Intro + halp plz

#kit.x9 · 04-28-2008, 12:13 AM

Hey, I'm Kit. I've lurked on these forums lightly for about a year. Mostly, I just do specific searches when I have a question about something; I don't really check this or any forum every day.

I've got a 99 Alero (v6 3.4L) that I've had for about three or four years now, obviously I bought it used. It's got something like 170,000 miles on it or something ridiculous like that. I'm not here to get tips on how to increase the performance by adding freakish exhaust kits and I'm not interested in even clearing my corners. When I bought the car, it had a deep dent (read:hole), if I had been concerned with appearances I'd never have gotten this car. This was basically my first car, that's all there is to it. If I had the ca$h money to get a new one, hey, I probably would. But I've got this one, and I might as well stick with it, and hey, I might learn some things along the way.

Like I said, the car is a bit old and probably needs quite a bit of repair. The rotors have been a little F'd up since I got this thing, I probably will be replacing them soon as I can. There's some other minor maintenence things to get around to, like a new battery, etc.

My main problem now though, is I've got some kind of leak. I've read and read about LIMG leaks, and even remember there being a guide somewhere (on a grand am forum, I think) on how to replace the gaskets with the Felpro problem solver kit.

I started leaking out coolant quite some long time ago, I took it to my regular maintenence guys who said they could fix it by replacing the coolant tank, well big surprise- that did nothing. No matter how fast I refilled coolant, it would be gone too fast to make it worth doing. So, I've been running without coolant for this winter, which was cold but not freezing this year- thus, I've not really had any problems with overheating, honestly. But summer is coming and I've noticed my engine temp get high when I slow to a stop. Reading about the LIMG leaks, I decided that the most advantageous thing would be to leave the coolant out until I could work up the money to get that effer fixed- again. At least then coolant wouldn't leak INTO the engine and eff me over big time. As I said, though, I've tried to get this fixed before, and I had thought they really did fix it- until a few months later when I began to have the same problems. I didn't know about the felpro kit at that point and by not asking, I could've been letting the mechanic know that it was okay to rip me off.

However, I was searching within the past few days for that step-by-step guide on how to do LIMG replacement yourself, and I came across a thread that said something about head gasket failure, which I had not read before.

Now, I went to the mechanic the other day, and told him that I thought my problem was the LIMG and that I could get the part even if he needed it. He started naming off a bunch of parts numbers probably to impress me. All in all, he said it would be like a 7 hour job. I dont know if I want to give him that much money! Ha! If I've got to spend a bunch of cash, I'd rather just buy the tools and parts I'll need to do the sucker my own damn self, meanwhile learning how to do some car repair. I'm not really a gearhead/greasemonkey, but I AM very mechanically inclined and good at repairing machines, taking them apart / putting back together, etc.

My basic question[s] would be: what the hell am I going to have to replace? Is there a difference between a LIM leak and whatever with the head gaskets? What else exactly should I replace while I've got the engine open, and is there any cleaning I should do while I'm in there?(I've read in seafoam threads about spraying seafoam directly on the cylinders.) I just need help in general in fixing this engine problem. I'm going on a 2300+ mile trip come august, and I'm going one way or another. I'd just like to have my own transportation while I'm going.

Anyway, I'm sure you guys can help me out with this, I know you'll probably need more information which I'd be glad to provide. I'd really appreciate the help on this one. Remember though, I'm not a mechanic, so if you're trying to explain something to me, please don't use an acronym I haven't already used because I probably don't know what it is... Except: PCV, ABS etc.

cherrington17 · 04-28-2008, 12:21 AM

wow. welcome, and DAMN thats one hell of first post.

anyway... your gonna reach your head gaskets before you get to the LIM gasket. so if your going deep on the engine block, i'd replace that one while your in there.

As for seafoam, (someone else might say something more about this) but i'd run some BEFORE tearing the engine apart, and see if your possibly leaking from anywhere else. that way you know what parts you may need.

but if the car is paid off, and your willing to spend this kinda time/money (sounds like your car has been well used) personally, i'd consider just trading this one in, and using the repair money as a deposit to get a newer/lower mileage one. but thats just me. (at 170 miles its certainly not gonna run ALOT better in the future)

But i'm in the same boat as you. I can open things up, but i'm no expert. You'll probably get some of the gear heads to reply tomorrow afternoon (bored at work posts)

alerored04 · 04-28-2008, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

anyway... your gonna reach your head gaskets before you get to the LIM gasket. so if your going deep on the engine block, i'd replace that one while your in there.

