Intake Manifold Gasket - I'm blaming the OEM Dex-Cool
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:08 am
I guess it was bound to happen someday. Last Saturday night, shortly after acquiring a kill in Green racing a Focus from a light to a lane merge*, I arrived at my theater destination, pulled into a spot and watched the pretty white stuff billow out from under the hood. Jumping out of the van, I could smell the anti-freeze boiling off. Grabbed the flashlight, popped the hood and searched for the leak. Best I could tell, with what little of the engine I could see, was that the drivers side lower intake manifold gasket was to blame.
Well, might as well enjoy my show.
2:30 in the morning my movie is over, I return to my van and start reviewing my options. Maybe the leak is slow enough that I can limp the 45 miles home. I walk across the street to a 24 hour grocery and purchase 4 gallons of water, while planning my surface streets route in my head. Back at the van I dump in most of the first gallon. Wasn't even able to get the drivers door open before I heard water trickling. So much for that idea.
Hello, AAA. Ladies on the phone were great, but for some reason no tow trucks were available in Chicago's west burbs on a night with no weather. Ended up with a driver from the south side that apparently has never ventured out of the city, watched the news during Christmas time, or bothered to learn how to use his GPS. Took several call from him to get him to my location. At one point I thought the guy was just going to give up. So 3 cold hours later the van is loaded and after I program my address in his GPS we are off to my home. It's almost 7 AM by the time the van is unloaded.
Sleep till just after noon. Back to the van. Remove the air box, upper shroud and engine cover, then pour more water into the radiator. Sure enough water is flowing out the channel between the intake manifold and the valve cover. Too tired to deal with it on Sunday, so Grumpy is pulling DD duty again.
I love Grumpy, best $250 I've ever spent.
*I lead from the light, but with too little room left to get in front of me they got on it. Sorry, but when properly prompted this van moves. Buh, bye.
Well, might as well enjoy my show.
2:30 in the morning my movie is over, I return to my van and start reviewing my options. Maybe the leak is slow enough that I can limp the 45 miles home. I walk across the street to a 24 hour grocery and purchase 4 gallons of water, while planning my surface streets route in my head. Back at the van I dump in most of the first gallon. Wasn't even able to get the drivers door open before I heard water trickling. So much for that idea.
Hello, AAA. Ladies on the phone were great, but for some reason no tow trucks were available in Chicago's west burbs on a night with no weather. Ended up with a driver from the south side that apparently has never ventured out of the city, watched the news during Christmas time, or bothered to learn how to use his GPS. Took several call from him to get him to my location. At one point I thought the guy was just going to give up. So 3 cold hours later the van is loaded and after I program my address in his GPS we are off to my home. It's almost 7 AM by the time the van is unloaded.
Sleep till just after noon. Back to the van. Remove the air box, upper shroud and engine cover, then pour more water into the radiator. Sure enough water is flowing out the channel between the intake manifold and the valve cover. Too tired to deal with it on Sunday, so Grumpy is pulling DD duty again.
I love Grumpy, best $250 I've ever spent.
*I lead from the light, but with too little room left to get in front of me they got on it. Sorry, but when properly prompted this van moves. Buh, bye.
