Hey folks. Got a question. If I look at the back head from the driver's side, I can see that it is kinda wet on the side of the head. I can't exactly tell where the wetness is coming from. It's more wet towards the head gasket area, which also makes me worried. Could this be the LIM or head gasket? Please tell me I'm just worrying too much...

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

When the top of my LIM gaskets went bad i had an oily/ coolant pool between my valve covers and LIM. It filled up the holes under the SC with fluid and saturated the injector holes. If its more where I just said i'de say the LIM. It's a pretty common problem too.

Being that these engines almost never blow headgaskets, iron block and head FTW!!!!!, I'd go with LIM gaskets. Have they ever been changed before Mike?

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

To blow a HG on these is SO uncommon, and I know you know what the failure rate of the LIM gaskets is on these. So...LIM it is.

_________________
One Big Ass Mistake America

I feel your pain! I just had my LIM gasket replaced a month or so ago.

Unfortunately you will have to suck it up ....and make sure you get an aluminum gasket and not the plastic one.

_________________
2009 G8 GT -Sport and Premium Pkgs, Roto-Fab CAI, Cortex 93 Octane Tune, Billet Prototype Catch Can, BMR Front and Rear Sways, BMR RTAs, BMR Rear Cradle Bushings, BMR Steering Rack Bushing, GXP SW......and much more to come.

Now's the time to do a Gen V swap *nudge nudge*

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

I'm going to have to agree, LIM gasket is bad.

C class? lol

No, it's an easy enough fix that it's worth buying the parts and doing it yourself.

_________________

'05 WRX STi - COBB Stage 2|Invidia DP|3" Borla XR-1|Coilovers|Camber Plates|Swaybars|Endlinks|Bushings|Braces|Anti Lift Kit|DBA4000s|SS lines|
Sold: 06 Cobalt SS/SC, 99 GTP 245WHP/326 Ft-lbs, 06 R6

Yeah, these are the thick "unblowable" aluminum ones too... They were changed shortly after I got the car...

I should probably take a picture. The wetness doesn't even look like coolant to me now, and there's no DexCool smell either. I'm starting to wonder WTF this really is.

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Hmmmmm....
What about that little end cap piece on the LIM right by the crossover? Anything leaking out of there maybe and trickling over to the head?

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

I'm gonna take a picture. It's entirely possible...

What bothers me about this is that no coolant is missing... No coolant is getting in the oil either, nor is any oil leaking. WTF...

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Well at least that's a plus. Unless you had a craving for a milkshake... cause I sure do.

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

Yeah, get us some pics, Mike. This sounds a little funny.

_________________
One Big Ass Mistake America

I'll head out in a few minutes and take some pics. Also gonna get the anticipated (probably not) new exhaust video, since that's finally working.

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Is it true the Series 3 motors have the aluminum gasket?

_________________

04 Supercharged American and 01 Turbo Swede

Mine is a series 2, so I have no idea.

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Supposedly from like 2005 and up, yes, they do.

_________________
One Big Ass Mistake America

Yep, series 3 05+ got them. 04's got plastic, at least that's what I could find out from looking into this and my GT did, Derek's Comp G did.

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

My 2004 had plastic! It now has aluminum !

Mike -

Ok - I went through this same thing last fall and into this year. I had several things occur at the same time and it was a bitch to figure out what was doing what. I am not exactly sure where you see liquid but here are some things to check...

Check your thermostat and see if it is leaking or those hose is leaking. Mine was and that was resolved.

Check the right side of the engine block , close to the crossover, and you will see a little metal piece at the end of the block.....that could be leaking as Planeboy wrote before.

Check your water pump. My water pump was going bad and there is a little weep hole on top of the pump that sprayed coolant onto my belts.

Check your valve covers, I had a leak in mine and it mixed with the other leaking coolant and I could not tell what the hell it was....did not smell like either one.

Obviously it could just be a LIM gasket issue.....

It took me 4 months to resolve all of those issues and I still smell something odd when I open the hood. But the car runs right and I do not see any leaks.

Send your pics and I will compare them to the pics I took awhile back.

_________________
2009 G8 GT -Sport and Premium Pkgs, Roto-Fab CAI, Cortex 93 Octane Tune, Billet Prototype Catch Can, BMR Front and Rear Sways, BMR RTAs, BMR Rear Cradle Bushings, BMR Steering Rack Bushing, GXP SW......and much more to come.

Mike, when my LIM gaskets went I wasn't loosing coolant either, nor did I ever smell burning coolant. I just discovered the puddles one day and knew what I had to do.

_________________

'05 WRX STi - COBB Stage 2|Invidia DP|3" Borla XR-1|Coilovers|Camber Plates|Swaybars|Endlinks|Bushings|Braces|Anti Lift Kit|DBA4000s|SS lines|
Sold: 06 Cobalt SS/SC, 99 GTP 245WHP/326 Ft-lbs, 06 R6

could be the coolant elbows going to the alt bracket

or oil from the rear valve cover

_________________

92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater

These are the best I could get with the cameras I had at my disposal.





So, what do you guys think? It feels more like oil than coolant, to tell the truth...

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Well, there's your problem. The EGR!
Maybe the LIM endcap or the edge where it meets the LIM gasket? Not sure how well it was RTV/GM anaerobic sealed, but it's a possibility.

When Jaclyn's coolant bypass cap thing leaked made a mess in the exact same spot as that, but of course, that's coolant, not oil duh haha.

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

Upon closer examination of the first picture, you can see the trail of oil from the rear valve cover to that area by the head. I knew taking pics would do it.

_________________

2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

I have ADHD and drive a Focus. Ironically.
Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.

Haha, there, you go. Easy fix.

_________________

Dubs:00 VW GTI VR6, Low and Slow 91 VW GTI 8v, Shave the Bay!! 91 VW Cabriolet 8v, bitch Basket
GP's:04 GP GT, Past now G-Ma's Girlfriend's 97 GP GT, "Project Pink Power"

yup varry

i need to do the same fix on mine

_________________

92 LeBaron Convert: Turbo 3L 97 Grand Prix GT 4dr "Frankenstein": L67 4t65 swap
97 Grand Marquis: Summer DD 99 Grand Prix GTP: Top Swap Beater