Leaking coolant near fuel injectors.

[joe_rolls_commo]

Hey guys. Need help.

Like the title says, I've got coolant pooling in the valley between the two front passenger side fuel-injectors. There's a bracket joining the alternator and the engine, and the coolant seems to be coming up through the bolt that anchors that bracket to the engine. (I could be wrong)
I removed the bolt and put some thread-sealer on it & put it back in. When I checked it the following morning there was another coolant build-up. So, no dice.
I've also noticed the car is running a bit hotter than normal, about half way. It usually runs at about 1/3. Also, when the engines running, I'm getting smoke coming off the passenger side exhaust manifold. I was told I had a leaking rocker cover gasket when I got it serviced last, so I replaced them both today thinking it might be the problem. But I'm still getting smoke.
I've attached a diagram showing where (i think) the leak is. I took photos with my phone but don't have a bloody cord to connect it to this PC. Sorry bout that.

Please, I beg you. Tell me it's not a rooted head-gasket.

[immortality]

head gasket should be fine, it'll be the intake manifold gasket. this is a common fault unfortunatly

[joe_rolls_commo]

Cheers for the reply dude.

Bloody hell. I'm up for rego & I need a new DFI too. For fuxache.
Hmmm ... Kay.
-How severe is this prob? How safe am I to drive without doing major damage?
-How hard would this be to do myself, and what would I need, again what am I lookin at paying?
-Whaddya reckon the damage's gonna be if I take it to a mechanic?
-Also, out of curiosity - I put a radiator flush (alkaline) through about 6 months ago, could this have ***'d the gasket?

Cheers for the help mate. Much appreciated.

[immortality]

the flush may have sped it alonga little but it's a very comon problem. honestly can't say what a mechanic would charge for it as i've never paid a mechanic to work on my car. if oyu have any experience with engines you could do it yourself for thecost of a gasket set. some sealant and some new coolant and a couple hrs work

[Man]

Cheers for the reply dude.

Bloody hell. I'm up for rego & I need a new DFI too. For fuxache.
Hmmm ... Kay.
-How severe is this prob? How safe am I to drive without doing major damage?
-How hard would this be to do myself, and what would I need, again what am I lookin at paying?
-Whaddya reckon the damage's gonna be if I take it to a mechanic?
-Also, out of curiosity - I put a radiator flush (alkaline) through about 6 months ago, could this have ***'d the gasket?

Cheers for the help mate. Much appreciated.

get it fixed pronto. u seem a bit hesitant to spend a few dollars and rather have a problem snowball (common problem with cars) and have a huge bill or a wreck on your hands. u know the coolant is corrosive to the metal it comes in contact with?

[joe_rolls_commo]

get it fixed pronto. u seem a bit hesitant to spend a few dollars and rather have a problem snowball (common problem with cars) and have a huge bill or a wreck on your hands. u know the coolant is corrosive to the metal it comes in contact with?

Mate, if I had the money to fix it, I wouldn't be hesitant. The cars not rego'd & I need it for work. Now, having said that, the cars up on blocks at my Dads joint & I've got all the tool's & shi'ite I need to do the job myself.
While I'm not that experienced with engines, my Dad is. But working on a car with him would be about as much fun as sticking sharp objects in the eye of my dick.
Before I get it rego'd I gotta replace everything from the cat back, the DFI & now the intake manifold gasket. On a limited budget. So if I can do it myself, I will. Just don't want to bite off more than I can chew & **** it up.

[Man]

ah right, situation sorted.. seems you're in a bit of a pickle.

i'd go with immortality on this one as above, or at worst cracked inlet manifold (plenum).

and tell the old man to put his money where his mouth is or shut the frig up and hand over the tools eh.?

[immortality]

forgot to add. chances are some coolant will get into the sump when you pull the intake manifold off. best to do a oil change after your done. cheap insurance really

[joe_rolls_commo]

K, I'll be calling a few mechanics today to get a price. Few more Q's tho:
- How would coolant get into the sump?
- And, if it IS a cracked manifold, do I get it repaired or replaced?
- Once I've got the manifold off, what solvent should I use to clean it?
- Will I need to torque the bolts on the manifold when re-attaching it? It says I should in the workshop manual, but dad reckon I wont need to.

In any case, cheers for the info. Makes it alot easier to make an informed descision. I've been buried in the workshop manual all morning & I reckon I'd be able to do it myself ... depends what the mechanics charge.

Cheers lads.

[capitalgainz]

dude it really is not hard to replace the inlet manifold and valley gaskets i did it recently.
remove the alternator, tb and anything else holding the manifold down ie: hoses, wires etc.
then undo the bolts holding the manifold down.
scrape all the old gasket and glue down and clean surfaces. look for corossion between water inlets.
place glue down in beads place gasket down correct way of course. and install is reverse

[DannyboyDS]

the valley gasket and inlet manifold gasket are two seperate gaskets yeah?

[greenacc]

There is a manifold gasket on each bank, and an end seal on front and back. Make sure you use sensor safe sealants on all the gaskets so ya don't kill the o2 sensors ey !
When the manifold is off you expose the valley, where the oil flows around the lifters and other bits. Some coolant will come out when you lift off the inlet manifold and run down into the valley..

