98 chevy venture coolant leak.

[kevpratt]

Hi I am glad i found these forums first off. I have a 98 chevy venture with about 81,000 miles on it. recently started overheating while driving. I refilled the coolant resorvoir and 2 days later it was empty. Started looking around and found the backside of my engine on the drivers side was wet. also a little below the water pump there was a stream of liquid. i checked the water pump and the leek wasnt from it. In the process of eliminating things that could be wrong water started leaking out of muffler, not just the back but in the middle also. i was wondering if this sounds like the manifold problem or could be something else. any help would be great. thanks

[gunjes]

yep, sounds like the intake gaskets or even a head gasket. Is it blowing alot of white smoke when you drive?

[kevpratt]

the water coming through the muffler just started this last time i started it. i wouldnt have thought nothing of the moister behind the van but alot of water started draining out where the exhaust meets the leeds into the fat part of the muffler. was about half a gallon of water that came out there.

[gunjes]

well it's obvouis that your coolant is going some where. Since you have found wet locations on an engine that has been run previously it sounds like its time for intakes. But don't feel like your the only one, as most of use here have had these and other problems. Mine is a 99' with 71,000k with bad intakes, which I am about to challenge soon. My advice is to buy or borrow a "Haynes" repair manual for this vehicle, if you plan to tackle it yourself. Have a good set of metric sockets and wrenchs and have a torque wrench that measures in inch/pounds. If you have any other questions we are all here. Hope this helps

[kevpratt]

yeah i got the manual and tackled the upper intake today. am goin after the lower one tomorrow. thanks for the help i do appreciate it.

[kevpratt]

the hyanes manual mentions removing the rear brackt on the alternator but doesnt show a picture of it. it says on 97 and 98 models. i took the screw off that ties into the upper manifold is that the only one that needs to come off.

[jwheels]

Originally Posted by kevpratt

the hyanes manual mentions removing the rear brackt on the alternator but doesnt show a picture of it. it says on 97 and 98 models. i took the screw off that ties into the upper manifold is that the only one that needs to come off.

Hello,
This is my first time here and responding. I'm assuming that you've removed the altenator. I believe three bolts connect the bracket to the engine.
They are on the passenger side of the engine just below where the altenator is mounted. I believe they are different lengths so pay attention to where they go.

I also wanted to advise you to replace the rubber O-rings that are in the coolant system. These are a common problem associated with coolant leaks.

One O-ring is placed on the metal tube that is inserted in the front/passenger side of the engine near the waterpump. This metal tube wraps around the front and drivers side of the engine and supplies coolant to the Throttle Body and then connect to a heater hose. Disconnect the heater hose and replace the O-Ring. If you have two-zone heat, you will have another metal tube connected to the thermastat housing on one end and a heater hose on the other. There are O-rings on each end.

I own a 1998 Venture LS extended. I just recently replaced the engine with an engine I rebuilt from a 2002 Montana.

I am willing to share all that I know about the repair of this vehicle.
I will check back around 10pm tonight!
Good Luck!
Jerome

[kevpratt]

ok i got the 3 bolts out of that bracket, but the bracket wont budge. is it tied in somewhere else? also that black coolant bypass pipe that runs along the fronstide of engine and goes around by the thermostat housing. i am having hell getting that quick disconnect off. i have tried everything. the black metal pipe ties into a rubber house on the drivers side. any help here would be greatly appreciated. i do appreciate everyones help. thank god i am not the only one who has had to do this.

[jwheels]

I apologize. There may be an additional bolt located near the exhaust pipe at the rear of the engine.
Try using needle nose pliers to squeeze the plastic tabs on the quick connect heater hoses and pulling the heater hoses at the same time.
Spray those rubber hoses with WD40 and remove the clamps. They should come off. Also remove the EGR valve from its exhaust pipe (driver side rear near heater hoses) 2 bolts

[gunjes]

I remember reading about the hidden fourth bolt that goes vertically into the engine itself, although it is not in the haynes manual, I am sure it is out of eye sight and you have to feel it out. I'll check out the net to see if I can find a good visual picture.

[gunjes]

hey, I found this on autozone.com, http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d801be1ed.jsp, it shows an exploded view of the alternator and bracket. hope this helps

[kevpratt]

ok it has taken me almost a month to get this van fixed cause i have a bad back and it doesnt seem to care for automotive work or anything else for that matter. i am on the way to putting it back together and i labled everything for the most part, but am confused now. lower intake has 2 4 and 6 stamped on the back, but everything else, spark plug wires, fuel injector electrical wires and so on 2, 4 , 6 is on the fron right. is what i wrote down but was so long ago i cant remember. after i get this resolved should be gettin close to restarting this thing i used to call a car lol.

[jwheels]

Hello kevpratt,
The even cylinders are on the front. I had the same problem. I noticed that the odd spark plug wires will not reach the front cylinders properly. So I plugged them to the rear and the even wires to the front. It worked!

[kevpratt]

ok i got everything back together, bought a brand new battery and tried to start it. nothing. engine turns but doesnt fire. i torqued everything right and put everything back in its original place. i doesnt seem to be pumping the oil upwards. i took the oil cap off and it was still dry. had wife do one crank of engine and it didnt look like any oil was moving. also am not sure it is pulling from the radiator either. i took the bleed screws entirely out and nothing came through them. what could i have missed or am i doing something wrong.

[shogunl]

Did you connect all the wiring harness to your coil pack?
It is small plug that fits into left side.
Ensure all other wires are connected as well such as fuel injectors.