Thanks brother !!!!! If you ever need anything please let me know. Sometimes I may take a day to respond, but I respond to all comments!! You caught me at a good time when I'm on line answering others !!!!!!
@@savipv8491hey there, you connect it to the radiator like I did in the video. You have to buy a pressure tester kit and it will come with different adapters.
Good Morning My Friend And Nice To Meet You. I Love This Video. I Have A 2003 Dodge Caravan Water (Coolant) Leak Pouring Onto The Garage Floor, Is It Okay If I Can Share With You The 3 Videos I Recorded Showing That Leak In Action?
Sure thing, if you can send them to my youtube channel, the address is garagekingcanada@gmail.com I will have a look at them and do my best to help you out !!!!
I have the Chrysler version of this (my first car via my mom lol). It’s leakin real bad we think it’s the coolant reservoir. Besides that, 210000 miles and still drives when it’s not overheating. But my dads been putting coolant in every 2 weeks. It’s crazy.
Well if its the reservior then you definitely have an easier job. I would give it a little wash off, let it dry and then pressure test it cold. If you can't pressure test it, then take is for a drive and see if you can see anything leaking anywhere. You may have to feel with your hands (being careful not to burn your self of course)
Hey there, the job should take a person who has not done the job before about 4 hours. A mechanic can probably do it in 2hrs. The gaskets are pretty cheap. I think I bought fel-pro gaskets and they came in a kit so you got everything. I think it was about $70 or something like that, but don't quote me LOL :) Also keep in mind I'm in Canada so its more expensive. If you are in the US it's much cheaper. Hopefully I have helped you and if you need anything else just let me know. Thanks :)
@@GarageKing How much should I expect to pay for a head gasket kit which would include the top end I guess is what I am asking with valve cover, etc. Thank you Good work bro.
@@frankcrawford416 The head gasket kit is probably about 100 so not too bad. With mechanical work, the gaskets are always cheap, its the labour, so if you can do it yourself you save a ton on these jobs !!! Just as an example, here is a kit on Amazon.ca (Canada) amzn.to/3fFUQb8 Not sure where you live, but in the US it would be cheaper.
What about leaking into the exhaust. 2007 grand caravan. Could it be Head gasket, cracked intake port, or intake manifold gasket.. There is no water in oil at all and does not overfill, and no superheated of the radiator water, bubbles or exhaust smell. This has apparently been going on for years and getting worse, although radiator sealer is slowing it. My muffler has rusted from inside out. I just replaced the radiator and water pump as they also were leaking. When it starts to rain on an old vehicle it pours. Thank you
Hey brother thanks for the comment. I don't see many cracked heads on these, what I do see is leaking intake manifolds. They can be confused with a head leak from the outside (when looking) as the coolant runs down the rear cylinder head and the coolant boils away (you never see it) So you don't get a leak on the ground (unless its really bad) you don't get a rad that overflows when you start the engine cold with no rad cap (usually head gasket) A really good way is to pressure test it, you can buy a cheap pressure tester on Amazon. Check out this short 30 second or so clip of me pressure testing a caravan, you can see the coolant leaking from the intake. th-cam.com/video/LYikQA98zJw/w-d-xo.html By the sounds of your description it looks like you probably just have an intake manifold leak (which is good, as it is not that expensive to fix - just gaskets and new coolant)
Hey brother thanks for the comment. If you are getting smoke in the interior when you turn the heater on I think most likely you need a heater core. What you are seeing is probably not smoke but fine particles that look like steam coming out of the dash. If you get a weird smell when you turn the heater in that is most likely coolant you are smelling.
