[Enigma]

Good you have back up ride..

 

[Mitogt]

had a small leak on the Y pipe that comes from the coolant overflow tank to the heater and rest of engine, overtighten the hose clamp and broke it, could find one so I made one from bronze. Think it will last more than the car.

 

[Enigma]

I think Ur right, nice improvising.

 

[sydnesb]

had a small leak on the Y pipe that comes from the coolant overflow tank to the heater and rest of engine, overtighten the hose clamp and broke it, could find one so I made one from bronze. Think it will last more than the car.

I had one of those plastic Y pipes on my Chevy Venture. It cracked while driving on the highway, leaked so fast that the gauge did not move. Engine temps jumped and the head gaskets went south. Had to get a rebuilt Jasper Engine and $4k repair bill. Good choice on the replacement.

 

[Mitogt]

more on the repairs of my 2007 LT

Since we are in this time of lockdown in my country had the parts and the time and tools, so I decided to replace the timing cover gasket and the oil pan gasket, you almost have to know it has to be done at the same time since once you pull off the timing cover all the coolant even if you drained it almos all out will get into de crankcase.

well took me a few days because I damaged the crankshaft pulley bolt and the inside of it will extracting it, had to buy some tappers and new bolts but was repaired and all working now, here are some pics.

Wish everyone the best in this time we are all in the world dealing with this health issue.

stay safe.

bye

 

[Mitogt]

Today as of 18 of October 2021 had to replace again the lower intake gasket, the Mahle ones leaked, got the Felpro and hope it last longer than I need the car. The old lower intake gasket from Mahle had these little metal disks that help you not crush the gaskets when torque them, the little thig fell in the camshaft as I removed one, saw it and said no way, flush lot of oil and had to remove the oil pan, there it was at the bottom of the pan.

 

[buffbison]

I know i am reviving an old thread but I get some who say we need to add a small beam of silicone sealant on all ports and outter part of gasket. is this still the case? what kind of silcone sealant is best to use?

i am doing head gasket on 07 equinox 3.4L

Gosh, this thread got popular: Pro tip: When resealing the head gaskets, do not simply just follow the instructions. You want a thin bead of sealant around every coolant port and cylinder on both sides of the gasket. If using AutoZone Repair Guides for instructions also, DO NOT use the torque specs they recommend for the Equinox 3400 Engine. Instead, use the torque specs recommended for the older 3400 engine such as that used in a Aztek or Rendezvous. If you use the other specs, you will damage your engine. Once reassembled, please flush and fill using the following procedure:

First of all, somethings to keep in mind:

- This is only 15lb. of pressure system. One of the lowest pressure coolant systems when compared to others and is also one of the fastest cooling. If you feel there is more pressure in your coolant system than 15lbs., then please have a compression check done on your vehicle's engine to check for a leaky head gasket.

- Please, please, please, please make sure that the coolant fans are working properly, both the low and high. Always make sure that at least the low fans run before even starting this procedure, for, not doing so may cause damage to the engine. If the low fans are not functional, clean the contacts on the passenger side fan.

- Burping the system should not be required and almost never works. If burping is needed, please have a compression check done on the vehicle's engine for possible leaky head gaskets.

- Do Not Remove The Coolant Bottle Cap At First. This is the biggest mistake that many make and causes air to get sucked into the system and displaces coolant.

- Do not always go by what the temp gauge says during this procedure. The reason is, before draining, it is showing the coolant still sitting in the engine's temperature and not the temp of what's in the radiator or bottle, and, by the time that gets to draining, it's already cooled down.

- Use The Orange DEX Cool Coolant (or a derivative) Only when refilling. GM sensors no longer support the boiling temperature of the green coolant, and, therefore, can result in damage to the engine if DEX Cool is not used.

- This procedure can take up to an hour and a half to 2 hours, so, please plan accordingly.

Ok, let's begin:

1. Wait for your vehicle to cool for at least 15-20 minutes if it has been running, and, then unscrew and remove the coolant spigot from the radiator usually on the lower driver's side

2. Pay attention to the drainage. When it slows to a slow drip, slowly unscrew the coolant cap on the bottle only enough to allow coolant to flow out of the system again via the spigot, but, do not remove yet.

3. Once completely drained, replace the spigot, and remove the coolant cap completely. From here, put in your favorite coolant system flushing detergent (For me, it's usually Prestone Super Flush), and, slowly refill the coolant system with cold water until full.

4. Start the engine, turn the heater on upper vents, and pay attention to the temperature gauge, fans, and temperature coming out of the vents. The air will be cold and the temp gauge will reach operating temperature and sit there for 5-8 minutes. This is normal.

5. After this time, you will notice the temperature start to rise slowly, the coolant fans go from low to high, yet, the air in the vent will remain cold. The temperature will get up to just below the red mark, but, never directly on it for roughly 5-8 minutes. This is normal. The reason is that the water on one side of the thermostat is cold, while the water on the other side is hot, and, must heat the thermostat to opening temperature. This also is an indication that the thermostat is working correctly.

6. Once the thermostat opens, you'll notice a brief water rush sound behind the dash/heater core, and, you'll notice the temperature gauge start to drop, and the vents start to warm up. Once cooled to operating temperature, wait at least 5-8 minutes before shutting off the engine and completing the "Wash Cycle."

7. (The Rinse Cycle) Repeat steps 1 and 2, then, once completely drained, replace the spigot, and remove the coolant cap completely. From here, simply refill the coolant system slowly with cold water only. For heavily soiled systems, you may repeat step 3 a well if you feel it needs a second wash cycle.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 6. Once the first rinse cycle is complete, repeat it at least once more. If you did a second wash cycle, then repeat the rinse cycle once again.

9. (Coolant Charge Cycle) Once complete, repeat steps 1 and 2, then, replace with your favorite GM DEX Cool Coolant (up to 2 bottles) and water, or a 50/50 mix (usually around 2 to 3 bottles). Repeat Steps 4 through 6. Once these steps have completed, allow the engine to cool at least once more for 15 to 20 minutes, then, slowly open the coolant bottle cap, and fill the bottle to the top if necessary and start the engine. Do not worry about over filling. if it is over filled, the coolant will simply boil out the overflow tube on a healthy system. Verify that the heat rises to as warm or hot as it was before, and the temperature gauge remains at normal operating temperature.


This concludes the proper flush and fill coolant exchange procedure for the Equinox and several other closed coolant systems.

This was just some helpful info from my experience.

Starflare5.

 

[Starflare5]

I know i am reviving an old thread but I get some who say we need to add a small beam of silicone sealant on all ports and outter part of gasket. is this still the case? what kind of silcone sealant is best to use?

i am doing head gasket on 07 equinox 3.4L

Yes, you still need to seal around EVERY port and cylinder no matter what.... Use RTV grey sealant.

Here's some info that I recently found out: Canadian Equinox 3400 engines are sealed properly and may never have a head gasket failure, where as, American assembled engines are not.