small collant leak

hey guys,
well today i found a small coolant puddle under the front passenger side of my transport. i have a 96 3.4, after looking at all the options im thinking its the timing chain cover gasket. the low coolant light is not on, im not overheating, pretty sure its not the water pump or the dreaded head gasket or intake gasket issue...or at least hope not:confused:.. i can see a few drips when the motor is running. but it is in the rear toward the bottom passenger side for sure.

whatever it is i'm fixing it myself to save money, and i just don't trust these shady shops nowdays. they sell you stuff you don't need and almost never put things back together right. and i love this van to much :wink:

any ideas or hints?
thanks!

THere has been a case of failed timing chain gasket reported here in detail. ,ust have been 2-3 years ago. I'll search for it and post the link.There were lots of details and n
pictures.

Yup..found it. I had run a search on the forum to no avail...but then I searched my prefs...and I had it kept there...did not remember it was in the MOntana forum.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=695986
and the pictures are still hosted at same place....hence visible.
and...that was about a '99, hence a 3.4

thanks lmp, i went back out and got my hand around the 2 lower timing chain case bolts and got them a little more tight and the leak has seemed to just drip every now and then if not stopped all together. from what i can see, (i have not taken the wheel and splash guard off yet) looks like coolant around the back side of the cover. so i think that's where the leak is coming from. so glad its not the head gasket or intake gaskets. i'm still not 100% sure but i feel better that the leak almost stopped by giving those lower timing chain cover bolts a little turn to tighten them up.

i'm thinking it still could be that lower intake gasket in the corner? what do you think? i will found out more tomorrow and post back here.

There are dozens of posts about that, a common issue, but I've no personnal experience with it . The 3.8 is rather immune from that. My brother.s 3.4 (2002)has got all possible woes though...

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8272/44550946.jpghttp://yfrog.com/1x44550946j
the 2 bolts there are the ones i tightened and seemed to put a stop to the leak. so im pretty sure its the timing chain cover gasket. what do you think?

took it for a hour test drive today looked under it as soon as i got out and no drips. maybe i got lucky? i sure hope so, it's snowing here now. tomorrow i have to get a little more coolant to add for what leaked out im thinking of getting a couple of those bars leak pills to add for extra protection. at least until it gets warmer so i can replace the gasket and fix it right...what do you guys think?

love this forum not alot of info on this old dustbuster out there. lots of great info and tips here.