, the only thing you can change without disturbing it all is the thermostat.

Doug

 

[LookAtThatSHO]

Cool, thanks for the responses guys. It's been raining all day so I wasn't able to get a closer look. I'll take the advice and get in to it this weekend. I already plan on replacing the valve cover and plug well gaskets. Should be easy then!

 

[SASHO91]

Oh, i miss interpreted his statement....
I thought he meant from the t-stat tube(where the top readiator hose hooks to) to the t-stat housing(where it bolts down).

Yes, there is a gasket from the t-stat housing to the head.... on both heads.
as that has allready been stated...
sorry 'bout that.....

 

[93rev2sev]

Dang that engine looks new...even the hardware...Send it to me...I'll fix the leak and test the motor in MY SHO for you.