Thanks for the comment, I used a Snap-On pressure tester, but I'm a licensed mechanic so I use it quite a bit. If you are only going to use it once or twice you can usually find a cheaper less durable (but still good) version at NAPA, Canadian Tire, Autozone etc. The Snap-On one is only sold through Snap-On dealers (they are in those vans that drive around) If you wanted a Snap-On one, you would go to their site, and call their help line, tell them where you live and they will tell you who the dealer is in your area. Hope this helps you out and good luck with your job :)
I have a leak. Did not see it under pressure, but I have to refill radiator most every day. It is not pulling coolant back from the reservoir. Why not? I sucked on the hose and the coolant from the res came back to my mouth (I know, bad). I just got some dye and a UV light. That should help me find it.
Hey there and thanks for the reply, the reason its not pulling coolant back from the reservoir is it's pulling in air instead which means its easier to pull in air than pull the coolant back. I suggest that you get some engine degreaser and give the engine/radiator a good cleaning. Let the engine dry and then raise the vehicle on jack stands. Put the pressure tester on and go underneath and WAIT... You might have to wait for 10min to see a drip, and then you can trace the drip. The most common leak points are the intake manifold, and also the radiator can leak where the plastic meets the aluminum core. FYI - don't feel bad about sucking on the hose to test it, we have all been there LOL :)
Thanks for the response and thanks for making the video. My engine is fairly clean so I didn't clean it this time. I did however (2005 dodge GC) pull the crossbar off so I could get a good look at the radiator. I filled it up just a little and put some dye in the radiator. I then put the minivan front wheels up on jack stands. I just let it run for about 45 minutes. I checked everywhere from above and below and the only place I found dye was the filler neck that connects to the rad cap. nothing from the manifold spots you showed in your video. I got a new rad cap from the dealership a few days ago and it leaks less and it had some coolant raising the level in the overflow tank, which it wasn't doing before (with old cap flow tank always staying the same. Also noticed some dye where filler neck meets rubber hose to overflow tank. This was super tiny when letting engine idle in driveway. Again, no puddles on ground. I am thinking new radiator and new hose to flow tank. What do you think? Also my new Maddox pressure tester leaks a little at the filler neck and I can hear it hissing. But it still has a little pressure overnight, but not all of the 15 lbs. How do you know overflow tank is good? Thanks. And is Maddox pressure tester good or should I return it and get a Snap On? And after letting it sit for a half hr with engine off (and rad cap still on under pressure), the leaks evaporated. And when engine was running, I wiped off leaks and they came back. Last word: I had this problem when I bought the car in the fall - put a new cap on it and problem solved, for the time being. But then it was spewing out of the cap area and not a tiny leak like now. @@GarageKing
@@oregonxyz Hey you caught me at a good time checking messages. I wouldn't get a Snap On pressure tester. I have one as I'm a licenced mechanic so I use it all the time. The Maddox is pretty good, I know it has the "Harbour Freight" attached to it, but its a pretty good unit. I'm glad you are thorough with you investigation into the problem. Before you go replacing anything, based on what you wrote I would check to see how tight that overflow hose is on the radiator. Sometimes they get soft and leak, they can suck air in. Some are just pushed on, and some have a clamp, if yours does not have a clamp, put one on to test. Something like this amzn.to/3OWfpRG just make sure you get the right size. These clamps are very low profile and should not interfere with the cap. Also since you put dye in, really inspect the radiator where the aluminum meets the plastic, super COMMON to leak. You can check the overflow tank by removing it and filling it with water and then checking for leaks. Yours may need a cleaning anyway LOL :) Thanks for the follow up and I would be curious what you find. I'm logging off for the night but will be checking tomorrow :)
I thought about your solution beforehand, but since I am burning what is left of my summer vacation, I decided to just go ahead and put in a new radiator. The hose from rad to res tank still looks like it is in great shape. I put it in today in 103 degree outside heat in the sun. Let it run for a while and no more leaks at the filler neck. I drove about 25 miles around town to give it a little test drive and went for a swim in the Columbia river to cool myself down. Took a look under the hood a little after midnight and... wait for it... THE RESERVOIR LEVEL WENT DOWN!!! Still too hot to try to take the cap off, so I'll check that in the morning. After I put in the new radiator, I filled it with the cap off. Level went down when I started it up. And it went down again when top hose got hot and thermostat opened. Topped it off and then put the cap on. I would have cleaned out the entire system, but I just did that a few months ago. The res tank was dry but clean when I bought the car last fall. I am also guessing that the filler neck leak is why my Maddox air pressure tool didn't hold the pressure. I'll try that again when I can take the cap off. The neck just below the cap is where I had the leak. Back in the 80s, I took the two year community college program of automotive repair and it pays off every time. I spent some time working as a mechanic and wish I stuck with it. I'm 60 now and would be too slow and take too many breaks to be able to do it in a dealership again. But I can still dive into my car in my driveway. @@GarageKing
@@oregonxyz That is awesome and thanks for the follow up !! Very happy you got it all done and for 60 your still "tinkering" around so that is good for the body. As you said, the reservoir is now sucking coolant so I wouldn't even worry about pressure testing, just make sure the reservoir is between cold and hot and you are good to go. You might have to top it off once and that's not a leak, its just any air bubbles getting pushed out when its hot.