Cherry you are backwards. The limg is above the head gasket and they do not get replaced during that job. If you search lower intake manifold walkthrough on gagt.com you will find what you need to know. All in all you need about $150 worth of parts of which a list is located in a thread on this site if you search for the lower intake manifold, and a basic set of metric wrenches and sockets to do the job. You will also need to buy or rent a torque wrench, they sell for around $100 or your local advance should have a loaner for you. If you have any other questions feel free to ask me or the rest of us here, btw if the leak is that bad it needs to be fixed asap. I am worried that if you overheated the car regularly you might have warped the heads.

meadus101 · 04-28-2008, 12:59 AM

Welcome man. Great first post. Way to kill it all in one.

The guys are going to post soon. they'll have step by steps for you i'm sure.

cavaliers60 · 04-28-2008, 12:59 AM

My Mech at the time got the job done in about 3 hours. 1 hour to let the engine cool, 1 1/2 to fix, and about a half hour of driving to make sure everything's ok. Paid $400, but it was worth it as they did a really good job!

alerored04 · 04-28-2008, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavaliers60

My Mech at the time got the job done in about 3 hours. 1 hour to let the engine cool, 1 1/2 to fix, and about a half hour of driving to make sure everything's ok. Paid $400, but it was worth it as they did a really good job!

That is a fast mechanic and a good price. I do them on the side for people i know for whatever they think is fair, but it takes me 5 hours to do. But i always take my sweet time so I dont forget anything.

BlackJack · 04-28-2008, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by #kit.x9

Now, I went to the mechanic the other day, and told him that I thought my problem was the LIMG and that I could get the part even if he needed it. He started naming off a bunch of parts numbers probably to impress me. All in all, he said it would be like a 7 hour job. I dont know if I want to give him that much money! Ha! If I've got to spend a bunch of cash, I'd rather just buy the tools and parts I'll need to do the sucker my own damn self, meanwhile learning how to do some car repair. I'm not really a gearhead/greasemonkey, but I AM very mechanically inclined and good at repairing machines, taking them apart / putting back together, etc.

Ask your mechanic if his time estimate is including going home to sleep for his 8-hour beauty rest while he's charging you for the extra 3 hours, then go look for a REAL mechanic.

Sounds like he's just wanting a crap-load of your hard-earned cash while he's on a whole pack worth of cigarette breaks.

#kit.x9 · 04-28-2008, 02:41 AM

Wow, I have a lot more questions now. I thank you guys for the info so far.

It's my beddy-bye time right now, but tomorrow I will submit all my new questions to you along with any other relevant info. Thanks!

cavaliers60 · 04-28-2008, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alerored04

That is a fast mechanic and a good price. I do them on the side for people i know for whatever they think is fair, but it takes me 5 hours to do. But i always take my sweet time so I dont forget anything.

I thought it was fast, but the quality of their work is fantastic! And he doesn't screw anyone over like some mechs tend to do...

surreal_awakening · 04-28-2008, 09:10 AM

My advice to you is be careful about running straight water in your engine. If you plan to fix it soon you can get away with it, but if you think you may not get to it right away, be careful. Straight water can rust out certain parts (radiator, heater core). Been there, done that. As for the gasket replacement, you spend more time getting all the small stuff on top of the engine disconnected and out of the way than you do actually changing the gaskets. Another note, make 100% sure that you keep track of which pushrod comes out of which hole. The intake and exhaust rods are different lengths. Putting them back in the wrong spot will leave you with far bigger problems than leaky gaskets. Other than that it is pretty straightforward. Rock Auto has the problem solver kit for about $62 right now. No need to get a full head set if your head gaskets aren't leaking.

super white alero1 · 04-28-2008, 10:15 AM

In 4.5 hours i could do the LIMG, thermostat, radiator and 2 hose, and the heater core hose, and flush and replace with green coolant for $650.00

lonnie · 04-28-2008, 12:23 PM

Welcome

Daytona · 04-28-2008, 06:09 PM

Welcome aboard!

