Head Gasket?

Hello John,

Without getting much of an idea where "at the back of the engine" is, it could be a heater hose or the fittings (the heater core in the passenger compartment uses hot coolant flow from the engine via the heater hose: one inlet, one outlet).

Try turning the heater on (I know, it's still hot out there) at the highest heat setting but lowest fan setting to get the hot coolant from the engine to flow through the heater core. If the leaking stops, the leak's before the heater core -- pop the hood, trace the heater hose from the engine's "bell housing" (houses the thermostat) in the vicinity of the water pump to the firewall of the engine compartment. Remove and clean the "nipple" of the bell housing and the heater core inlet. Reinstall the hose (replace if no good) and tighten the screw clamps -- you may want to install a second screw clamp to each end of the heater hose, right next to the existing ones but have the screw clamps 180 degrees apart around the heater hose.

Try powerwashing the engine (careful of the electricals!) if you cannot locate the leak to get a better look-see. It could be an expansion plug on the engine block.

Good luck and let us know how you go.

Regards, Franko

first ever

truck was bought

it pretty steady

now on disability

for about 5 years.

Kinda ironic that

system.

the engine. The

transmission and dripping

temp stays right at

smoke. It is

the leak is so small

ground. I have seen it

it.

engine that could

head gasket? Is

I found where the heater hoses run into the firewall and into the heater core. I don't see any evidence of leakage at all around those hoses.

The back of the engine would be between the engine and firewall. I have read that there is a freeze plug in the head? Also, if it was a block freeze plug, wouldn't the coolant be coming from lower on the engine than up above the transmission?

Thanks,

probably it is the intake manifold gasket leaking where it connects to the head water jacket. This is common with the larger v8's and it runs down the block to look like a leak there. probably have to replace the intake manifold gasket and maybe resurface the head. old john

Is it common also on the 2.2 4-cylinder?

Also, Do I have to remove the head to replace an intake gasket?

Sorry if these are dumb questions. I have never had one of these before so I am really unfamiliar with this engine.

Hello John,

Did you check the heater hose from the water pump area towards the firewall (I believe it's a metal tube with a bend at the firewall end that runs on the LHS (driver's side) of the valve cover. A rubber hose is then swaged onto the end of this tube. The other end of this rubber hose is what connects to the heater core.

If the leak is from the head gasket, you could try retorquing the cylinder heads before removing them to see if it stops the leak. You could also try a radiator stop-leak.

By now, you should have removed the heater hoses from the heater core/water pump to clean the surfaces and closely inspect the hoses and clamps. Install two hose clamps at each connection, seriously.

Franko

into the heater

those hoses.

firewall. I have

be coming from

How would this happen on a 2.2 ltr FOUR cylinder engine? The manifold doesn't reach the ends of the head, if it did leak it would run down the right side of the block, it has a cross flow head, intake on one side, exhaust on the other, in this case intake on passenger side, exhaust on drivers side, that being the case coolant couldn't drip on the exhaust. And I might be mistaken here, but I don't think I am, the cooling system on the 2,2 doesn't run through the intake manifold. The heater hoses connect one to the radiator, the other a combination of rubber hose and steel line snake around the back of the block and then up the left side of the engine to the back side of the water pump housing.. The most likely culprit is this line. The second possibility depends on the head design that year. There is ether a block off plate on the back of the head, or a freeze plug. The 2.2 was used in rear wheel and front wheel drive apps. In rear wheel the thermostat housing is on an adaptor bolted to the front of the head, in front wheel drive apps the adaptor is on the rear of the head. This facilitates the use of a cross flow radiator. In front wheel apps the lower hose connects to the passenger side of the rad, the upper to the drivers side. , in rear wheel drive, the lower goes to the drivers side, the upper then goes to the passenger side.

Whitelightning

did not know the engine was a 4 old john

O.K., back to the original question I guess.

This is a 4-Cylinder 2.2 in a '95 S-10. It is leaking coolant somewhere at the BACK of the engine. I can't find the leak.

I saw it leaking one time, but mostly just smell it. The one time I did see it leak, it was running down the DRIVERS side of the TRANSMISSION and dripping ONTO THE EXHAUST under the vehicle. NOT ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

I checked the heater hoses where they run in to the heater core. Everything looks good there. WHERE ELSE SHOULD I CHECK?

Sorry about all the caps but it seems the original question is getting lost somewhere.

Thanks,

GM Secret Warrentee !!!

I had a 2.2 S-10, the head gasket went twice.

V.B.

Hello John,

Did you check that metal tube to heater hose that runs along the driver's side of the valve cover, makes a turn behind the head to lead to the heater core?

Franko

coolant somewhere at

one time I did see

TRANSMISSION and

EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

core. Everything

question is getting lost

There are 3 small bolts (5/16?) across the back of the head that I could only see with a mirror. What are these for? They appeared to go directly into the head but not hold anything on.

It sounds as though you are in way over your head John.If you are TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR with that engine perhaps you should take it to the shop.My experience with newer vehicles is that if you don't know what you are doing you can do more damage trying to fix it then is already wrong with it.BELIEVE ME,I have learned it the hard way...LOL...I use info from the resident experts here to ARM myself when I go to the shop now...GOOD LUCK....

I once had an 86 mustang that developed a pinhole coolant leak on the heater hose just before it entered the heater core on the firewall. It only leaked when the cooling system was up to pressure. It also sprayed right onto the exhaust manifold. So it was a small leak and vaporized everything. I could smell it for weeks, but couldn't find it. Gunning the engine at the throttlebody while standing next to the car is how I spotted it. A pressure test would have caught it also. I have a pressure test kit now. It's not too expensive and would certainly help here.

brian