So I have this exact kind of van. Im having leakage into cylinder 3 behind the engine. I noticed when I was replacing all the spark plugs that the back middle plug was rusty and smelled of coolant. What can I do to fix?
That's good if you can see the leak/smell as that means its probably leaking from the outside. It could be the same thing as the video (the intake manifold) your best bet is to wash the engine and then pressure test and look like I did. You should see it leaking.
This kit mirrors the Snap On kit that I use Amazon.ca amzn.to/2R5quED Amazon.com amzn.to/3fBghdf The one on Amazon.com is different and I havent used that type, but its a lot more affordable and it does look like it works well.
@@frankcrawford416 Its a tool that belongs in the garage for sure, as its so versatile and it is not make specific. Sorry to hear about your depression, we all go through hard times, and don't let anyone tell you any different. The key is living life, keeping your mind busy (not always easy I know) and doing things that make you happy. I found that helping others always adds to happiness, at least for me, that's why I started this channel a while back, as I do enjoy the interaction with people !! I hope you are enjoying your weekend :)
You bet it is brother. I remember when I was first training as a mechanics apprentice years ago I resealed an intake manifold on a GM 3.1L V6. Well it came back leaking oil and one of the old fellows who mentored me took a quick look when I pulled the intake back off and said "not enough silicone son, don't skimp on it". I did have to to the job for free (as I was paid flat rate) so I learned. On any V style engine, V8 or V6, always put a good dab of silicone in the corners, I don't believe I showed a shot of it in this video and I'll tell you why. I learned that once the silicone is on, assemble ASAP or you may have problems. So once I put the silicone on I would have assembled it right away. You never want to put the silicone the length of the rubber, only in the corners. If you put it the whole way it will cause problems. I have seen people use silicone on valve cover gaskets and it causes the gaskets to slip out of place when torqued down. On the V style engine when doing an intake manifold please put in the mating corners, you can't go wrong and when I worked in the dealership it was stated in the manufacture shop manual to do so. Thanks for your comment buddy and good luck if you are doing this job :)
@@GarageKing thank you man, and I appreciate the quick response. I haven't had the pleasure of doing one of these gaskets yet, but expected a good hour or 2 to do the job. I wouldn't want to have to do it again because of a little silicone discrepancy, so thanks for clearing that up. Sounds like one of those times they did this exact thing upon assembly. Like you said, if you put it the whole way it will cause problems and for this reason I am always skeptical of silicone, a lil bit too much and you're doing the whole job over. Depending if the van makes it to spring, I will finally get around to doing this and the valve cover gaskets. 215k and seems like the car will fall apart around the engine and trans. Thanks for the clarification
@@johnnyversaci7091 Anytime brother!!!! I would say to give yourself a good 4 hours if its your first time doing this job, you have to drain the coolant before you pull the intake and the other thing I learned as a mechanic was THE CLEANING!!!! It's the cleaning that takes forever. You want to make sure those mating surfaces are clean. TIP - after you are done cleaning as best you can, use brake clean in the corners before you use the silicone. Brake clean will wash away and oil reside (that can cause sealing problems with the silicone) and it just evaporates afterwards. Many silicone type jobs that leak afterwards were not cleaned properly and thus leak. 215K is a lot of mileage, but if you can limp it along further why not.. The good thing about this job is if you do it yourself it really doesn't cost a lot, its all labour!!!! Cheers!!
