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Coolant leak

G

GYSOT

New member
I just noticed a coolant leak on the driver's side intake. There's a puddle of orange laying on top of the lower intake. Do you think this is coming out of that bolt from the lower intake? Is there anything I should be aware of when I take off the intake to fix? It's a 97 GT with 71,000 miles.

 


its lim gasket time. what you need to do is clean and re apply thread sealant to the lim bolts when they go back in. those bolts go right into the water jacket of the heads and seep coolant over time.
 
That's what I thought. Thanks for the verification. Is it possible to pull the lim without removing the uim?

Is there anything else I should look at or replace while it's apart?
 
GYSOT said:
That's what I thought. Thanks for the verification. Is it possible to pull the lim without removing the uim?

Is there anything else I should look at or replace while it's apart?
Click to expand...

No you have to take everything off. It can easily be done in a few hours just keep track of everything. If you haven’t done aluminum coolant elbows that would be a good time to do them as well. Clean things up a little bit as well (TB, MAF, etc)
 
GrandPrixGT1 said:
aluminum coolant elbows
Click to expand...

Are those the elbows that go into the water pump? Are they available through GM or aftermarket? I get a discount through my local dealership so I try to always to use GM parts when I can.

GrandPrixGT1 said:
Clean things up a little bit as well (TB, MAF, etc)
Click to expand...

Definitely going to clean it up.

I called my parts guy to order the gasket set and he's telling me there are many different gasket sets for this car. GAH! I need to call him back tomorrow with the VIN so he can narrow it down.
 


Felpro sells a complete kit with gaskets for just about everything. The kit would work on cars from like 95-07 with some pieces not being used.

The elbows are so common that parts stores just carry them, they are like 10 bucks for new elbows. 97 might only use 1 plastic elbow as I think that is a year that still used a metal elbow on the alternator braket.
 
Ok, so I started tearing into this project and i find out the plastic elbow was already replaced with the aluminum one. Yay!



What is the trick to get the alternator bracket off? I took the 3 bolts out and it wiggles a little bit but I don't want to pull too hard and break something.
 
97 has a cast lower elbow, you need to wiggle a little bit and pull towards the fender, dont over do the wiggle or you can break the timing cover.
 
I just done this exact job 6 months ago on my GTP, not as bad as I thought, Aluminum Gaskets and Elbows for sure otherwise you will be doing this again, take your time, clean everything and keep things in order, you may as well change the water pump while your in there along with Valve Cover Gaskets = Felpro Perma Dry is the way to go for VCG. I also replaced my timing cover gasket and chain tensioner, this was all done at 115,000km.
 


I've been trying to get that bracket off for a few days now. That is one stubborn sob. I have the LIM off so that isn't interfering. It wiggles and wiggles but will not come out. I sprayed PB Blaster on the fitting. I can see why GM changed the design. Is there something else I could spray in there to help break it loose? I'm afraid at this point if I don't take it out it will leak if I just put it back together.
 
quick question when putting back together the super charger gasket mine came with 2 yellow orings separate from the gasket that already has 2 black ones in the same place it seems toe that with both of them there it will not seal up right r u soppose to use them both or remove the ones in the gasket or what am I soppose to do
 
pretty sure they fit in the lim where the two coolant ports are. if they do it cant hurt to put them in place.

gpf tip. if you drill and tap then install a brass plug with a allen hex inside it, you can seal them off, all those ports do is route coolant to the tb.
 
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When I put the heater hoses back into the alternator bracket they seem really loose. The bolts that hold the hose to the bracket tighten up but it still wiggles a lot. Is it supposed to be like that? It looks like there could be a o-ring on there but it is just as flat as the bracket and I didn't want to pick it off. I don't want to fire this thing up and have a coolant shower.
 
they can move a bit, its a o ring on the bottom of the metal tube. if it leaks you can take that little bolt out, then pull them out and replace the o rings.
 
Got it all back together and no leaks! I wouldn't have ever guessed that from they way they were wiggling. Now I have a squeak in the belt drive somewhere that wasn't there when I pulled it all apart. I put my ear to a screwdriver on the tensioner alternator and water pump and could not isolate it to those. Sprayed WD-40 on the tensioner and no change. Sounds like it's coming from the power steering area. It does change speed with the engine rpms. Any other suggestions on how to isolate?
 
if you carefully touch each idler / tensioner bolt you can feel with your finger if its not turning smooth, or pull the belts off hand turn each pulley. you'll feel the one thats not spinning smooth.

ac compressor make noise sometimes, wd 40 under the metal ring the belt runs on can quiet it.
 
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