Coolant Leak Under Intake Manifold! How Do I Remove My Intake Mani

[finespunflesh]

1990 LS400.

I don't want to remove the wrong things, because I'm already annoyed with this project as it is.

I've replaced the seals in the power steering pump, removed the alternator to clean it from that leaky power steering pump, put in a new fuel pump and fuel filter, and I've changed transmission pan gaskets...I thought I could handle this but I'm at that point where I just want to punch my car in the face.

I took it to a Toyota dealer yesterday and they quoted a "possible water inlet tube leak" and they would replace the tube and the o-ring for $850+.

I go to school full time, and bartend on weekends. My income goes to rent and a phone bill and groceries. If the parts are less than $50 there is no way I want to pay a shop to do it.

So it is now in my driveway again, leaking and parked. Has anyone else had this problem? I would just love an lexls.com style how to, on removing my intake manifold...crossing my fingers that someone will have an idea on what to pull first. Thank you!

[curiousB]

You may have an even easier solution. If the leak is the water inlet assembly on front of engine then you don't need to remove the intake manifold. It could be a leaky o-ring or there is a flush mating surface of the inlet that uses a form in place (FIP) gasket (RTV like gunk) you put in the space to make you own gasket. You can read about it on this thread as it is part of a timing belt replacement job.Not really too big a job and sounds well within your DIY capabilities. Stay warm in ND....

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64500&st=15#entry414144

[finespunflesh]

Thanks for the reply! I could only hope it would be that easy, but the coolant leak drips a little farther back, underneath, out of a center hole in the bell housing of the torque converter I believe? ...there is also coolant pooled in a pan underneath the intake manifold, which is why I wanted to take it off in the first place. But it only drips underneath, in the center of my car towards about where the dash meets the glass.

I was told over the phone that the Toyota dealership shop had pulled off the intake manifold, but they obviously haven't, everything is just as dusty and they weren't even sure of the problem, which is what I brought it in for...to have the professionals look at it and tell me what was wrong. They didn't even write the $850 estimate on my bill, and they put the diagnosis in "possible quotes." Which I suppose is fair, but not for $100, I could have guessed there was a leak somewhere under there too. Which I did exactly so. I just feel stuck. I had initially wanted to bring it into a Lexus dealership, but the nearest one is almost 300 miles away. I really almost want to just sell it, but it's kind of impossible to sell a perfectly good car...with a coolant leak included. Ugh.

[pj8708]

Hi Nicole and welcome to the club.

CuriousB is one smart cookie and can give you a lot of expert help.

I can relate to when I was your age and a tooth--pick and a glass of water was considered lunch.....if you could afford the tooth-pick. lol My interest is in the continued wisdom of pouring more and more money into a 23 year old car that seems to be taking all your tip money from Saturday nights and then some. I understand that there are times when a person simply dosen't have any money to put down on a newer car, more reliable. True, when you can do the work yourself, that helps, but the car keeps getting older, parts continue to get brittle and wear, and your luck runs out when you look at the rearview and the tranny is laying in the street.

Can you sell your car or get some value out of it? Just food for thought.

Paul

[finespunflesh]

I'm sure I could try, but I probably wouldn't get much for it, as it has the coolant leak. And then, I'd be without a car for a while which would be pretty inconvenient, because I don't have a lot of money for another car, so whatever other old car I could get would have it's own set of problems that I'd have to deal with anyway. So I feel like I should just suck it up and if I can fix this, I should try. Couldn't even sleep last night, so stressed about it.

But the plan right now is to continue to remove the intake manifold, I guess, so I can get to the inlet water pipe and replace both o-rings and seals. Wish me luck! ;) might be CRAZY, but I don't feel like I have many other options at the moment.

[finespunflesh]

Well, I have a class at 1 today, so I decided to try to take some things off while I had time. Got most of the plastic housing pieces off and I'm down to the injector connectors, which I've removed and covered the holes with some shop towels. Took two hours to take apart all that I've gotten done so far...but I'm really optimistic! Got hold of an on-site mechanic with really low labor rates that seems to know exactly what I've been explaining, so he might come by tonight to help take off the rest of the intake manifold. I'm pretty excited! Don't even mind that my knuckles and wrists are pretty much all skinned up haha.

Really anxious to just get this out of the way, so I can know what the real damage is under the intake manifold. There isn't any leaking coolant anywhere else, but the drips under my car from the pool in the valley pan under the manifold...can't wait to see where that pool has accumulated from! :/

Attached the picture of what it looks like so far, after what I've taken off this morning...

[pj8708]

I'm impressed....go for it ! In your shoes I'd do the same thing. Allthough, unlike many on the site I have problems getting the cap off the toothpaste. LOL

Paul

[landar]

Take a look at this thread -> http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44338&st=0

It basically discusses starter replacement but there are some good pics and service manual steps on removing the intake manifolds (which you have to do to get to the starter or water pipe).

BTW, if you do get the manifold removed, you might want to consider putting new solenoid contacts into your starter. They are fairly inexpensive and after you do all of this work, you probably do not want to be back in there in the not so distant future. Especially in North Dakota in the winter months!

[curiousB]

Be sure to pickup a new gasket kit to reset the manifold. Best of luck. I suspect the leak is not under the manifold but getting it out of the way will make things easier to see. Maybe a dye like below and a UV light would help as well.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Quest-1-oz-cooling-system-UV-dye-bulk/_/N-255s?itemIdentifier=210227

[finespunflesh]

Thank you both so much! I have the onsite repair guy coming in a couple hours...hopefully. It snowed over night for the first time this year, and my car is parked in the driveway so this will be even more fun that I had anticipated :cries:

To curiousB...I don't think the leak is from the manifold itself either, if that's what you meant? Thanks for the idea about the dye though. But I supposed to get that running through my coolant system, I'd have to put my car back together and have it on?? Or will it run through the lines either way? ...sounds like a dumb question, but I really don't know.

[finespunflesh]

It's done! Fixed and working better than ever! The Fargo Corwin Toyota dealership quoted $850 + tax to replace the water inlet pipe and o-ring under my intake manifold.

I spent $100 on labor to an excellent on-site repair mechanic, he was quick and knowledgeable and I'm absolutely grateful for being able to finish the final steps in taking off the intake manifold. I started it on my own, and realized soon enough that I was in over my head, so after he took apart the entire intake manifold in 40 minutes, we saw that the o-ring was trashed and leaking, but the pipe was fine! So I went to my local O'Reilly auto parts store, ordered a new intake manifold gasket for $35.26 after tax, a new throttle body gasket for $3.52 after tax, and then to the hardware store for a new breather tube and o-rings, for $3.24 after tax, had some new coolant in the garage and also cleaned off the CRAZY amount of build-up on my throttle body, for a grand total of $142.02! It took an extra day for the throttle body gasket to get to the store, so the mechanic had to come back the next day, but I am so excited! There are no dash lights, steaming or smoking, sizzling, or leaks of any kind! All just a stupid little ring. So glad I didn't sell it!

[curiousB]

good to hear, and timely given changing weather in ND this time of year. Stay warm!