@@GarageKing oh yea definitely need that. I usually try to clean these surfaces with a razor and after spray some brake clean on a towel and wipe it down. If I do it at the right time maybe I won't have to really drain the coolant😂 unless you have to drain all of it... I usually end up just draining it at whichever part I have to disconnect to do the repair since I'm lazy. I'll probably shoot for 3 hours then haha I have a feeling she could make it to 260+ If I do the rack and new exhaust but that's a different story lol
If you drain out a few liters from the rad you will be ok. If you just pull off the rad hose the level is too high and when you pull the intake coolant will go into the engine (antifreeze eats engine bearings) Good on you for using a razor blade. I like razor blades but sometimes use a wire wheel (and I’m careful and cover open areas with rags) Fun Fact for you - There was a GM document that came out years ago when I was working at the dealer that banned us from using those 3M abrasive pads that go on an angle grinder for cleaning engine surfaces. They found that microscopic abrasive particles were getting into the engine and knocking (worn bearings) resulted in many cases, but not until about 20-50k after the repair!!! They figured it out as many vehicles with head gasket/intake leaks resealed under extended warranty had an intake sealed early in its life and the mechanic used those pads on the original repair!!! Exhaust is easy for you to do. I haven’t done a rack on one of those vans, but I know sometimes they are a pain to get out. I’m not sure how hard that one is to do. Anyway 1:33am in Canada so time to get some shut eye. Nice chatting with you and good luck with your repairs in the future:)
Thank you for this video! I have a Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L 2007 with 180K km, and the coolant started to leak a bit, I have seen some small wet spots on on the asphalt the driver side in a summer sometimes under the radiator. I am just wondering if this a radiator? I purchased the coolant leak stop, but it did not help.I am just wondering if I should add another coolant leak stop fluid into the radiator or just replace one? Merry Christmas!
Hey brother, firstly, Merry Christmas to you !!!! I'll bet it is your rad leaking, very common for the rad to leak at the seal between the plastic side and the aluminum core. Unfortunately there is no way to fix that, and usually stop leak doesn't work well in that area (and sometimes does more harm than good) If you already tried one stop leak, I think you might be looking at getting a new radiator, and make sure the hoses are still good (not too soft), just ensure that its actually the rad leaking and not the radiator hose at the clamping area. I have seen them leak at the upper rad hose area and run down the rad and its not the rad, but a rusty spring clamp that has lost tension. Thanks for the comment !!!!
Yup you bet it can. It can leak at the rubber seals at the very bottom. In fact this was a very common oil leak area for the GM 3100 series engines where silicone, not a rubber seal like the Dodge was used.
I bought the whole farm and subscribed.
Thanks brother !!!!! If you ever need anything please let me know. Sometimes I may take a day to respond, but I respond to all comments!! You caught me at a good time when I'm on line answering others !!!!!!
@@GarageKing Your welcome brother. Thank you.
Excellent detail where needed with hidden bolts/hoses, tips, etc.
Thanks so much, really appreciate the comment !!!
@@GarageKing how u connect pressure tester kit?
@@savipv8491hey there, you connect it to the radiator like I did in the video. You have to buy a pressure tester kit and it will come with different adapters.
Good Morning My Friend And Nice To Meet You. I Love This Video. I Have A 2003 Dodge Caravan Water (Coolant) Leak Pouring Onto The Garage Floor, Is It Okay If I Can Share With You The 3 Videos I Recorded Showing That Leak In Action?