[immortality]

K, I'll be calling a few mechanics today to get a price. Few more Q's tho:
- How would coolant get into the sump?
- And, if it IS a cracked manifold, do I get it repaired or replaced?
- Once I've got the manifold off, what solvent should I use to clean it?
- Will I need to torque the bolts on the manifold when re-attaching it? It says I should in the workshop manual, but dad reckon I wont need to.

In any case, cheers for the info. Makes it alot easier to make an informed descision. I've been buried in the workshop manual all morning & I reckon I'd be able to do it myself ... depends what the mechanics charge.

Cheers lads.

even after draining the coolant there will be some sitting in the passages. when you lift he manifold some can drop down through the valley into the sump. the manifold won't be cracked. it's just the gasket that will be stuffed.

you don't need to torque the bolts if you take a little care and use the same amount of force on each bolt. i suggest you fit the manifold then put all the bolts in and only tighten a little. then go around and retighten em all using the same amount of force on each. this help ensure a more even pressure across all the bolts ensuring a good seal. follow the tightning sequence shown in the manual.

if your a little uncertain about all the stuff that comes off, especially all those plugs on the wiring loom, get some masking take and write on each where they go. makes putting everything back later much easier and you don't need to worry about remembering where they all go. don't forget a few coldies in the fridge for when your finished

[joe_rolls_commo]

Cheers for the advice boys - champions.

I've decided to do it myself, and from reading another post on the same subject I'm gonna get a genuine gasket kit from holden & "3bond" sealant. This sound right? 3Bond wont root the o2 sensors?

Yes immortality, I will have beers in the fridge. Talk about stating the obvious

[immortality]

Cheers for the advice boys - champions.

I've decided to do it myself, and from reading another post on the same subject I'm gonna get a genuine gasket kit from holden & "3bond" sealant. This sound right? 3Bond wont root the o2 sensors?

Yes immortality, I will have beers in the fridge. Talk about stating the obvious

just making sure

[DannyboyDS]

I think the most annoying part of the job is taking the injectors off, make sure you keep the old seals moist in some petrol, or buy new ones.

[capitalgainz]

um i need to say 1 thing before you attempt this
CLEAN THE THREAD AND THREAD HOLES AND POSSIBLY RE TAP THEM or enjoy refit

[DannyboyDS]

um i need to say 1 thing before you attempt this
CLEAN THE THREAD AND THREAD HOLES AND POSSIBLY RE TAP THEM or enjoy refit

thats good advice too, all the workshop manuals say the same thing, they just say to use a suitable sized tap to clean the threads.

[joe_rolls_commo]

Progress update.
Got everything off & spent the last hours of sunlight prepping the manifold & throttle-body. I have a few points of concern.
- I used degreaser to clean all the parts. Is this okay? Just concerned for o2 sensors. I wiped all excess off with a clean rag & blew them dry with compressed air.
- When taking the manifold off, coolant did leak down into the valley. What should I do about this? I'll change the oil, but is there anything else I should do?
- What side of the gaskets do I put my goo on, if not both?

Other than that, I appreciate the help. Shouldn't be too much drama getting the bitch back together.
Cheers lads! I'd shout you each a beer, but you can have some reputation points instead

[DannyboyDS]

I did mine last weekend,

I only used silicone (goo/snot) on the valley gaskets and the manifold bolts, in retrospect I would put a dot or two on each gasket next time, simply to hold them in place while refitting the manifold, much easier, I didn't use any goo on the inlet manifold gaskets under the advice of two mechanics, so far so good.

I should also point out, not to make the mistake I made, make sure your plenum lines up ontop of the manifold before bolting it down :P

this thread should help you too :P It sure helped me.

forgot my Haynes manual need some tourqe settings

[immortality]

generally one side of the gasket will have a rubber seal on it, from memory these should go against the head. puttting a little sealant on the other sid edoesn't hurt althouh i've never done a VS one so can't be 100% of gasket design. if i use sealant i normally use that copper gasket spray. works well.

[joe_rolls_commo]

Okey-dokey - all done, everything's back together.

I haven't tried running it yet, because I haven't changed the oil after dropping coolant when I took the manifold off. Would I be safe to do so? Cant get any oil till monday.

Other than that, I'm happy with the job. Cheers for the help guys, good advice that would have precluded me from several cockups. Much appreciated!!

[greenacc]

hmmm, guess it depends how much water went in, and how keen you are to get it running. Can't you get some oil from a supermarket or servo ?

[joe_rolls_commo]

Nah, I'm out bush - it can wait.

[joe_rolls_commo]

Changed my oil. Ran the bitch for 1/2 hour & realised I was leaking coolant from the arse-end of the manifold. That's where the smoke was coming from in my original post. Was running down from the intake to exhaust manifold. (Ended up cutting the tip off the hose cuz it was worn out.)

Other than that, I'm low on coolant. Aside from that, all's good. Gotta say thanks to all that chirped up with advice & hope this thread comes in handy to anyone in a similar situation.

Also, for anyone with a similar problem:
I was quoted between 300-600$ to have a mechanic do the job.
To do the job yourself, gaskets will cost 82$ (genuine) or $55 (aftermarket) plus around 18$ for sensor-safe goo.

If your going to a mechanic, read up first. That way you know what your on about when you talk to him, save ya self gettin' ripped off. If your doin the job yourself, get a manual & ask around these forums - these blokes rock - saved me an easy couple hundred.

Cheers again boys!