new head gasket?

01 Impala LS 3.8L, 165,000 miles, Has been leaking coolant for the last month. Started out slow, now I have to refill almost every day. Oil is milky, and white smoke out of tail pipe when starting. Engine doesnt quite over heat, but gets to about 200 degrees then stays there. I live in Vegas and it is going to start getting really hot soon, and I want to make sure I dont blow up from overheating the car. I am pretty sure that this means a problem with the head gaskets. Before I start to attack this problem, thought I would get some opinions from some real mechanics. Any ideas based on my symptoms?

01 Impala LS 3.8L, 165,000 miles, Has been leaking coolant for the last month. Started out slow, now I have to refill almost every day. Oil is milky, and white smoke out of tail pipe when starting. Engine doesnt quite over heat, but gets to about 200 degrees then stays there. I live in Vegas and it is going to start getting really hot soon, and I want to make sure I dont blow up from overheating the car. I am pretty sure that this means a problem with the head gaskets. Before I start to attack this problem, thought I would get some opinions from some real mechanics. Any ideas based on my symptoms?


this could very well be the lower intake manifold gaskets...very common problem.....drive for a period of time with this issue is sure death to this engine....

if you find this to be the case replace the upper intake manifold when you have this done as this usually cracks internally where the egr is mounted...

the coolant system must be properly maintained...dexcool and distilled water...hard water eats the metal..then gaskets blow out..

good luck

I have heard that dexcool is what is tearing up the gaskets? Is this just a bunch of crap or is there some truth to this? I had the coolant system flushed by a shop about a year ago. Is there a possibility that whatever coolant they put in there was not dexcool and that is what caused the gaskets to crack? I am going to get it all apart this weekend and see what is really going on in there. thanks for the reply.

The gaskets failed for the same reason the uppers crack and leak around the EGR tube, and the plastic nipples/elbows that crack and leak. Poor design!!!

I have heard that dexcool is what is tearing up the gaskets? Is this just a bunch of crap or is there some truth to this? I had the coolant system flushed by a shop about a year ago. Is there a possibility that whatever coolant they put in there was not dexcool and that is what caused the gaskets to crack? I am going to get it all apart this weekend and see what is really going on in there. thanks for the reply.

GM recommends dexcool and distilled water...min 50% dexcool....the problem is there are so called COMPATIBLE COOLANTS that say they can be used with dexcool....this is where vehicle owners get screwed...you must see GM APPROVED DEXCOOL ON THE CONTAINER !

WHY the problem / concern ? the metal/gasket corrodes...this then causes the failures...

my daughters 98 monte just had the upper intake replaced,,,it cracked but the gaskets with over 100,ooomi still are good...
the EGR portion of the upper intake cracked...plastic failed do to the heat...no coolant problems..because the dexcool is at 65% with distilled water...same on my other vehicles no coolant problems...

also don't for get the jiffy lube guy topping off your fluids VERY EXPENSIVE OIL CHANGE INDEED....

since you operate this vehicle in a hot climate any loss of coolant/pressure will cause overheating and engine hot spots to cause this head gasket failure...as the heads overheat then distort / crack....

you must have coolant system pressure or the coolant will boil at about 200 deg f where you are,,then the water pump can't pump the air bubbles....

hows the weather out there ? going to vegas this week end....

weather is going to be 75 or so, it has been really hot this week though(mid 90's) I am thinking of tackling this monster this weekend. Thanks

Keep us updated as to whether or not you tackled this already. I have just started losing a lot of coolant recently and have had the white smoke out of the tail pipe. The oil doesn't seem to bad visibly. I haven't had too much time to heavily inspect this issue for leaks because of work and the weather not agreeing with me but this engine has 285,000 miles on it so the intake manifold gasket wouldn't surprise me. If you tackled this over the weekend, let us know how it went. Thanks!

weather is going to be 75 or so, it has been really hot this week though(mid 90's) I am thinking of tackling this monster this weekend. Thanks

I just got back from vegas ,,,the weather was great very comfortable....and the gambling was successful////ponies...

did you get to your engine issues ?

I started this project this weekend, but didnt even get close. I did manage to get the upper and lower intake off, and the gaskets were all kinds of messed up. I am replacing the lower gaskets tonight, and I am replacing the whole upper intake manifold and gasket. (I found it cheap online) I broke a hose or something that ran across the front of the upper intake manifold, and in front of the fuel rail, but I dont know what it is, as it is not listed on any diagrams I can find, including my Manual. I guess I am just going to take it to the parts store and say "give me one of these". I will keep you posted on the progress. I just hope I can get all this stuff that I took off back in where it is supposed to be.

Does you car have the California emissions package? IIRC, there is a hose for that package there. Can you post a pic?

I just hope I can get all this stuff that I took off back in where it is supposed to be.

use your digital camera,,,,,,,before starting this work.... if necessary you can display images on your tv screen....for reference ,,this will ensure all goes back as original...

I think it is the EVAP cannister purge solenoid? Does that sound right at all? I did take pictures of this, but have to find the cords to put it on the TV so I can see it well enough. I will try to post a picture soon. I have the lower intake back on, and am working on the upper intake. I broke the Map sensor off of the upper manifold, so I gotta find one and get that back on.

figured out how to fix my screwup on the broken vacuum line, but when I was torquing the upper manifold back on, I broke a bolt! I then tried an easy off set and it broke off inside the bolt stuck in the lower manifold. I am so screwed, I dont even know where to go from there. any ideas let me know thanks

figured out how to fix my screwup on the broken vacuum line, but when I was torquing the upper manifold back on, I broke a bolt! I then tried an easy off set and it broke off inside the bolt stuck in the lower manifold. I am so screwed, I dont even know where to go from there. any ideas let me know thanks


the torque for the upper intake is not very great...you must of cross threaded the bolt on install...

the removal of the easy out will be difficult...try hitting the easy out with a tool that will not hit the surrounding metal this may loosen. if you get this out get a tap to clean repair the threads...

the other solution is to weld a rod /bolt to the easy out then rotate clockwise .....remember the easy out is reverse thread..

then you will need to redrill tap the old bolt hole out..

using the manifold to hold the drill in the proper position will help...always us a small bit first ...easy does it do not break the drill bit off...

using a torque wrench is needed...also use the recommended torque for each bolt....follow the torque sequence...

I took the lower manifold off, as the bolt and the easy out are both broken almost flush to the manifold mating surface. There really isnt enough left to weld to. I just took off the manifold, and I am going to take it to a machine shop and see if they can get it out for me, and possibly save my sanity. Otherwise I am going to the picka parts store and trying to find another lower manifold to use. And to think i was basically one bolt away from being done. Any idea where I can get a inch lb torque wrench that goes as low as 89 inch lbs? All the ones I have start at 120.

You might try Autozone. The ones around here rent tools, including torque wrenches. I don't know if they have ones that go that low, however.
This sounds just like the way my projects always go...I feel your pain.

went to the GM parts dealer and he was really cool, we sat and talked about the project, and he gave me a can of some valve spray that he swears will loosen the bolt up, but just in case, I went down to the pick a parts place and snagged a lower manifold from another GM car using the same engine, and if I cant get the bolt out, I am going to try to replace with this one I found. not going to start working till this weekend as I have a tee time after work today. Will keep you updated.