Sure thing, if you can send them to my youtube channel, the address is garagekingcanada@gmail.com I will have a look at them and do my best to help you out !!!!
I have the Chrysler version of this (my first car via my mom lol). It’s leakin real bad we think it’s the coolant reservoir. Besides that, 210000 miles and still drives when it’s not overheating. But my dads been putting coolant in every 2 weeks. It’s crazy.
Well if its the reservior then you definitely have an easier job. I would give it a little wash off, let it dry and then pressure test it cold. If you can't pressure test it, then take is for a drive and see if you can see anything leaking anywhere. You may have to feel with your hands (being careful not to burn your self of course)
Very good 👍🏻
Thank you good Sir, and Happy New Year to you : )
how much time takes this job, what is the price for the gasket? thank you for the video , very easy to follow. good job.
Hey there, the job should take a person who has not done the job before about 4 hours. A mechanic can probably do it in 2hrs. The gaskets are pretty cheap. I think I bought fel-pro gaskets and they came in a kit so you got everything. I think it was about $70 or something like that, but don't quote me LOL :) Also keep in mind I'm in Canada so its more expensive. If you are in the US it's much cheaper. Hopefully I have helped you and if you need anything else just let me know. Thanks :)
@@GarageKing How much should I expect to pay for a head gasket kit which would include the top end I guess is what I am asking with valve cover, etc. Thank you Good work bro.
@@frankcrawford416 The head gasket kit is probably about 100 so not too bad. With mechanical work, the gaskets are always cheap, its the labour, so if you can do it yourself you save a ton on these jobs !!! Just as an example, here is a kit on Amazon.ca (Canada) amzn.to/3fFUQb8 Not sure where you live, but in the US it would be cheaper.
What about leaking into the exhaust. 2007 grand caravan. Could it be Head gasket, cracked intake port, or intake manifold gasket.. There is no water in oil at all and does not overfill, and no superheated of the radiator water, bubbles or exhaust smell. This has apparently been going on for years and getting worse, although radiator sealer is slowing it. My muffler has rusted from inside out. I just replaced the radiator and water pump as they also were leaking. When it starts to rain on an old vehicle it pours. Thank you
Hey brother thanks for the comment. I don't see many cracked heads on these, what I do see is leaking intake manifolds. They can be confused with a head leak from the outside (when looking) as the coolant runs down the rear cylinder head and the coolant boils away (you never see it) So you don't get a leak on the ground (unless its really bad) you don't get a rad that overflows when you start the engine cold with no rad cap (usually head gasket) A really good way is to pressure test it, you can buy a cheap pressure tester on Amazon. Check out this short 30 second or so clip of me pressure testing a caravan, you can see the coolant leaking from the intake. th-cam.com/video/LYikQA98zJw/w-d-xo.html By the sounds of your description it looks like you probably just have an intake manifold leak (which is good, as it is not that expensive to fix - just gaskets and new coolant)
I have the 3.3l and coolant smoke is coming out when I turn heater.
Hey brother thanks for the comment. If you are getting smoke in the interior when you turn the heater on I think most likely you need a heater core. What you are seeing is probably not smoke but fine particles that look like steam coming out of the dash. If you get a weird smell when you turn the heater in that is most likely coolant you are smelling.
@@GarageKing Thank you.
Anytime brother !!!
What company manufactures your coolant pressure kit and where did you purchase yours? Thank you!
Thanks for the comment, I used a Snap-On pressure tester, but I'm a licensed mechanic so I use it quite a bit. If you are only going to use it once or twice you can usually find a cheaper less durable (but still good) version at NAPA, Canadian Tire, Autozone etc. The Snap-On one is only sold through Snap-On dealers (they are in those vans that drive around) If you wanted a Snap-On one, you would go to their site, and call their help line, tell them where you live and they will tell you who the dealer is in your area. Hope this helps you out and good luck with your job :)
I have a leak. Did not see it under pressure, but I have to refill radiator most every day. It is not pulling coolant back from the reservoir. Why not? I sucked on the hose and the coolant from the res came back to my mouth (I know, bad). I just got some dye and a UV light. That should help me find it.
