97-Suburban - Coolant weeping under thermostat housing.. [CHECK PICTURE!] - Page 2

2000CAYukon · 06-30-2005, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suburban-97

Hmm.., I just opened the motor oil filler cap and there is some dry, dark, rusty-colored 'something' on its inside and on the inside wall of the filler pipe as well.

Does it mean it is getting worse and I have Dex Cool leaking into the crank case already???

Scary, scary..

Looks like I might ride the bike this week

PS - Thanks for the hint about the distributor gear, gregory914, I will definitely consider replacing it if there's even the smallest hint that it could quit on me. I read your post on that. Interesting. Part $30 at Autozone, not even that expensive..

How does the oil on the dipstick look? Can you post a picture of the cap?

//2000CAYukon

Suburban-97 · 06-30-2005, 07:18 AM

Ok, I took two high-resolution pics of this phenomenon. They should be large enough for you to see what I mean.

Please note that I actually cleaned the inside of the CAP with a rag last night.., but the rusty crap that I was talking about is still on the outside part of it.

The FILLER TUBE is hard to take a picture of, but I hope I got it in an angle where you can see at least a little bit of the orange stuff.

Dipstick is as clean as it can be, not any different than any other day, on any other car, that's why I did not take a picture of it. Maybe I should also say that the car hasn't been driven in 2 days. Is it possible that this is only visible when the engine is still hot after a drive?

Looking at the pictures, do you think that I should worry about this, or is it maybe just some normal, stupid, regular metal rust and I am being paranoid again?!? He heee, I wish I had the green coolant, then this way I could rule out green rust

gregory914 · 06-30-2005, 09:13 AM

In my opinion it does look like moisture has collected in your fiil tube. However, if the oil doesn't look milky it may only be a small amount of coolant seeping into the crankcase. And when the engine runs it gets the moisture/coolant hot enough to boil and condensate in places that don't get splashed with oil constantly. I think the oil runs at about 400 degrees or so. Also you should never have rust in your oil or on plastic pieces like the fill tube assembly.

Autozone is great for oil (I only use Mobil 1)and filters, but if you buy the gear go to a Chevy/GMC Dealer. And when you pull the distributor the gear should be all black, any amount of shiny spots on the teeth means it's wearing out and for $40 bucks put the new one on!

FYI: I just bought six packs of Mobil1 at Sam's Club for $23, that's cheap compared to any other price I've seen in the last 5 plus years. I think it's old over stock from their stores because a contest on the quarts ended in Nov. '04, but what the heck that's like $3.83 a quart compared to the $5.95 at most discount parts stores or the $7.95 list price.

Suburban-97 · 06-30-2005, 09:47 AM

May I ask you guys where you can get this Fel-Pro MS98000T gasket set? I looked at online stores like Autozone, NAPA and Discount Auto Parts and I wasn't able to find it...

Suburban-97 · 06-30-2005, 11:05 AM

Hmm.., I tried to keep that little puddle under the thermostat (remember the first picture in this post?) completely dry, so I can tell whether it leaks through a different spot as well.. and it does! With that spot now being dry (I tried cleaning it every few hours), I still found a small puddle under the vehicle. I decided to use this vehicle only in case of emergency and I think I'll stick to that.

This weekend we'll have fun on FL's East coast during a long-awaited vacation, that we initially planned with the Suburban in mind, but I guess we'll have to use my wife's 50mpg Hyundai. Ha haa... the money we'll save on gas will most likely pay for the gaskets

As soon as I get back I'll start working on those gaskets. I still have no idea where to buy that PermaDryPlus set, but I'll figure something out.

Old Dave · 06-30-2005, 11:45 AM

The manual I found at my library was a Mitchell. Much better than a Haynes or Chiltons but I cannot find the darned copy of what I found. As far as gasket sealer the Felpro set came with a small tube of black RTV. My son had a can of "Great Stuff" that he had used on his so we used that and 6 months and not a leak. Good luck.

Suburban-97 · 06-30-2005, 12:24 PM

Thanks Old Dave, after you posted your reply I found these at my library.. Do they seem familiar to you?

'Mitchell domestic cars light trucks & vans service & repair'
and..

'Mitchell electrical service & repair : domestic vehicles'

I wasn't sure whether the distributor and timing part of this repair would fall into the engine repair or into the electrical repair category. So I'll just get both

gregory914 · 06-30-2005, 12:56 PM

Get out your local phone book and find a parts store that sells the Fel-Pro product line. It will probably be one that supplies srevice centers and not the typical Auto-Zone or Advanced-Auto or other discount places.

And remember the timing can only be set properly with a GM scanner that will run a full advance and retard load on the timing. The available adjustment is only there to compensate for the tolerences given for the manufacturing of the mass produced engines. It only allows for either a two or four degree swing each way, where as on cars that you can adjust timing, the distributor can be turned 180 degrees. The gear in my truck was probably worn only about ten-thousandths of an inch (not visable with the naked eye) but it was enough to give me a code/SES light on. Also the main CPU actualy adjusts the timing as you're driving and you don't feel a thing, what's being set is the "Base Timing" for the Computer to do it's job properly!

My buddies shop has a Tech-1 system that has the GM software, so you don't have to go to the dealer. But if you can't find someone with the right equipment, or how to use it, THEN GO TO the Dealer and it should only cost about an hour or less of labor and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing it's done right...the first time!