#kit.x9 · 04-28-2008, 10:11 PM

Okay, I've formulated my other questions based on all replies up to this point.
I've addressed them to the people who posted the things which I am unsure about, but if someone else can answer the question and sees it first, feel free... I need all the help I can get on this one. erhem,

cherrington17:
running seafoam prior to opening the engine, to determine if there are other leaks- How do I determine where/what the leaks are coming from? For instance, the symptoms of a head leak vs LIMG failure, or the symptoms of both simultaneuosly.

alerored04:
About warped heads... What exactly is a head? I've read the terms heads and head gaskets, but I'm not exactly sure what that really means. If the heads have warped, what will be the result or symptoms? And would opening the engine cause even more damage? Is there any easy way to fix it, or can it simply be left alone until the car dies?

surreal_awakening:
about running the car with plain water instead of coolant: I thought about as much. Therefore, I have been running without coolant, surprisingly without any overheating problems. And again, what are heads and how do I determine if they are leaking or not?

I don't even have a haynes manual... so I'm pretty clueless really. I mean, I could get one, and probably will. If I have to, ha!

alerored04 · 04-28-2008, 11:31 PM

Well if you don't know what a cylinder head is i suggest you take it to a mechanic.

jayson_waltz · 04-28-2008, 11:45 PM

do yourself a favor and don't run only water in your radiator. the coolant is called antifreeze for a reason, it doesn't freeze

. it the water in your cooling system freezes, more than likely it will also be in your engine, and you will then be screwed b\c your engine and radiator would be f'ed up.

if you don't know what the heads are, please don't try to fix the car. but if u actually do, then take them off, set a straight edge on it, and see if you can slide a really thin feeler guage under the straight edge at any point. if you can, its warped.

oh, and welcome

#kit.x9 · 04-29-2008, 01:27 AM

Well, I know what a cylinder head is, but if you just say "head", well, that could mean a lot of things. I'm not going to pretend like I know everything about engines, it could have been something I didn't know. The how-to on gagt.com has replies from people who've never even changed their oil before who were able to complete the task successfully by following instructions carefully. I had read the whole tutorial already, but what I am in need of now is diagnostic information.

The main question I have is how do I determine whether I have a head leak or a LIMG leak, or if I somehow have both. I read one post that stated that a lot of steam in the exhaust along with disappearing coolant was indicative of a head leak, I'm not sure if I had that problem at some point or not.

And even if I really would not have the capability to do this repair, I still would like to be armed with the knowledge of just exactly what the problem is, how it's fixed, and how much it should cost. If there's one thing I hate, it's people trying to fleece me... it's just scummy. I have very little resources, and I can't afford to waste them because someone is able to trick me.

But to the people telling me that I have no chance of doing this- I think you're wrong. At some point, you yourselves were at the same knowledge level as I am now. You were able to learn, and so can I. I'll read the haynes manual, I'll do research and even buy car repair books if I have to. Actually doing this repair myself has a lot of value to me in that I will learn quite a bit in the process. It also possible that I can't really afford to pay someone else to do this for me. I mean, I have the money, but I really have more important things to spend it on, though I won't really get into that because it's really not related at all to this topic. It's not really that I'm cheap, I just really want to learn to do this on my own... with you guys' help.

TO the guys telling me about coolant/water. I was ambiguous when I talked about coolant. Anything that I put in the coolant tank that acts as coolant, including water, I call coolant. If I'm not mistaken, antifreeze/coolant gets diluted with water anyway. I started out with WHATEVER it is that a lube shop would put in your car, but that leaked. I refilled with water a couple times, but that also leaked out. Whatever is left of coolant and water (that which has not already drained out), that's what's in there. Meaning, my coolant is low or nonexistant. I don't know if that's horrible or permissible, but really, like I said, my engine rarely even runs hot. Besides, I'd rather run with low "radiatior fluid" than risk letting water get into my engine and pwn it hardc0re.

CharleyO99Alero · 04-29-2008, 01:40 AM

***

Welcome to the forums.

Abuse the SEARCH button!

***

99-alero · 04-29-2008, 02:47 AM

lol im really not missing my alero anymore because everytime a new member joins its " Hey i got an alero and this this and this is wrong with it " lol

cherrington17 · 04-29-2008, 07:31 AM

wow.. way to make a guy feel welcome. given that the guy is rather new, how about the mechanics on site try being throughout in their explaination...

as for the symptoms, my car has never has any of these issues, so i really don't know besides what i've read. and the most common version of the limg leak is coolant into oil, so if you check your oil and it looks like chocolate milk, then thats your issue.

and about the seafoam, i don't think it's going to help your current issue, but you might notice oil leaking out from somewhere new. giving you the change to fix a leak that might have been unseen.