Hey there and thanks for the reply, the reason its not pulling coolant back from the reservoir is it's pulling in air instead which means its easier to pull in air than pull the coolant back. I suggest that you get some engine degreaser and give the engine/radiator a good cleaning. Let the engine dry and then raise the vehicle on jack stands. Put the pressure tester on and go underneath and WAIT... You might have to wait for 10min to see a drip, and then you can trace the drip. The most common leak points are the intake manifold, and also the radiator can leak where the plastic meets the aluminum core. FYI - don't feel bad about sucking on the hose to test it, we have all been there LOL :)
Thanks for the response and thanks for making the video.
My engine is fairly clean so I didn't clean it this time. I did however (2005 dodge GC) pull the crossbar off so I could get a good look at the radiator. I filled it up just a little and put some dye in the radiator. I then put the minivan front wheels up on jack stands.
I just let it run for about 45 minutes. I checked everywhere from above and below and the only place I found dye was the filler neck that connects to the rad cap. nothing from the manifold spots you showed in your video. I got a new rad cap from the dealership a few days ago and it leaks less and it had some coolant raising the level in the overflow tank, which it wasn't doing before (with old cap flow tank always staying the same.
Also noticed some dye where filler neck meets rubber hose to overflow tank. This was super tiny when letting engine idle in driveway. Again, no puddles on ground.
I am thinking new radiator and new hose to flow tank. What do you think? Also my new Maddox pressure tester leaks a little at the filler neck and I can hear it hissing. But it still has a little pressure overnight, but not all of the 15 lbs.
How do you know overflow tank is good? Thanks. And is Maddox pressure tester good or should I return it and get a Snap On? And after letting it sit for a half hr with engine off (and rad cap still on under pressure), the leaks evaporated. And when engine was running, I wiped off leaks and they came back. Last word: I had this problem when I bought the car in the fall - put a new cap on it and problem solved, for the time being. But then it was spewing out of the cap area and not a tiny leak like now. @@GarageKing
@@oregonxyz Hey you caught me at a good time checking messages. I wouldn't get a Snap On pressure tester. I have one as I'm a licenced mechanic so I use it all the time. The Maddox is pretty good, I know it has the "Harbour Freight" attached to it, but its a pretty good unit. I'm glad you are thorough with you investigation into the problem. Before you go replacing anything, based on what you wrote I would check to see how tight that overflow hose is on the radiator. Sometimes they get soft and leak, they can suck air in. Some are just pushed on, and some have a clamp, if yours does not have a clamp, put one on to test. Something like this amzn.to/3OWfpRG just make sure you get the right size. These clamps are very low profile and should not interfere with the cap. Also since you put dye in, really inspect the radiator where the aluminum meets the plastic, super COMMON to leak. You can check the overflow tank by removing it and filling it with water and then checking for leaks. Yours may need a cleaning anyway LOL :) Thanks for the follow up and I would be curious what you find. I'm logging off for the night but will be checking tomorrow :)
I thought about your solution beforehand, but since I am burning what is left of my summer vacation, I decided to just go ahead and put in a new radiator. The hose from rad to res tank still looks like it is in great shape.
I put it in today in 103 degree outside heat in the sun. Let it run for a while and no more leaks at the filler neck. I drove about 25 miles around town to give it a little test drive and went for a swim in the Columbia river to cool myself down.
Took a look under the hood a little after midnight and... wait for it... THE RESERVOIR LEVEL WENT DOWN!!! Still too hot to try to take the cap off, so I'll check that in the morning.
After I put in the new radiator, I filled it with the cap off. Level went down when I started it up. And it went down again when top hose got hot and thermostat opened. Topped it off and then put the cap on. I would have cleaned out the entire system, but I just did that a few months ago. The res tank was dry but clean when I bought the car last fall.
