I would recommend getting a radiator pressure tester from the parts store. See if you have a tiny leak. If it's the LIM gaskets, you will probably see coolant bubbling from where the LIM meets the head (it's also around the top of the valve cover). If it is the related to the LIM gaskets, those are not a big deal to change. I'd also check around the coolant elbows (and make sure not to mistake those failing for a water pump).

The other issue is to make sure all the air is bled from the system.

Whatever is the problem Duane, I am sure it can be found and is probably not a big deal.

 

I replaced the thermostat already, that wasn't it. It seems to be better now, but not fixed. I flushed the radiator at the same time. It may be a coolant elbow, but I changed them when I put new valve cover gaskets on the car last December so they're right at a year old.


But I'm not really leaking anywhere that I can see. I'll have to check on the water pump. $41 at NAPA for a new one.... so it's not too bad, just a major PITA to do it.

 

You should be able to reach a lot of it through the wheel well.

PS pump and Idle Pulley need to be loosened to get all of the water pump bolts

 

This maybe beating a dead horse....But those coolant "elbows" have such a high failure rate...

It might just be...That when it runs hot...the pressure seals them and after it cools down they tend to shrink enuff to leak....since we all know these motor blocks run hot...It maybe just leaking enuff to hit the block and evaporate almost immediately...

Just athought...
Also id check behind the idler pull on that "ledge" and see if theres any staining....in or around those elbow areas..

 

I did look over everything today. There was a little oil on the intake manifold in one spot, don't know how that got there. I do have a cold water leak that STUMPMI refers to on one of the coolant elbows.

However, if you stand in front of the engine with a flashlight and shine a line down belwo the harmonic balancer, then you can suddenly see this little engine support and tehre was anti freeze pooled up in it. I dried it out and going to see if it magically refills or if mayeb in during a flush I accidently spilled something on it.


I am pricing cars though.... the Monte may not be with me much longer..... part of it I think is just that I'm tired of the FWD V6 and I've had this car nearly 6 years now anyway.... been a good car really.

 

I know replaceing those elbows are a pain in the butt...
But any pressure leak in the system would cause overheating
as we all know....Its understandable if you choose to not replace the elbows again... But then again...It may just last you another 5 yrs Duane..
If you replace them.

 

On a L36 in a 6th gen, replacing those elbows is about a 10-20 minute job + bleeding the system.

I know Spring of 2011, I put new ones on (Dorman) and FIRST time I drove the Monte to work this spring after taking it out of winter slumber, the one elbow pushed out on me!!
I bit the bullet, after reading a LOT of complaints about the Dorman elbows and bought genuine GM (that elbows are infact a slightly different casting form). Dorman NOW makes aluminum elbows. Don't have a set on the Monte yet (they sit in my garage "ready" if I need them), but HOPEFULLY they are better then the plastic ones.

 

That little bit of oil could be from the valve covers

 

Well I put a water pump on it, then found one of my coolant elbows leaking and changed those with the ones from GM and put it all back together.... bled the system and all that yada yada, drove it around... littel spot under the harmonic balancer is full of anti freeze again!! I checked the one elbow that's easy to see nad it's dry for what I can tell... I read another emmber here having this issue and everyone is saying the Lower Intake Manifold gasket?


Been checking out those new Mustangs again.....


It's just frustrating. Valve cover gaskets, wheel hub assemblies, and now this fiasco. The car has a vibration that I can't really figure out... feels like tires sometimes but other times I can't tell but it doesn't seem to be major. The switch for the passenger side window doesn't work on the drivers side 3/4ths of the time, and half the radio and a/c lights are burned out.



Tired of messing with this thing right now....

 

Mine did that when I first got it, was the intake gasket, mines an '03 as well....