Another tid-bit, because you seem to be anal, like me, when it comes to your vehicle. Change your fuel filter every 20K miles or 30K at the most. Read my threads about fuel pumps and other posted fuel pump ones and you'll see this is another weak link in the Suburban Heritage.

2000CAYukon · 06-30-2005, 01:28 PM

www.rockauto.com has the MS98000T gasket set.

//2000CAYukon

Suburban-97 · 06-30-2005, 02:41 PM

Thank you 2000CAYukon, I found the gasket set right where you said it was.

gregory914, I am being told on a almost daily basis how 'anal' I am, and I take it as a compliment

To me it translates more or less into 'perfectionist'

Anyhow, I know that relying on others is sometimes a necessity. I am not that stupid to try to adjust the timing on my own, but I am smart enough to at least try to avoid it.
I can bring my Burbie to the shop, have it fixed in one day for 600-700 bucks, then drive the car next day and still find a leak. It's never the mechanics fault if something like that happens.. It's always MY fault.

I try to do this repair myself for at least 3 reasons:
1. I would like to know how it's done. The more I understand about my vehicle, the more I learn about it, the longer I will enjoy it, the longer it will live AND I might be able to avoid further damage through appropriate handling.
2. I would like to take my time and do it right. I will do it by book, I will follow this forum's AWESOME advice, I will put exactly 11lb of torque, use the right sequences for everything, etc., etc...
3. I know I can save the 600 bucks for this and buy my wife something cool for her upcoming B-day. I am not cheap, but it's a good amount of money.

..In fact, I am scanning eBay for a cooling system pressure tester and for a Tech-I or -II scanner right now. I think it's awesome to have those things in your garage. I read posts about error codes and all that and I don't even know how to read them. I will learn that too, as I've learned a lot of other stuff in my life. I will die learning..

gregory914 · 07-01-2005, 10:20 AM

COOL!... I WAS complimenting you. And I can relate, when I was younger I used to lay under my cars and just study how and why they did things a certain way which led to my pusiut of Mechanical Engineering. It started out as Auotomotive but that changed after a trip to a GM design building where we were allowed to view 60 or more old men all smoking and working out issues with the GM door locking mechanisms WOW, was that exciting (NOT).

Then somehow I got into Medical Imaging (MRI & CT Scanners) in '77 and the rest is history. Now I still lay under my cars and wonder why they didn't design it better so it wouldn't break.

Try to contact the manufacturer of the Tech 1 scanners and see if they take ones in on trade and re-market them with factory support, software updates and all that good stuff. I know that used MRIs that sold for $2Mil plus go for $3-500K when they come off lease. You might even want to check with Auction Houses that liquidate assets, I know that's a favorite among consruction contractors and companies like Body Shops or small garages.

Good Luck and keep us posted on how it goes.

Huney1 · 02-06-2007, 03:44 AM

Hundreds of thousands of us working stiffs who threw down our hard earned money got the royal shaft by GM and their sorry no good intake manifold gaskets and that DexCool crap and GM wouldn't make good if the vehicle was out of warranty. Well, the defect often did not show up until the vehicle was out of warranty. DUH? So GM in effect said screw you and you got the GM shaft with no grease.

Next time you are in the market for a car remember that and get a foreign made car. Ford is supporting the homosexual agenda and same sex marriages and GM will stiff you, so heck with American made, buy a foreign made car and revolt! I had a sorry Chevy Venture van and when I got rid of it I said that was the last GM product that will ever sit in our driveway.

Ford January sales down 19% and GM down 10%.

Presently have two Ford products and we're happy with them but when we trade it will be for a Toyota, Honda, Hyundai or Mini Cooper. I want the Mini -

'97ventureowner · 02-07-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huney1

Next time you are in the market for a car remember that and get a foreign made car. Ford is supporting the homosexual agenda and same sex marriages and GM will stiff you, so heck with American made, buy a foreign made car and revolt! I had a sorry Chevy Venture van and when I got rid of it I said that was the last GM product that will ever sit in our driveway.

We all know you hate GM as evidenced by your other postings in the Chevrolet forums, but your comments above really belongs here:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...play.php?f=980.
This forum is for trying to solve issues, not create new ones.

Huney1 · 02-07-2007, 11:08 AM

"We all know you hate GM as evidenced by your other postings in the Chevrolet forums, but your comments above really belongs here:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...play.php?f=980.
This forum is for trying to solve issues, not create new ones."

No problem Pilgrim, if that's what you desire I'll splash it all over the forum. I don't blame you, I'd be mad to, but I'm not going to take it laying down and every chance I get I put the bad mouth on GM because THEY DESERVE IT!

'97ventureowner · 02-07-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huney1

"We all know you hate GM as evidenced by your other postings in the Chevrolet forums, but your comments above really belongs here:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...play.php?f=980.
This forum is for trying to solve issues, not create new ones."

No problem Pilgrim, if that's what you desire I'll splash it all over the forum. I don't blame you, I'd be mad to, but I'm not going to take it laying down and every chance I get I put the bad mouth on GM because THEY DESERVE IT!

Whatever floats your boat Padre. It's a free country. At least you don't see us GM guys over in the Taurus or Grand Marquis forums berating Ford/Mercury products every time you post about a problem with your vehicles.

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