well guys i think maybe the headgasket is going out on my 96 2.2 5 spd sunfire, i cant really spot any coolant in the oil ( i just changed it) but this morning i had to top up the overfill bottle a little bit...and i cant seem to find any coolant leaking anywhere...so i assume it must be burning coolant...this really sux, and i pray it isnt true, but is there any way to tell for sure if the headgasket is going or not? and if it is going, how hard is it to change? any help is greatly appreciated!
I have the classic head gasket problem where the coolant is leaking out the left side. I added some of the GM coolant sealent pellets and the leak has slowed quite a bit. But the HG will need to be replaced soon though.
I'd say do a compression test of the coolent system before you panic. A coolent compression tester is a little hand pump that hooks onto where the rad cap goes. Then you pump air into the system and watch the presure gauge on the pump. If it drops you have a leak somewhere. Now you just need to find it.
Go do the test and let me know what you come up with.
Good Luck.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
Jackalope wrote:I'd say do a compression test of the coolent system before you panic. A coolent compression tester is a little hand pump that hooks onto where the rad cap goes. Then you pump air into the system and watch the presure gauge on the pump. If it drops you have a leak somewhere. Now you just need to find it.
Go do the test and let me know what you come up with.
Good Luck.
there is no rad cap, the only opening on the coolant system is the overflow bottle
yes this is true but the pressure tester has an adapter that will thread into your over flow tank
2Blue Cavy wrote:yes this is true but the pressure tester has an adapter that will thread into your over flow tank
ok, thanks guys, i will see if i can get one of these pressure testers, in the meantime...what other possibilities do i have? like where else could the coolant be leaking? my belts often have a horrible jingling sound, so i thought waterpump, but i see no coolant leaking, and the car never gets hot...so the waterpump must be working?
Just keep it full till you pin point the problem. And 2blue thanks I forgot he needs the adapter.
Good luck.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
Turbozombie wrote:I have the classic head gasket problem where the coolant is leaking out the left side. I added some of the GM coolant sealent pellets and the leak has slowed quite a bit. But the HG will need to be replaced soon though.
Leaking out the left side? Thats not a head gasket, thats your water pump.
whens the last time you filled it before today. Fill it up and check it mine leaks veryyy slow out of the water outlet even after i replaced the o-ring there are lots of places it could be besides head gasket
if you havent topped it off or anything in awhile and this is the first time i wouldnt worry too much
Brandon Schmidt wrote:whens the last time you filled it before today. Fill it up and check it mine leaks veryyy slow out of the water outlet even after i replaced the o-ring there are lots of places it could be besides head gasket
if you havent topped it off or anything in awhile and this is the first time i wouldnt worry too much
no, it burns or leaks coolant, not very much, but even after driving it for a few hours, i can see the level on the overflow bottle has dropped a little bit...and if it was my waterpump would i not notice at least a few drips if it sits running?what else could this be?
There are two guide pins in the block for the head, they look like a closed 'C' in cross-section. Somehow, GM oriented one or both wrong. If the open part faces the water jacket, coolant will eventually compromise the gasket. My pin by #1 cylinder was OK, #4 cylinder wasn't. I drafted the help of an ASE buddy to replace the gasket. Using Chilton's as a reference, we got it all done in about 8 hours. Basically, lotta bolt wrenching. Don't drop rocker nuts into the head!!! MAJOR pita to get out -- if you're lucky. No timing reset or anything, you will need to drain the coolant.
actually there has been alot of "disappearing coolant leak" threads.. alot of which are waterpump it can leak only when driving and be fine when its parked thats what happen to mine but over the course of like a year it started just like dumping aloott at random times when its parked
Brandon Schmidt wrote:actually there has been alot of "disappearing coolant leak" threads.. alot of which are waterpump it can leak only when driving and be fine when its parked thats what happen to mine but over the course of like a year it started just like dumping aloott at random times when its parked
i really hope this is the case...my belt assembly makes a lot of noise, but its hard to pinpoint which pulley is making all that noise...but someone else mentioned the bearings could be gone in the waterpump, so maybe i will change the waterpump, and the belt at the same time and see if it quitens down, and hopefully stops leaking...it doesnt leak much, i filled it up almost 48 hrs ago to just above the fill line on the bottle and now it is just below the fill line...i sometimes hear a jingling noise coming from the belts too...
Your noise is probably just a bad tensioner. I had the disappearing coolant problem with my 1993 2.2 Cav and it was a pinhole in the top radiator hose. Only leaked when engine was hot. So when I would check coolant in morning when engine was cool I couldn't see any signs of leakage.
God bless America.
cavaleer2002 wrote:Your noise is probably just a bad tensioner. I had the disappearing coolant problem with my 1993 2.2 Cav and it was a pinhole in the top radiator hose. Only leaked when engine was hot. So when I would check coolant in morning when engine was cool I couldn't see any signs of leakage.
probably a bad tensioner? how can i pinpoint waht is making all the noise on my belt assembly?i just dont want to replace parts without being sure they need to be replaced? also i have looked under the hood with the engine running, and i cannot seem to find any coolant leaking...
