1989 LeSabre Massive Coolant Leak at Timing Chain Cover (Front Cover)

Hi.

My 1989 LeSabre (206,000 miles) (3.8L VIN C) has an awful coolant leak. It's leaking externally at the front cover. The leak is to the right of the water pump near where the lower radiator hose connects to the waterpump.
The leak used to come and go....but now when I pour coolant into the radiator it comes right back out.
I am wondering how difficult it is to replace the front cover gasket. Do I need to drop the oil pan? Do I need to remove the waterpump from the front cover to replace the front cover gasket?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Very involved, you will need a good book to help with the work. I would make sure that the leak is not coming from the hose or the water pump gasket before pulling the front cover.:eek:

Thanks for replying. I've got a Haynes book and printed off the AutoZone's guide to this repair. For some reason it seems this job is easier for my car (Vin C). It doesn't seem too involved from the guides....unless they're omitting some stuff.
I'd like to know if I need to remove the water pump from the front cover before taking the front cover off. If so I'll need a new gasket for that too. It seems to me that with this car (Vin C) I don't need to drop the oil pan.
Also, the car has teh original timing chain....206,000 miles. For the last 5 years the car has had an annoying chatter, not sure what it is....However, the car runs, starts, perfectly. Should I replace these things too? The store sell a 3 piece kit...2 gears, 1 chain. Is this all I need?

Thanks !!

Um... yeah, its involved.:iceslolan I checked my Haynes guide and it does seem to make things a little simple. One thing I noticed is that it does not mention removing the dampener, which you will need to do to remove the cover. I've never done it myself, but everyone that has says that it is a real bitch to get off. The bolt holding it on is torqued to a very high degree and then you need the proper puller to remove it. Once you get it off it should be smooth sailing. As for the water pump, you will have to remove at least the 4 large bolts holding it in place. Also, the oil pump is contained on the inside of the cover you are pulling. It is not an impossible job, but don't plan on doing the job in 1 day. Make sure you get a good quality torque wrench to put things back together with.:iceslolan Of course, this is why I said to make sure that the leak is not coming from someplace else, because it would suck to pull the cover off for nothing. As for the timing chain and gears, it wouldn't be a bad idea, as long as you feel up to it by the time you get there. Also, along with the chain and sprockets is the chain damper which will also need replacing. It is a little sprung thing that rubs against the chain and takes up the slack.

:popcorn:

Before you tear the cover off, check the plastic hose nipple that comes out of the end of the intake (behind the alternator area) to the bypass hose that runs to the top of the timing cover. They are known to crack and leak massive amts of coolant. It will leak down the front of the engine near the lower hose.

Thanks for the replies.
I went to AutoZone and they were out of the gasket kits.
I really don’t want to remove that cover. I have the car up on jack stands, the alternator is out, brackets are out, and there is plenty of room. I checked the bypass hose and I didn’t see a leak, I’ll check again. It really looks like it’s coming from the side of the front cover, but it’s hard to see the exact location of where it’s coming from.
The car is on jacks, and hasn’t been started in two weeks, so the engine is cold . . . .All I have to do is add some water to the radiator and it starts streaming out of the cold engine. If I squeeze the upper hose a little it comes out even faster.
When the engine is hot and running the leak actually slows down.
It seems like there is not any pressure involved with this leak. If it is the front cover gasket that is leaking are there any “quick fixes” out there? Is there any type of gasket goop that could be applied externally to the leak?

Thanks !!

Perhaps you could pull the water pump and maybe you'll be able to see something then? There isn't anything you could use to seal it from the outside, especially when you can't even tell where the leak is coming from. It is possible that it's not a leaky gasket, but a crack in the aluminum. Just bite the bullet and start pulling it apart.:frown: BTW, have you noticed any antifreeze in your oil? If you do end up pulling the cover off, make sure you change the oil before starting it up.