Hello all, I am new to the forum and have not found an answer to my problem from reading past posts, so here goes. My wife's 99 Monte Carlo, 3.1 engine, has sprung a coolant leak. It is coming from the driver's side. It appears to be coming from on top of the block just to rear of the thermostat housing, but is not the thermostat housing. I have done everything possible to find it without tearing everything off the top of the engine. It almost apears to be an intake gasket or maybe a head gasket if at all possible. Is there anything else in this area that can cause a coolant leak. I was hoping for some info before tearing the top off.

 

yup, it sounds like the intake manifold gasket is gone, the 3.1 and the 3.4 are really bad, make sure you get the new fel-pro intake set with the metal inserts, and dont pay more than a 100 bucks for em, cuz i sell em cdn for 100 bucks for the set up here so i would imagine they are cheaper in the states

 

yup, definately the lower intake manifold. just a quick note that if you replace the gaskets yourself, the intake and exhaust pushrods are differant lengths

 

I did not know I would be getting into the push rods doing an intake, I better get a manual and read up on it before attempting. Thanks for the heads up.

 

the gaskets are behind some of the pushrods and to re-install the pushrods have to be removed

 

This is correct, but if I remeber correctly ya only have to remove half of em so it is pretty easy to not get em mixed up

 

that is correct. that's why i said some of them

 

personally i think its easier to just take em all out.
just have to remeber the intakes are the short ones, but its easy cause the intakes rockers are closer to the valley.

 

Is there anywhere on line that has a breakdown of the intake so I can look at it?

 

send me your email address and i will be glad to send you some pics and breakdown of the intake manifold