I am also guessing that the filler neck leak is why my Maddox air pressure tool didn't hold the pressure. I'll try that again when I can take the cap off. The neck just below the cap is where I had the leak.
Back in the 80s, I took the two year community college program of automotive repair and it pays off every time. I spent some time working as a mechanic and wish I stuck with it. I'm 60 now and would be too slow and take too many breaks to be able to do it in a dealership again. But I can still dive into my car in my driveway. @@GarageKing
@@oregonxyz That is awesome and thanks for the follow up !! Very happy you got it all done and for 60 your still "tinkering" around so that is good for the body. As you said, the reservoir is now sucking coolant so I wouldn't even worry about pressure testing, just make sure the reservoir is between cold and hot and you are good to go. You might have to top it off once and that's not a leak, its just any air bubbles getting pushed out when its hot.
So I have this exact kind of van. Im having leakage into cylinder 3 behind the engine. I noticed when I was replacing all the spark plugs that the back middle plug was rusty and smelled of coolant. What can I do to fix?
That's good if you can see the leak/smell as that means its probably leaking from the outside. It could be the same thing as the video (the intake manifold) your best bet is to wash the engine and then pressure test and look like I did. You should see it leaking.
@@GarageKing Thanks for responding all these years later! Ill have it checked out!
@@geemu1492I do my best !!!
Can you give us the part number to the tester. Thank you.
This kit mirrors the Snap On kit that I use
Amazon.ca amzn.to/2R5quED
Amazon.com amzn.to/3fBghdf
The one on Amazon.com is different and I havent used that type, but its a lot more affordable and it does look like it works well.
@@GarageKing Looks like a nice tool to add now that I am finding my love for home mechanics again after a couple year depression
@@frankcrawford416 Its a tool that belongs in the garage for sure, as its so versatile and it is not make specific. Sorry to hear about your depression, we all go through hard times, and don't let anyone tell you any different. The key is living life, keeping your mind busy (not always easy I know) and doing things that make you happy. I found that helping others always adds to happiness, at least for me, that's why I started this channel a while back, as I do enjoy the interaction with people !! I hope you are enjoying your weekend :)
How to remove and reinstall on a 2003 grand caravan the AC condenser
That would make for a good video indeed, but I don't have the van anymore.
Was the silicone actually necessary? Feel like every time I use that it ends up causing more issues
You bet it is brother. I remember when I was first training as a mechanics apprentice years ago I resealed an intake manifold on a GM 3.1L V6. Well it came back leaking oil and one of the old fellows who mentored me took a quick look when I pulled the intake back off and said "not enough silicone son, don't skimp on it". I did have to to the job for free (as I was paid flat rate) so I learned. On any V style engine, V8 or V6, always put a good dab of silicone in the corners, I don't believe I showed a shot of it in this video and I'll tell you why. I learned that once the silicone is on, assemble ASAP or you may have problems. So once I put the silicone on I would have assembled it right away.
You never want to put the silicone the length of the rubber, only in the corners. If you put it the whole way it will cause problems. I have seen people use silicone on valve cover gaskets and it causes the gaskets to slip out of place when torqued down.
On the V style engine when doing an intake manifold please put in the mating corners, you can't go wrong and when I worked in the dealership it was stated in the manufacture shop manual to do so. Thanks for your comment buddy and good luck if you are doing this job :)
@@GarageKing thank you man, and I appreciate the quick response. I haven't had the pleasure of doing one of these gaskets yet, but expected a good hour or 2 to do the job. I wouldn't want to have to do it again because of a little silicone discrepancy, so thanks for clearing that up. Sounds like one of those times they did this exact thing upon assembly. Like you said, if you put it the whole way it will cause problems and for this reason I am always skeptical of silicone, a lil bit too much and you're doing the whole job over. Depending if the van makes it to spring, I will finally get around to doing this and the valve cover gaskets. 215k and seems like the car will fall apart around the engine and trans. Thanks for the clarification
@@johnnyversaci7091 Anytime brother!!!! I would say to give yourself a good 4 hours if its your first time doing this job, you have to drain the coolant before you pull the intake and the other thing I learned as a mechanic was THE CLEANING!!!! It's the cleaning that takes forever. You want to make sure those mating surfaces are clean.
