I'm getting very frustrated with a coolant leak. Last autumn I developed a coolant leak that put coolant onto the top of my timing cover on the driver's side, just under the distributor. (I have an '89 with a 3.9l.) I replaced the water pump because it was leaking a little anyway, and I figured it might be leaking from the top of the big snail-shaped gasket. That fix had no effect.
Next I figured I had a leaking cylinder head gasket. (I've had them fail on other cars and leak coolant out the side or front of the gasket to the outside of the engine, so even though I couldn't see the leak, I just figured it was there.) I replaced the head gaskets. Turned out they were about to fail; the composite layers were developing a void running from a rear coolant passage toward cylinder 7. When I got it all back together, the leak was still there under the distributor.
Next, I figured I had a leaking timing cover gasket, so I replaced that, as you might recall from my posts over the last few weeks. Today I got it all back together, and the leak is still there, as bad as ever.
I feel like I'm missing something really basic. This has be feeling like a noob, even though I have 30 years experience working on English and European cars, and even a little experience working on American cars (Oldsmobiles, mostly). What have I overlooked? I'm really beginning to pull my hair out.
Thanks in advance,
Scott
Next I figured I had a leaking cylinder head gasket. (I've had them fail on other cars and leak coolant out the side or front of the gasket to the outside of the engine, so even though I couldn't see the leak, I just figured it was there.) I replaced the head gaskets. Turned out they were about to fail; the composite layers were developing a void running from a rear coolant passage toward cylinder 7. When I got it all back together, the leak was still there under the distributor.
Next, I figured I had a leaking timing cover gasket, so I replaced that, as you might recall from my posts over the last few weeks. Today I got it all back together, and the leak is still there, as bad as ever.
I feel like I'm missing something really basic. This has be feeling like a noob, even though I have 30 years experience working on English and European cars, and even a little experience working on American cars (Oldsmobiles, mostly). What have I overlooked? I'm really beginning to pull my hair out.
Thanks in advance,
Scott