3100 leaking coolant in a bad spot.

[spacecadetz26]

Has anyone ever had coolant leak issues around the timing cover area? My car seems to find the worst places to create leaks. I changed the timing cover because I believe it was warped (i redid the gasket 3 times and it kept leaking), but now I think the block is warped. It leaks from the area where the water jacket on the right in the middle of the block where it lets the coolant circulate to the water pump. Has anyone ever heard of this happening or is it a common problem? I'm probably going to have to replace the engine if its leaking again because I cant keep tearing it apart every 5 months because it leaks very bad. I mean the gasket is cheap, I can do the gasket R&R in 3 hours. I'm just tired of doing it. I may try and buy a GM gasket instead of the paper felpro one that you have to slather with RTV. This is really getting to be rediculous.

[spacecadetz26]

no one has had this problem?

[Hemet8]

I have never had this happen to mine. My '95 GA likes to eat raditors and heater cores instead. Could the cover itself be wared or the place in the block where you tighten the cover bolts down be "walloed" out, causeing a loose fit??

[v6h.o.]

Can't say I've seen it that bad. First thing I thought of was warped or bad cover. but since you've changed that.... I'd say possibly a bad block surface? or check for some sort of hairline crack somewhere??

Have you been putting thread sealant on the bolts for the cover? -just double checking.

[spacecadetz26]

Yup I used thread sealant on every bolt. I learned from the first time I redid it because the bolt backed out allowing coolant to leak from the bolt hole.

I've put around 50k miles on this engine since its been in my car. I bought it when it had 10k on it from a guy that worked at a dealer, it was supposedly warrantied because of piston slap. And I used the original timing cover so I never took it off before I installed it. It doesnt look good for this engine though. I inspected everything before I put it back together and I didnt see any cracks. So that only leads me to believe the block is warped. I havent gone a year with the same coolant in my car.

[torq455]

GM coolant pellets!!

[Hemet8]

( IN the best Dr. Evil tone) RRRRRRRiiiiight. Gm actually makes and reconmeneds those?? Your kidding right? I would try a new cover and some rvt with a fel-pro gasket, and new mounting bolts. If that still dosen't work, then it has to be a warped block or stripped mounting holes, so the bolts never hold their torque.

[Hemet8]

Whoops, my jackass can't read, the cover ALREADY has been replaced. Yep, the block is probably seen better days.

[El_Diablo]

you could machine it if its not off by much but your better off getting a new engine IMO....

[spacecadetz26]

I thought I would update, that it froze. and I drove it 10 miles with no coolant... I think its finally toast.

[torq455]

Yeah....that's bad. I would tend to think so. Something's got to be either cracked or warped by now. Time for the 3500 to get dropped in!

[SHOoff]

Hmm... drivig with no coolant = not good. I toasted an old 3.1 that way. Time to bump up to a 3400?

[El_Diablo]

how bout a bump up to a fwd northstar

[spacecadetz26]

nope. I decided to give it to my dad to fix it up for my younger sister for her first car.

I'm pimpin it AWD style now...




damn POS MPFI's....

[Hemet8]

YES!!! Somebody besides me actually likes those! They only made I belive 2400-2600 of those.....TOTAL! That is a nice ride. I like the grand am rims on it too. A turbo 3400 with the AWD would just be SICK in that car. Is it the marron color or the blue?