Joker149999

Hi guy's!!!! It's been a while since I have posted, but here is my problem. I just noticed a huge coolant leak when the engine is warm. It's towards the rear driver side of the engine, it looks like it's coming from the head gasket because it's wet on top of the transmission and has soaked the rear of the under carriage. I have not pressure checked it yet going to do that tomorrow at work. I was just trying to get some advice to see if it could be anything else. It's a 94 Runner V-6 3.0 with 252,000 miles on it. Makes me mad that it is leaking but at the same time can't complain, I have only done a clutch and a fuel pump on the truck since I have owned it. I bought it with 136,000 miles so I can't complain to much it has been one hell of a truck. Any advice would be great. Thanks guys!

874runnersr5

check the level of coolant, is the exhaust white? are the plugs white to?
sounds like it could also be a external leak, maybe a coolant return pipe or something

nv4runner

There are a ton of heater and bypass hoses on the back of the engine. I replaced my head gaskets and replaced at least 8 hoses on the rear of the engine before I put the intake back on. That didn't even include the two radiator hoses up front. You can get to them without removing the intake, but it was very convenient for me since I had it torn apart anyway. If any of your plugs are a slightly different color than the others I'd do further tests on that cylinder(s). If not, then I'd really start checking those hoses.

devinwwu

if its still running well and you are only loosing coolant when the truck is hot, i would guess it is not your headgasket. Eliminate some of the easier possibilities before jumping to worst case scenario... there is a tube that runs under the intake and drops itself just over the center of the bellhousing, check to see if there are cracks in one of those hoses, when the truck is running (at temp) look to try to see where the leak is originating. if its running down the firewall, i'm 99% sure its a leak on the heater hoses because those are the only ones that go into the cab. unless it is spraying with some pressure, there is no other way for the coolant to jump from the engine to the firewall.

Joker149999

Well I pressure checked the cooling system and the cylinder head gasket starts leaking slowly and then when it warms up it starts to leak faster. Which is wierd as hell but then again that is how it goes I guess for my luck. On the brightside of things looks like I can start my project and swing the 4.6 L V-6 Vortec engine in now!!!!!! Thanks for the help guys