Coolant leak at rear of engine

[Shannon955i]

Driving home yesterday from work the car started to overheat. Had a look underneath and it seems to be leaking from the rear of the engine and it was flowing real good. I'm assuming it's coming from the thermostat. Will the transmission have to dropped or can it be done from the top?

There's one video out there with a comment that it can be done from the top if plenum cover and intake manifold are removed.

I have a video and it looked like there was a rain cloud underneath the car. The pic will give an idea though.

2016 Wagon Black edition
115k on the clock

 

[Ccoastcalais]

Yes can be done from the top but you’re working blind.
much easier to take out the transmission & that way you have clear access.

 

[krusing]

Driving home yesterday from work the car started to overheat. Had a look underneath and it seems to be leaking from the rear of the engine and it was flowing real good. I'm assuming it's coming from the thermostat. Will the transmission have to dropped or can it be done from the top?

There's one video out there with a comment that it can be done from the top if plenum cover and intake manifold are removed.

I have a video and it looked like there was a rain cloud underneath the car. The pic will give an idea though.

2016 Wagon Black edition
115k on the clock

Transmission out !
No, it can be done from the top as per my post,
A lot of work involved, but not as much as removing the trans,

I have done it on a LY7, and its doable.

 

[Fu Manchu]

VE and VF are easier to do from the top than VZ. Way easier.

Trade off is that the wiper cowl has to come off and the intake plenum. The wiper cowl requires quite a few new clips and there’s a cost for those. The wiper cowl will require a lot of heating and weight setting to get it back right against the glass.

 

[Fu Manchu]

You have a cost of the new clips for the wiper cowl @$100 at the worst.
You have new intake gaskets @$40-$50.
You have the cost of your time.
You have the cost of new coolant and distilled water @$50-$60
You have the cost of the new thermostat.

I’d pay the $700 and have someone else do it. Not much of a trade off on cost. You could go fishing while that is done. Way less stressful.

 

[Shannon955i]

I might have to have a crack at it. Will ring around first. The wiper cowl sounds like it might be a drama for me with the heating and weight setting though.

If it could be done for $700 that would be a good deal. I did the engine mounts on a VT about 14 years ago and that was a pain. It took most of the day if I remember rightly.

 

[Fu Manchu]

If someone else does it, they’ll remove the gearbox to do it.

 

[Shannon955i]

Got it booked in for Monday and the guy said he has done them before. Going to cost about a grand with parts. So I'm happy with that.

 

[NJD-1992]

You have a cost of the new clips for the wiper cowl @$100 at the worst.

No clips on VF cowl. There are the plastic scrivets, but not the trim clips like VE

Whatever one does, dont damage them. As I think they are another VF plastic part that is currently unobtainium as a new part