I have had to add a small amount of coolant (less than a quart) about 3 times this week to the radiator to keep the coolant level topped off. No visible leaks that I can find. No white smoke from the exhaust, no mixture with oil on the dipstick. Anyone else have to do this? I replaced the gasket between the intake and plenium before I installed the engine. Torqued everything to specs in the book. Am I worring about nothing?

 

could be just working the air out. keep and eye on it and if it keeps losing water u have an issue somewhere.

 

Borrow a pressure tester from Autozone. See if it will hold pressure. If it does your good. A small head gasket leak will not show any steam until it under a hvy load and then it will be a very small amount. The cat can turn it to vapor.

 

I had a similar prob when I first got my v6... it was overheating and throwing coolant into the overflow. wasn't real bad at first but noticable. then when it got warmer outside it got worse. try to bleed the system first (its free!)... then the radiator cap.

 

Thanks everyone. I replaced the power steering pump yesterday and when I removed the plastic intake housing, there was some antifreeze sitting in the bottom of it. I am thinking maybe a leak on the rad that is spewing some antifreeze out the top when it heats up. Can't see any other way antifreeze could get in there otherwise. I will take a closer look and pressure test.

 

Ok, I cleaned out the antifreeze that was in the plastic air intake coming from the filter yesterday. Today, after driving the car, I checked and there is antifreeze back in the plastic intake housing. The only way I can see antifreeze getting in the plastic housing is by it coming out through the throttle body. Is that even possible? Air is sucked into the throttle body as the engine runs. I am definitely confused.

 

there is coolant that goes through the bottom of the tb.

 

Thanks craby, am I looking at replacing the gasket between the throttle body and plenium or the whole thing? I can't visualize how coolant circulates through this system, do you know of a diagram somewhere that shows the route?

 

i put a nipple between the hoses on my lt1 and bypassed the tb. but i dont know if u can do that on the 6.