A: intake leak B: divorce

[Stringer]

First, I gotta say "thanks" to all of you for all the info. I've learned a ton in the month or so I've been reading. Amazing what I still don't know.

I bought a 72 with a 350 TBI during the summer. I've spent a bunch on it - tires, brakes, carrier bearing/u-joints. Now I see it looks like the intake manifold is leaking - at least externally. Mechanical I ain't, but I'll probably try to do this myself over the next week. My wife's about had it with the money I've spent and would rather I go back to driving a newish truck. (I'd rather not.) If I get this fixed and something else fairly major comes along, my dear wife is liable to burn the truck with me in it.

Question: would it be worth going and having a compression test (or anything else) done? Would that even tell me anything about the engine's health? So far, runs strong - no smoke. Just sorta worried after seeing this new leak. Thanks again.

[6872xtc]

Is it leaking oil or coolant? Me personally,if it is leaking oil, I would decide if it is leaking bad enough to mess with soon or put it off a little while until the wife calms dowm slightly. If it is leaking coolant, stick with 'the fix it soon' plan. If it is running to your satisfaction, I wouldn't be too concerned about any other issues down the road. I tore my '72 apart back in 2002 for an intake replacement, told my wife "simple, do it on a weekend job" and then spent 7 yrs & $7K plus on it. ( She has stopped reminding me that I said I would never go to that level with that truck!!) My feeling is tha the worst part of the job is cleaning up the head surfaces and resetting the timing. I think stabbing the distributor and retiming it can work your patience. Make sure the dist. drops down all the way into the oil pump drive and don't use the rubber end seals most gasket sets come with.

Dave

[Stringer]

It's leaking coolant. I'ze just afraid it might be leaking internally but the oil looks okay. I'm wondering if running green antifreeze instead of orange - dexcool or whatever it is - might have helped cause this. That may be a question for a later model board, though.

[geezer#99]

Post a pic of where it's leaking. Could be a 2 dollar gasket fix.

[Blazer1970]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Post a pic of where it's leaking. Could be a 2 dollar gasket fix.

Or if it still has that quick connect fitting on the heater hose connection that always corrodes and leaks.

[Stringer]

Thanks for the replies. And I'm joking about a potential divorce but....

Hope this photo works. Seems to be leaking coolant just below the engine lift ring. A little more info, though: I've tried 2 radiator caps and they both leak. The the catch tank lid won't seal...don't know if it matters. I hope this'll make sense to somebody. I just can't make sense of it.

[geezer#99]

Looks like it's intake gasket change out time. There's a water passage from the intake to the head right there. Try this first though. Pull the bolts out one at a time slowly. If it starts leaking then you need some thread sealer on them.
As far as the catch can goes the rubber hose from the rad has to be submerged in liquid and you need a rad cap for a closed system.

[ChevLoRay]

"Buy a newer truck?".....Here's a story.

One New Year's Day, several years ago, I was on my way to WallyWorld to pick up some hog jowl for the black-eye peas we were going to have. For those of you who aren't from the south and don't know....you eat them for good luck.

So, I was in the turn lane and my truck died. I'd been having intermittent trouble with it doing that, and it chose that moment in time to do it again. Anyway, the light turned green and it wouldn't start....and I knew it wasn't going to....at all. A lady was behind me in a Pathfinder, with her mother. You know how women are about WalMart....but, I digress. When the light turned green, she started honking. I shrugged my shoulders, but that didn't help. The light turned red. And, then it turned green. She started honking again (horn wasn't needed until then, I guess). So, I got out and walked back to her window and told her..."If you'll start my truck, I'll honk your horn." She huffed and puffed and then said, "Well, why don't you buy a new d... truck!".
I got back in my truck and the police had already stopped to offer assistance so we pushed it out of the way on to a lot.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when she told her husband.....

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

I got out and walked back to her window and told her..."If you'll start my truck, I'll honk your horn." She huffed and puffed and then said, "Well, why don't you buy a new d... truck!".

That's great!!


As to good luck on New Year's... I'm from the PNW and had never heard of it, but my wife has roots in Tennessee. She uses ham instead of hog jowl, though. Good luck for everyone except the pig...

[crushermechanic]

before you pull the intake gasket i would check your thermostat gasket. if it leaks it will puddle up there.

[dadsworktruck]

good call crusher, look at the stud under the nut, it's wet now , well in the pic, lol

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Stringer

First, I gotta say "thanks" to all of you for all the info. I've learned a ton in the month or so I've been reading. Amazing what I still don't know.

I bought a 72 with a 350 TBI during the summer. I've spent a bunch on it - tires, brakes, carrier bearing/u-joints. Now I see it looks like the intake manifold is leaking - at least externally. Mechanical I ain't, but I'll probably try to do this myself over the next week. My wife's about had it with the money I've spent and would rather I go back to driving a newish truck. (I'd rather not.) If I get this fixed and something else fairly major comes along, my dear wife is liable to burn the truck with me in it.

Question: would it be worth going and having a compression test (or anything else) done? Would that even tell me anything about the engine's health? So far, runs strong - no smoke. Just sorta worried after seeing this new leak. Thanks again.

For the cost of a compression tester you would be money ahead to do your own compression testing, its real easy. Craftsman or a cheepy is fine, it may not be as accurate but it will tell you if you have a cyl thats bad.

Definantly check the thermostat gasket.

I found one time that the intake manafold bolts came loose enough for the coolant to seep thru the bolt holes you mentioned, ya may just try to torque them back down for a temporary fix untill doing the gaskets.

If you do this you will need a torque wrench, gasket scraper, tube of RTV, some alcohol or carb cleaner to prep the surfaces and definantly don't forget there is a torque settine and tightening sequence for the bolts to draw them down properly.

Some mechanics like to discard the front and rear gaskets and use only black RTV in a large bead, but first use a center punch and add about 5-8 punches to the gasket surface to give the RTV something to adheear too.