TIP - after you are done cleaning as best you can, use brake clean in the corners before you use the silicone. Brake clean will wash away and oil reside (that can cause sealing problems with the silicone) and it just evaporates afterwards. Many silicone type jobs that leak afterwards were not cleaned properly and thus leak.
215K is a lot of mileage, but if you can limp it along further why not.. The good thing about this job is if you do it yourself it really doesn't cost a lot, its all labour!!!!
Cheers!!
@@GarageKing oh yea definitely need that. I usually try to clean these surfaces with a razor and after spray some brake clean on a towel and wipe it down. If I do it at the right time maybe I won't have to really drain the coolant😂 unless you have to drain all of it... I usually end up just draining it at whichever part I have to disconnect to do the repair since I'm lazy. I'll probably shoot for 3 hours then haha I have a feeling she could make it to 260+ If I do the rack and new exhaust but that's a different story lol
If you drain out a few liters from the rad you will be ok. If you just pull off the rad hose the level is too high and when you pull the intake coolant will go into the engine (antifreeze eats engine bearings) Good on you for using a razor blade. I like razor blades but sometimes use a wire wheel (and I’m careful and cover open areas with rags) Fun Fact for you - There was a GM document that came out years ago when I was working at the dealer that banned us from using those 3M abrasive pads that go on an angle grinder for cleaning engine surfaces. They found that microscopic abrasive particles were getting into the engine and knocking (worn bearings) resulted in many cases, but not until about 20-50k after the repair!!! They figured it out as many vehicles with head gasket/intake leaks resealed under extended warranty had an intake sealed early in its life and the mechanic used those pads on the original repair!!! Exhaust is easy for you to do. I haven’t done a rack on one of those vans, but I know sometimes they are a pain to get out. I’m not sure how hard that one is to do. Anyway 1:33am in Canada so time to get some shut eye. Nice chatting with you and good luck with your repairs in the future:)
Are you the king
That would be Elvis LOL
Thank you for this video! I have a Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L 2007 with 180K km, and the coolant started to leak a bit, I have seen some small wet spots on on the asphalt the driver side in a summer sometimes under the radiator. I am just wondering if this a radiator? I purchased the coolant leak stop, but it did not help.I am just wondering if I should add another coolant leak stop fluid into the radiator or just replace one? Merry Christmas!
Hey brother, firstly, Merry Christmas to you !!!! I'll bet it is your rad leaking, very common for the rad to leak at the seal between the plastic side and the aluminum core. Unfortunately there is no way to fix that, and usually stop leak doesn't work well in that area (and sometimes does more harm than good) If you already tried one stop leak, I think you might be looking at getting a new radiator, and make sure the hoses are still good (not too soft), just ensure that its actually the rad leaking and not the radiator hose at the clamping area. I have seen them leak at the upper rad hose area and run down the rad and its not the rad, but a rusty spring clamp that has lost tension. Thanks for the comment !!!!
@@GarageKing Thank you for your prompt reply! I will go to my mechanic next time I do the oil change, so I hope he can check it out.
@@oneundecided Sounds good, if ever you need anything just let me know :)
ah man, thank you so much!
Anytime!!!!
Can this intake manifold gasket also be responsible for an oil leak?
Yup you bet it can. It can leak at the rubber seals at the very bottom. In fact this was a very common oil leak area for the GM 3100 series engines where silicone, not a rubber seal like the Dodge was used.
Awesome
Thanks brother!!!!! Appreciate the comment :)
Of engine
Thanks for the comment, but not sure exactly what you mean.